Microbial community analysis of the octocoral Eunicea fusca: Combined use of cultivation-dependent and independent techniques

The octocoral Eunicea fusca is the source of important anti-inflammatory compounds such as the diterpenes fuscol and the fuscosides. Evidence suggests that these compounds are being produce by bacterial sources that live in symbiosis with the coral. As part of an investigation to better understand the role of bacteria associated with E. fusca, the characterization of the bacterial community using two different techniques (culture dependent technique and culture independent technique) and sea water samples was done. Sea water samples were used as a control to determine how closely associated bacteria are to this octocoral. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with universal bacterial primers FC27 and RC1492 specific to prokaryotic 16S rDNA gene sequences was used to characterize the total bacterial population when using both the culturable and the non-culturable approaches. The results indicate a diverse group of bacteria associated to E. fusca composed of 10 different groups. The proteobacteria group was the most predominant group when both techniques were used. The alpha-proteobacteria represented the highest percentage of bacteria associated to E. fusca .