Identification of a bacterial pathogen associated with Porites white patch syndrome in the Western Indian Ocean
Authors
Séré, Mathieu G.Chabanet, Pascale
Quod, Jean-Pascal
Sweet, Michael J.

Tortosa, Pablo

Schleyer, Michael

Affiliation
University of DerbyIssue Date
2015-08-24
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Porites white patch syndrome (PWPS) is a coral disease recently described in the Western Indian Ocean. This study aimed to isolate and identify potential pathogens associated with PWPS utilizing both culture and nonculture screening techniques and inoculation trials. A total of 14 bacterial strains (those dominant in disease lesions, absent or rare in healthy tissues and considered potential pathogens in a previous study) were cultured and used to experimentally inoculate otherwise healthy individuals in an attempt to fulfil Henle–Koch's postulates. However, only one (P180R), identified as closely related (99–100% sequence identity based on 1.4 kb 16S RNA sequence) to Vibrio tubiashii, elicited signs of disease in tank experiments. Following experimental infection (which resulted in a 90% infection rate), the pathogen was also successfully re-isolated from the diseased tissues and re-inoculated in healthy corals colonies, therefore fulfilling the final stages of Henle–Koch's postulates. Finally, we report that PWPS appears to be a temperature-dependent disease, with significantly higher tissue loss (anova: d.f. = 2, F = 39.77, P < 0.01) occurring at 30 °C [1.45 ± 0.85 cm2 per day (mean ± SE)] compared to ambient temperatures of 28 and 26 °C (0.73 ± 0.80 cm2 per day (mean ± SE) and 0.51 ± 0.50 cm2 per day (mean ± SE), respectively).Citation
Sere, M, Tortosa, P, Chabanet, P, Quod, J, Sweet, M, & Schleyer, M 2015, 'Identification of a bacterial pathogen associated with Porites white patch syndrome in the Western Indian Ocean', Molecular Ecology, 17, p. 4570Publisher
WileyJournal
Molecular EcologyDOI
10.1111/mec.13326Additional Links
http://doi.wiley.com/10.1111/mec.13326Type
ArticleLanguage
enSeries/Report no.
Vol. 24Issue 17
ISSN
09621083ae974a485f413a2113503eed53cd6c53
10.1111/mec.13326