Alterations in the gut-associated microbiota of juvenile Caribbean spiny lobsters Panulirus argus (Latreille, 1804) infected with PaV1

The spiny lobster Panulirus argus (Latreille, 1804) is currently affected by an unenveloped, icosahedral, DNA virustermed Panulirus argus virus 1 (PaV1), a pathogenic and mortal virus that produces a long-lasting infection that altersthe physiology and behavior of heavily infected lobsters. In crustaceans, the gut-associated microbiota is crucial fortheir homeostasis and well-being, but pathogens could change the composition of the gut-associated microbiotaaffecting its function. In PaV1 infection, the changes of gut-associated microbiota are yet to be elucidated. In thepresent study, we used high-throughput 16S rRNA sequencing technology to compare the bacterial microbiota ofintestines of healthy and heavily PaV1-infected male and female juveniles of P. argus captured in Puerto Morelos Reeflagoon, Quintana Roo, Mexico. We found that basal gut-associated microbiota composition showed a sex dependentbias, with females being enriched in Sphingomonas, while males were enriched in Candidatus Hepatoplasma andAliiroseovarius genera. Moreover, the alpha diversity of microbiota decreased in PaV1-infected lobsters. A significantincrease of Candidatus Bacilloplasma and Vibrio was observed in infected lobsters, as well as a significant decrease inNesterenkonia, Caldalkalibacillus, Vibrio, Pseudomonas, Cetobacterium and Phylobacterium. However, alterations inthe microbiota showed a sex-biased effect. Results from this study suggest that PaV1 infection impacts intestinalmicrobiota composition in P. argus in a sex-dependent manner.