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热带海洋学报

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筒星珊瑚共附生交替单胞菌生物被膜突变株的鉴定及其功能研究

费星怡1, 2, 姚建云1*, 许鑫玥1, 2, 李元超3, 董志军4, 刘胜1, 2, 王晓雪1, 2*   

  1. 1. 热带海洋环境与岛礁生态全国重点实验室, 中国科学院南海海洋研究所, 广州 510301;

    2. 中国科学院大学, 北京 100049;

    3. 海南省海洋与渔业科学院, 三亚, 海南 572000;

    4. 中国学院院烟台海岸带研究所, 烟台 264000



  • 收稿日期:2026-02-09 修回日期:2026-03-05 接受日期:2026-03-25
  • 通讯作者: 王晓雪
  • 基金资助:

    国家科技基础资源调查专项(2022FY100604); 中国科学院南海海洋研究所自主部署项目(SCSIO2023QY03); 海洋负排放大科学计划(ONCE); 国家自然科学基金项目(42188102, 42376128).

Identification and functional analysis of biofilm-defective mutants in Alteromonas species associated with Tubastraea corals

FEI Xingyi¹,², YAO Jianyun1*, XU Xinyue¹,², LI Yuanchao3, DONG Zhijun 4, LIU Sheng 1,2, WANG Xiaoxue¹,²*   

  1. 1. Key Laboratory of Tropical Oceanography, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.1119, Haibin Road, Nansha District, Guangzhou 511458, China;

    2. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China;

    3. Hainan Academy of Ocean and Fisheries Sciences, Sanya, Hainan, 572000, China;

    4. Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yantai, Shandong, 264000, China



  • Received:2026-02-09 Revised:2026-03-05 Accepted:2026-03-25
  • Supported by:

    Science & Technology Fundamental Resources Investigation Program (2022FY100604) ; the special fund of South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (SCSIO2023QY03); the Ocean Negative Carbon Emissions Program (ONCE); the National Science Foundation of China (42188102, 42376128)

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摘要： 筒星珊瑚属是中光层珊瑚礁中具有代表性的六放石珊瑚, 其体内虽不具备能进行光合作用的共生藻类, 但研究表明其共生微生物菌群在帮助珊瑚适应环境变化过程中有重要作用。珊瑚共生微生物多以生物膜形式定殖于珊瑚组织内部或粘液中, 这种附着生长方式有助于微生物新突变的产生与表型多样性的形成。然而, 目前关于生物膜内部突变的发生与珊瑚微生物适应特定环境之间的具体联系, 仍缺乏深入的研究。本研究针对从西沙中光层生境筒星珊瑚中分离的麦氏交替单胞菌 (Alteromonas macleodii),对其生物膜内筛选获得的适应性突变进行了功能分析。其中三个突变位于功能已知的基因上, 分别与c-di-GMP合成、多糖合成以及细胞壁合成相关, 这些突变均影响了细菌的生物膜形成能力。另一突变则位于一个功能未知、含有DUF3450结构域的基因上, 该基因被命名为bfmS；该缺失突变导致BfmS蛋白的第二个α螺旋发生截短。此突变显著增强了菌株的生物膜形成能力并降低了其运动性, 从而更有利于该菌在珊瑚组织内附着与定殖。此外, 我们发现该基因在多个种属微生物中与TonB系统存在明显共分布特征, 推测其可能参与铁离子等物质的跨膜运输。值得关注的是, 该基因突变还提供了菌株抵抗环境中烈性噬菌体侵染的能力。上述结果表明, 生物膜中产生的单个突变可以为菌株提供多种生存优势, 从而共同提升珊瑚共生体系的整体环境耐受能力以及稳定性。

关键词: 筒星珊瑚, 交替单胞菌, 生物膜, DUF3450结构域, TonB系统, 噬菌体受体

Abstract: Tubastraea is a representative hexacoral in mesophotic coral reefs. Although it lacks photosynthetic symbiotic algae, studies have shown that its symbiotic microbial community plays an important role in helping corals adapt to environmental changes. Coral symbiotic microorganisms mostly colonize the interior of coral tissues or mucus in the form of biofilms. This attached growth mode facilitates the generation of new microbial mutations and the formation of phenotypic diversity. However, the specific link between the occurrence of mutations within biofilms and the adaptation of coral microorganisms to specific environments remains largely unexplored. This study conducted functional research on adaptive mutations screened from the biofilm of Alteromonas macleodii isolated from Tubastraea corals in the mesophotic habitat of the Xisha Islands. Three of the mutations occurred in genes with known functions, related to c-di-GMP synthesis, polysaccharide synthesis, and cell wall synthesis, respectively, all of which affected biofilm formation. Another mutation was located in a gene of unknown function containing a DUF3450 domain, which is proposed to name as bfmS; this deletion mutation resulted in the truncation of the second α-helix of the BfmS protein. This mutation significantly enhanced the biofilm-forming capacity of the strain while reducing its motility, thereby promoting bacterial attachment and colonization within coral tissues. Additionally, BfmS exhibits a clear co-distribution pattern with the TonB system across multiple microbial genera, suggesting its potential involvement in the transmembrane transport of substances such as iron ions. Notably, mutations in this gene also conferred resistance to lytic phage infection in the strain. These results indicate that a single mutation generated within the biofilm can provide the strain with multiple survival advantages, thereby collectively enhancing the environmental tolerance and stability of the coral symbiotic system.

Key words: Tubastraea, Alteromonas, Biofilm, DUF3450 domain, TonB system, phage receptor