Corals are hotspots of ocean microbial diversity and imbalance in the composition of coral associated microbes has been mostly correlated with the emergence of climate change driven diseases which affect the overall stability of the reef ecosystem. Coral sampling was performed by SCUBA diving at Palk Bay (latitude 9.271580, longitude 79.132203) south Indian coast. Among the 54 bacterial isolates, an isolate MGL-D26 showed comparatively high biofilm formation and was identified as Staphylococcus sciuri based on phylogenetic analysis. The production of exopolysaccharide (EPS) confirmed the formation of a slimy EPS matrix associated with the biofilm. The biofilm formation in S. sciuri D26 was induced significantly by UV exposure followed by other stress factors including pollution, agitation, and salinity. The strain inhibited innate immune factors of corals such as melanin synthesis and phenoloxidase. Challenge experiments in a model organism Aiptasia sp. showed pathogenicity of S. sciuri. Histopathological analysis revealed tissue invasion by S. sciuri which was a predisposing factor leading to mortality in challenged Aiptasia sp. However, specific disease condition of corals infected by S. sciuri requires continuous field monitoring and further investigation. Based on the findings, S. sciuri was a first reported multi-host opportunistic pathogen which has emerged in corals under environmental stress.
Keywords: Biofilm; Coral; Exopolysaccharides; Pathogenicity; Staphylococcus sciuri.
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