Dear colleagues,
I am pleased to share our recent open-access publication on the humpback
whale skin microbiome:
Apprill A, Robbins J, Eren, AM, Pack AA, Reveillaud J, Mattila D, Moore
M, Niemeyer M, Moore KMT, Mincer TJ. 2014. Humpback whale populations
share a core skin bacterial community: towards a health index for marine
mammals? PLOS ONE, e90785.
open access: http://dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0090785
Abstract:
Microbes are now well regarded for their important role in mammalian
health. The microbiology of skin -- a unique interface between the host
and environment - is a major research focus in human health and skin
disorders, but is less explored in other mammals. Here, we report on a
cross-population study of the skin-associated bacterial community of
humpback whales (/Megaptera novaeangliae/), and examine the potential
for a core bacterial community and its variability with host
(endogenous) or geographic/environmental (exogenous) specific factors.
Skin biopsies or freshly sloughed skin from 56 individuals were sampled
from populations in the North Atlantic, North Pacific and South Pacific
oceans and bacteria were characterized using 454 pyrosequencing of SSU
rRNA genes. Phylogenetic and statistical analyses revealed the ubiquity
and abundance of bacteria belonging to the /Flavobacteria/ genus
/Tenacibaculum/ and the /Gammaproteobacteria/ genus /Psychrobacter/
across the whale populations. Scanning electron microscopy of skin
indicated that microbial cells colonize the skin surface. Despite the
ubiquity of /Tenacibaculum/ and /Psychrobater/ spp., the relative
composition of the skin-bacterial community differed significantly by
geographic area as well as metabolic state of the animals (feeding
versus starving during migration and breeding), suggesting that both
exogenous and endogenous factors may play a role in influencing the
skin-bacteria. Further, characteristics of the skin bacterial community
from these free-swimming individuals were assembled and compared to two
entangled and three dead individuals, revealing a decrease in the
central or core bacterial community members (/Tenacibaculum/ and
/Psychrobater/ spp.), as well as the emergence of potential pathogens in
the latter cases. This is the first discovery of a cross-population,
shared skin bacterial community. This research suggests that the skin
bacteria may be connected to humpback health and immunity and could
possibly serve as a useful index for health and skin disorder monitoring
of threatened and endangered marine mammals.
Kind regards,
Amy
Amy Apprill
Assistant Scientist
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
266 Woods Hole Rd, Woods Hole MA 02543
508-289-2649
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