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Model Cyanobacterial Consortia Core Microbiome

Community ID CommunityMech:000214
Ecological State ENGINEERED
Environment laboratory cyanobacteria-heterotroph coculture
ENVO:01001405

A laboratory framework of 108 stable cyanobacteria-heterotroph consortia generated by coculturing five well-characterized model cyanobacterial strains with microorganisms filtered from three distinct freshwater sources. Metagenomic analysis across the 108 consortia identified a 25-species noncyanobacterial core microbiome that recurred independently of cyanobacterial host species or inoculum source, with statistically supported core functions in micronutrient biosynthesis, metabolite transport, and anoxygenic photosynthesis, and a significant enrichment of plasmids in core species suggesting plasmid-mediated symbiotic roles.

Taxonomy

Taxon Ontology ID Functional Roles Abundance
model cyanobacterial hosts NCBITaxon:1117
PRIMARY_PRODUCER
DOMINANT
  • PMID:40626910 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)
    "five well-characterized model cyanobacterial strains"
core noncyanobacterial heterotrophs NCBITaxon:2
CROSS_FEEDER SECONDARY_FERMENTER
N/A
  • PMID:40626910 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)
    "these consortia converged on a similar set of noncyanobacterial taxa, forming a 25-species core microbiome"

Ecological Interactions

Ecological interaction network for Model Cyanobacterial Consortia Core Microbiome Bipartite graph where circle nodes represent taxa and colored rectangles represent ecological interactions (cross-feeding, mutualism, syntrophy, competition, commensalism).
Taxon
Cross-feeding
Mutualism
Syntrophy
Competition
Commensalism
Niche partitioning
Colonization facilitation
Strain competition
Predation

Plasmid-Mediated Cyanobacteria-Heterotroph Symbiosis

MUTUALISM

Source Taxon: core noncyanobacterial heterotrophs

Target Taxon: model cyanobacterial hosts

Biological Processes:

  • interspecies interaction between organisms (GO:0044419)

Evidence

  • PMID:40626910 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)
    "core species showed significant enrichment of plasmids, and functions encoded on plasmids suggested plasmid-mediated roles in symbiotic interactions"

Core Micronutrient and Anoxygenic Photosynthesis Functions

CROSS_FEEDING

Biological Processes:

Evidence

  • PMID:40626910 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)
    "core microbiome functionalities in micronutrient biosynthesis, metabolite transport, and anoxygenic photosynthesis"

Host- and Inoculum-Independent Core Recruitment

COLONIZATION_FACILITATION

Evidence

  • PMID:40626910 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)
    "despite host and inoculum diversity, these consortia converged on a similar set of noncyanobacterial taxa"

External Resources

Name Repository Resource ID
Primary publication for the model cyanobacterial consortia framework
PubMed record for the Kust et al. 2025 ISME J paper characterizing a reproducible 25-species core microbiome across 108 cyanobacteria-heterotroph cocultures. 		OTHER PMID:40626910
  • PMID:40626910 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)
    "model cyanobacteria can serve as robust hosts for uncovering functional roles underlying cyanobacterial community dynamics"
DOI landing page
DOI link to the ISME J paper. 		OTHER doi:10.1093/ismejo/wraf142

Environmental Factors

Factor Value Unit
Freshwater inoculum diversity three distinct freshwater sources N/A
  • PMID:40626910 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)
    "microorganisms filtered from three distinct freshwater sources"
Replicated coculture scale 108 stable consortia N/A
  • PMID:40626910 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)
    "generating 108 stable consortia"

Growth Media

Cyanobacteria-heterotroph coculture freshwater-based medium

Atmosphere AEROBIC

Preparation notes: Stable in vitro cocultures of cyanobacteria with freshwater-derived heterotrophs; specific medium composition is not enumerated in the abstract.

Evidence

PMID:40626910

"in vitro studies of these consortia"