Diversity of the epiphytic bacterial communities associated with different sporophytic regions of cultivated Undaria pinnatifida
摘要
Epiphytic bacteria play an important role in the development and health of seaweeds and then affect their yield and quality. In this study, the 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing was used to investigate the epiphytic bacterial communities associated with different sporophytic regions of vegetative and mature sporophytes of cultivated Undaria pinnatifida. The results revealed that the diversity, evenness and richness of epiphytic bacteria were significantly dependent on the sporophytic region and developmental stage. Proteobacteria, Verrucomicrobiota, Bacteroidota, Firmicutes and Actinobacteriota were the dominant phyla at both developmental stages, with Eionea, Pseudoalalteromonas and Psychromonas were the predominant genera, and they could potentially contribute to polysaccharide degradation and blade apoptosis. Verrucomicrobiota clearly tended to be in the sporophyll region with the highest abundance, suggesting that it was involved in the protection against light damage and the construction of cell walls. Epiphytic bacteria showed diverse metabolic functions in various sporophytic regions, and there was a higher correlation between meristem and sporophyll. These findings enhance our basic understanding of the symbiont profile of this commercial kelp and has application potential in improving farming management and disease control.