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Biofouling and Antifouling: Interactions between Microbes and Larvae of Invertebrates

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Microbiology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 May 2020) | Viewed by 26457

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Department of Marine Science and Fisheries, Sultan Qaboos University, Al Khoud 123, P.O. Box 34, Muscat, Oman
Interests: biofouling; antifouling; microbial biofilms; marine biotechnology; marine natural products; chemical ecology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Biofouling refers to the undesirable accumulation and deposition of living organisms on submerged hard surfaces. The initial stages of biofouling are represented by biofilms, which are composed of assemblages of different microorganisms—such as bacteria, fungi, diatoms, and protozoa—incorporated into exopolymeric substances and attached to each other and to substrata. The bioactive compounds produced by the microbes in biofilms can induce or inhibit the larval recruitment of invertebrates. Biofilms are highly dynamic systems. Environmental changes cause substantial changes in the community structure and composition of biofilms, which in turn affect the settlement of macrofouling species and their health. The molecular interactions between the biofilm community composition and settlement of invertebrate larvae remain poorly understood. At the same time, these interactions, resulting in antifouling and pro-fouling effects, are of great importance for the conservation biology, aquaculture and antifouling industries alike. This Special Issue targets research results focusing on microbe–larva interactions. Special emphasis will be placed on the novel “omics” approaches, such as metagenomics, metatranscriptomics, and metabolomics.

Dr. Sergey Dobretsov
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • Biofouling
  • Settlement cue
  • Inhibition of settlement
  • Microbial biofilm
  • Microbe–larva interaction
  • Metagenomics
  • Metabolomics

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Editorial

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3 pages, 198 KiB  
Editorial
Biofouling and Antifouling: Interactions between Microbes and Larvae of Invertebrates
by Sergey Dobretsov and Daniel Rittschof
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(7), 6531; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24076531 - 31 Mar 2023
Viewed by 1624
Abstract
The biofouling process refers to the undesirable accumulation of micro- and macro-organisms on manufactured surfaces [...] Full article

Research

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14 pages, 6912 KiB  
Article
Investigation of Biofilms Formed on Steelmaking Slags in Marine Environments for Water Depuration
by Akiko Ogawa, Reiji Tanaka, Nobumitsu Hirai, Tatsuki Ochiai, Ruu Ohashi, Karin Fujimoto, Yuka Akatsuka and Masanori Suzuki
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2020, 21(18), 6945; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21186945 - 22 Sep 2020
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2218
Abstract
Steelmaking slags are a promising resource as artificial seaweed beds for the reconstitution of marine environments. To grow seaweed well, the formation of biofilms is an essential process in biofouling. This study focused on the formation of initial biofilms on steelmaking slag samples [...] Read more.
Steelmaking slags are a promising resource as artificial seaweed beds for the reconstitution of marine environments. To grow seaweed well, the formation of biofilms is an essential process in biofouling. This study focused on the formation of initial biofilms on steelmaking slag samples and analyzed the resulting bacterial communities using the next-generation sequencing technique. Three types of steelmaking slag were submerged in an area of Ise Bay in Mie Prefecture, Japan, for 3 and 7 days in the summer and winter seasons to allow the formation of biofilms. The bacterial communities of these biofilms were richer in sulfur-oxidizing bacteria compared to the biofilms formed on polyurethane sponges. It was found that Helicobacteraceae dominantly grew on the biofilms formed on the slag samples. This shows that steelmaking slags have potential to be used as artificial seaweed beds and marine water purifiers. Full article
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28 pages, 2495 KiB  
Article
The Role of Biofilms Developed under Different Anthropogenic Pressure on Recruitment of Macro-Invertebrates
by Eva Cacabelos, Patrício Ramalhosa, João Canning-Clode, Jesús S. Troncoso, Celia Olabarria, Cristina Delgado, Sergey Dobretsov and Ignacio Gestoso
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2020, 21(6), 2030; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21062030 - 16 Mar 2020
Cited by 19 | Viewed by 4849
Abstract
Microbial biofilms can be key mediators for settlement of macrofoulers. The present study examines the coupled effects of microbial biofilms and local environmental conditions on the composition, structure and functioning of macrofouling assemblages. Settlement of invertebrates over a gradient of human-impacted sites was [...] Read more.
Microbial biofilms can be key mediators for settlement of macrofoulers. The present study examines the coupled effects of microbial biofilms and local environmental conditions on the composition, structure and functioning of macrofouling assemblages. Settlement of invertebrates over a gradient of human-impacted sites was investigated on local biofilms and on biofilms developed in marine protected areas (MPAs). Special attention was given to the presence of non-indigenous species (NIS), a global problem that can cause important impacts on local assemblages. In general, the formation of macrofouling assemblages was influenced by the identity of the biofilm. However, these relationships varied across levels of anthropogenic pressure, possibly influenced by environmental conditions and the propagule pressure locally available. While the NIS Watersipora subatra seemed to be inhibited by the biofilm developed in the MPA, Diplosoma cf. listerianum seemed to be attracted by biofilm developed in the MPA only under mid anthropogenic pressure. The obtained information is critical for marine environmental management, urgently needed for the establishment of prevention and control mechanisms to minimize the settlement of NIS and mitigate their threats. Full article
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14 pages, 4690 KiB  
Article
The Flagellar Gene Regulates Biofilm Formation and Mussel Larval Settlement and Metamorphosis
by Xiao Liang, Xiu-Kun Zhang, Li-Hua Peng, You-Ting Zhu, Asami Yoshida, Kiyoshi Osatomi and Jin-Long Yang
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2020, 21(3), 710; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21030710 - 21 Jan 2020
Cited by 32 | Viewed by 3601
Abstract
Biofilms are critical components of most marine systems and provide biochemical cues that can significantly impact overall community composition. Although progress has been made in the bacteria–animal interaction, the molecular basis of modulation of settlement and metamorphosis in most marine animals by bacteria [...] Read more.
Biofilms are critical components of most marine systems and provide biochemical cues that can significantly impact overall community composition. Although progress has been made in the bacteria–animal interaction, the molecular basis of modulation of settlement and metamorphosis in most marine animals by bacteria is poorly understood. Here, Pseudoalteromonas marina showing inducing activity on mussel settlement and metamorphosis was chosen as a model to clarify the mechanism that regulates the bacteria–mussel interaction. We constructed a flagellin synthetic protein gene fliP deletion mutant of P. marina and checked whether deficiency of fliP gene will impact inducing activity, motility, and extracellular polymeric substances of biofilms. Furthermore, we examined the effect of flagellar proteins extracted from bacteria on larval settlement and metamorphosis. The deletion of the fliP gene caused the loss of the flagella structure and motility of the ΔfliP strain. Deficiency of the fliP gene promoted the biofilm formation and changed biofilm matrix by reducing β-polysaccharides and increasing extracellular proteins and finally reduced biofilm-inducing activities. Flagellar protein extract promoted mussel metamorphosis, and ΔfliP biofilms combined with additional flagellar proteins induced similar settlement and metamorphosis rate compared to that of the wild-type strain. These findings provide novel insight on the molecular interactions between bacteria and mussels. Full article
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Review

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20 pages, 9065 KiB  
Review
Bio-inspired Surface Texture Modification as a Viable Feature of Future Aquatic Antifouling Strategies: A Review
by Chloe Richards, Asma Slaimi, Noel E. O’Connor, Alan Barrett, Sandra Kwiatkowska and Fiona Regan
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2020, 21(14), 5063; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21145063 - 17 Jul 2020
Cited by 34 | Viewed by 4628
Abstract
The imitation of natural systems to produce effective antifouling materials is often referred to as “biomimetics”. The world of biomimetics is a multidisciplinary one, needing careful understanding of “biological structures”, processes and principles of various organisms found in nature and based on this, [...] Read more.
The imitation of natural systems to produce effective antifouling materials is often referred to as “biomimetics”. The world of biomimetics is a multidisciplinary one, needing careful understanding of “biological structures”, processes and principles of various organisms found in nature and based on this, designing nanodevices and nanomaterials that are of commercial interest to industry. Looking to the marine environment for bioinspired surfaces offers researchers a wealth of topographies to explore. Particular attention has been given to the evaluation of textures based on marine organisms tested in either the laboratory or the field. The findings of the review relate to the numbers of studies on textured surfaces demonstrating antifouling potential which are significant. However, many of these are only tested in the laboratory, where it is acknowledged a very different response to fouling is observed. Full article
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19 pages, 2658 KiB  
Review
Love at First Taste: Induction of Larval Settlement by Marine Microbes
by Sergey Dobretsov and Daniel Rittschof
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2020, 21(3), 731; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21030731 - 22 Jan 2020
Cited by 111 | Viewed by 8649
Abstract
Marine biofilms are composed of many species of bacteria, unicellular algae, and protozoa. Biofilms can induce, inhibit, or have no effect on settlement of larvae and spores of algae. In this review, we focus on induction of larval settlement by marine bacteria and [...] Read more.
Marine biofilms are composed of many species of bacteria, unicellular algae, and protozoa. Biofilms can induce, inhibit, or have no effect on settlement of larvae and spores of algae. In this review, we focus on induction of larval settlement by marine bacteria and unicellular eukaryotes and review publications from 2010 to September 2019. This review provides insights from meta-analysis on what is known about the effect of marine biofilms on larval settlement. Of great interest is the impact of different components of marine biofilms, such as bacteria and diatoms, extracellular polymeric substances, quorum sensing signals, unique inductive compounds, exoenzymes, and structural protein degradation products on larval settlement and metamorphosis. Molecular aspects of larval settlement and impact of climate change are reviewed and, finally, potential areas of future investigations are provided. Full article
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