Effects of micropollutants on Asellus aquaticus and its microbiome

Freshwater habitats are frequently contaminated by diverse chemicals of anthropogenic origin, collectively referred to as micropollutants that can have detrimental effects on aquatic life. The animals’ tolerance to micropollutants may be mediated by their microbiome. If polluted aquatic environments select for contaminant-degrading microbes, the acquisition of such microbes by the host may increase its tolerance to pollution. Here we tested for the potential effects of the host microbiome on growth and survival of juvenile Asellus aquaticus, a widespread freshwater crustacean. Using faecal microbiome transplants, we provided newly hatched juveniles with the microbiome isolated from donor adults reared in either clean or micropollutant-contaminated water, and after transplantation recipient juveniles were reared in water with and without micropollutants. The experiment revealed a significant negative effect of the micropollutants on the survival of juvenile isopods regardless of received faecal microbiome. The micropollutants had altered the composition of the bacterial component of the donors’ microbiome, which in turn had influenced the microbiome of juvenile recipients. Hence, we show that relatively high environmental concentrations of micropollutants reduce survival and alter the microbiome composition of juvenile A. aquaticus, but we have no evidence that tolerance to micropollutants is modulated by their microbiome.

Identifier
Source https://data.blue-cloud.org/search-details?step=~01260741F0F6C35C5DB6199104D2047D308F0A60051
Metadata Access https://data.blue-cloud.org/api/collections/60741F0F6C35C5DB6199104D2047D308F0A60051
Provenance
Instrument Illumina MiSeq; ILLUMINA
Publisher Blue-Cloud Data Discovery & Access service; ELIXIR-ENA
Publication Year 2024
OpenAccess true
Contact blue-cloud-support(at)maris.nl
Representation
Discipline Marine Science
Spatial Coverage (8.328W, 47.001S, 8.328E, 47.001N)
Temporal Point 2021-06-01T00:00:00Z