Microbiota regulates life-cycle transition and nematocyte dynamics in jellyfish

Saijun Peng; Lijing Ye; Yongxue Li; Fanghan Wang; Tingting Sun; Lei Wang; Wenjin Hao; Jianmin Zhao; Zhijun Dong

doi:10.1016/j.isci.2023.108444

Microbiota regulates life-cycle transition and nematocyte dynamics in jellyfish

iScience. 2023 Nov 19;26(12):108444. doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.108444. eCollection 2023 Dec 15.

Authors

Saijun Peng^{1

2}, Lijing Ye¹, Yongxue Li^{1

2}, Fanghan Wang^{1

2}, Tingting Sun¹, Lei Wang¹, Wenjin Hao³, Jianmin Zhao^{1

2}, Zhijun Dong^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ CAS Key Laboratory of Coastal Environmental Processes and Ecological Remediation, Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yantai, Shandong 264003, China.
² University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
³ School of Life Science, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu 226019, China.

Abstract

Jellyfish represent one of the most basal animal groups with complex life cycles. The polyp-to-medusa transition, termed strobilation, is the pivotal process that determines the switch in swimming behavior and jellyfish blooms. Their microbiota plays an essential role in strobilation. Here, we investigated microbiota-mediated host phenotype dynamics during strobilation in the jellyfish Aurelia coerulea via antibiotic-induced microbiome alteration. Microbial depletion delayed the initiation of strobilation and resulted in fewer segments and ephyrae, which could be restored via microbial recolonization. Jellyfish-associated cyanobacteria, which were eliminated by antibiotics in the polyp stage, had the potential to supply retinal and trigger the retinoic acid signaling cascade, which drove the strobilation process. The microbiota regulated nematocyte development and differentiation, influencing the feeding and growth of the jellyfish. The findings improve our understanding of jellyfish-microbe interactions and provide new insights into the role of the microbiota in shaping feeding behavior through nematocyte dynamics.

Keywords: Evolutionary biology; Marine organism; Microbiome; Zoology.