The prokaryotic community of Chondrosia reniformis Nardo, 1847: from diversity to mercury detection

Microbial communities inhabiting sponges are known to take part in many metabolic pathways, including nutrient cycles, and possibly also in the bioaccumulation of trace elements (TEs). Here, we used high-throughput, Illumina sequencing of 16S rRNA genes to characterize the prokaryotic communities present in the cortex and choanosome, respectively the external and internal body region of Chondrosia reniformis, and in the surrounding seawater. Furthermore, we estimated the total mercury content (THg) in these body regions of the sponge and in the corresponding microbial cell pellets. Fifteen prokaryotic phyla were detected in association with C. reniformis, 13 belonging to the domain Bacteria and two to the Archaea. No significant differences between the prokaryotic community composition of the two regions were found. Three lineages of ammonium-oxidizing organisms (Cenarchaeum symbiosum, Nitrosopumilus maritimus, and Nitrosococcus sp.) co-dominated the prokaryotic community, suggesting ammonium oxidation/nitrification as a key metabolic pathway within the microbiome of C. reniformis. In the sponge fractions, higher THg levels were found in the choanosome compared to the cortex. In contrast, comparable THg levels found in the microbial pellets obtained from both regions were significantly lower than those observed in the corresponding sponge fractions. Our work provides new insights into the prokaryotic communities and TEs distribution in different body parts of a model organism relevant for marine conservation and biotechnology. In this sense, this study paves the way for scientists to deepen the possible application of sponges not only as bioindicators, but also as bioremediation tools of metal polluted environments.