Dynamic Phaeodactylum tricornutum Exometabolites Shape Surrounding Bacterial Communities

Abstract

The roles of exometabolites in mediating algal-bacterial interactions and regulating microbial community composition are not well understood. Here, we identified specific exometabolites from the model diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum affecting abundance of specific bacterial taxa in isolation and in a community setting. We examined the response of a P. tricornutum-adapted enrichment community and found that both algal exudates and algal presence drove similar changes in community composition compared to controls. Using LC-MS/MS, we identified 50 metabolites produced by axenic P. tricornutum and found that different exometabolites accumulated during different algal growth phases. Profiling growth of 12 bacterial isolates representative of the enrichment community uncovered two algal exometabolites (out of 12 tested) which supported growth of a subset of isolates as a primary carbon source. We compared enrichment community response with and without the addition of two contrasting metabolites: 4-hydroxybenzoic acid, which supported isolate growth, and lumichrome, which did not. Exogenous metabolite additions did promote increased abundances of taxa that were able to utilize the metabolite in the isolate study, but also revealed the importance of factors relating to algal presence in regulating community composition. Collectively, this work demonstrates the influence of specific algal exometabolites in driving microbial community composition.