Summary
This multi-omics study eluciates the molecular mechanisms by which the microbiome of the microalga Isochrysis galbana suppresses the fish pathogen Vibrio anguillarum, achieving complete inhibition at a 1:1000 pathogen-to-microbiome ratio. Integrated metagenomic, metatranscriptomic, and metabolomic analyses revealed that Alteromonas macleodii and Vreelandella alkaliphila dominate the inhibitory microbiome and constitutively produce hydroxamate siderophores—including desferrioxamine analogues, proferrioxamine G1t, and tenacibactin D—through active expression of biosynthetic gene clusters. The findings establish iron sequestration as the primary inhibitory mechanism and provide a foundation for developing probiotic consortia as environmentally sustainable alternatives to antibiotic-based disease control in aquaculture.
Regional applicability
Although conducted in an international laboratory setting, these findings are directly applicable to United Kingdom aquaculture operations, which face equivalent challenges from Vibrio pathogens and antibiotic resistance. The identified microbiome-based approach offers potential for UK commercial fish farming (salmon, sea bass, and other species) to adopt sustainable disease management aligned with UK regulatory emphasis on reducing antimicrobial use in farmed animals.
Key measures
GFP-based pathogen inhibition assay; 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing; metagenome-assembled genomes; metatranscriptomic gene expression; metabolomic profiling of hydroxamate siderophores and secondary metabolites
Outcomes reported
The study characterised the microbiome composition, gene expression, and metabolite production of Isochrysis galbana microbiome during inhibition of the fish pathogen Vibrio anguillarum using integrated 16S rRNA, metagenomic, metatranscriptomic, and metabolomic approaches. The research identified siderophore production as the primary mechanism of pathogen suppression.
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