ArticleMicrobiome2025
Putative promiscuous symbionts in deep-sea corals and crinoids may contribute to nitrogen cycling.
Article in Microbiome, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed.
- Bacterial Microbiota Signatures Suggest Acclimation of the Gorgonian Leptogorgia sarmentosa to Highly Impacted Environments in the Mediterranean Sea.Microbial ecology · 2026Article
- Ammonia oxidation and recalcitrant carbon degradation fuel mixotrophic growth in the symbiont community of a deep-sea sponge.Microbiome · 2026Article
- Resolving the evolutionary duality of marine symbionts: redefining the genusISME communications · 2026Article
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Authors and funding
9 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundCrinoids (feather stars) are frequently found in association with corals, yet the physiological and microbial interactions between these organisms remain poorly understood. Both corals and crinoids host symbiotic microorganisms, but the functional roles of these symbionts, particularly in deep-sea environments, are largely unexplored. This study characterizes the microbiomes of the deep-sea corals Desmophyllum pertusum and Solenosmilia variabilis and their associated crinoid Koehlermetra sp. (Thalassometridae) from the Campos Basin, Brazil, to investigate potential cross-host microbial interactions and their ecological implications. We used multiple approaches for this investigation, including amplicon sequencing surveys, genome-resolved metagenomics, and fluorescence in situ hybridization.
resultsWe found that the same endosymbiotic members of the families Endozoicomonadaceae and Nitrosopumilaceae inhabit both corals and the crinoids, suggesting promiscuity in host-symbiont relationships. Metagenomic analysis revealed a novel and dominant Endozoicomonas species (E. promiscua sp. nov.), whose genome encodes pathways for dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonia (DNRA). This metabolic capability could provide a substrate for ammonia-oxidizing archaea (Nitrosopumilaceae), indicating a potential cross-host nitrogen-cycling network. Shared microbial taxa between corals and crinoids further support the hypothesis of symbiont promiscuity, where metabolic redundancy may facilitate colonization across species.
conclusionsOur findings suggest that nitrogen cycling plays a key role in structuring microbial symbioses in deep-sea coral-crinoid holobionts. The promiscuous distribution of symbionts across hosts implies that metabolic interactions, such as DNRA-driven ammonia provisioning, could underpin resilience in nutrient-limited environments. This study highlights the importance of microbial versatility in deep-sea ecosystems and provides new insights into how cross-host symbiosis may contribute to biogeochemical cycling in the ocean. Video Abstract.
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