Poster Presentation Australian Society for Microbiology Annual Scientific Meeting 2023

Biting Into the Shark Epidermal Virome (#137)

Ryan Hesse 1 , Bhavya Nalagampalli Papudeshi 1 , Mallawaarachchi Vijini 1 , Michael Roach 1 , Emma Kerr 1 , Laís FO Lima 2 , Goodman Asha 2 , Carlson Jones Jessica 1 , Charlie Huveneers 1 , Lauren Meyer 1 , Dinsdale Elizabeth 1
  1. Flinders University FAME Lab, Bedford Park, SA, Australia
  2. San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA

Viruses and bacteriophages have understudied but consequential associations with metazoan hosts. Sharks have epidermal scales called dermal denticles, which vary in morphology depending on species. The hydrodynamic properties of the denticles reduce settlement and biofilm formation by environmental microbiota, which cultivates a unique microbiome on shark skin. Sharks have an abnormal ability to resist epidermal infection despite frequent external injuries, due in part to the protection afforded by the epidermal microbiome. Thus, understanding the microbiome’s role in shark immunity may have implications for reducing the bacterial infections associated with large-scale mariculture operations. Despite the integral role that viruses and bacteriophages play in microbiome dynamics, the composition of the shark epidermal virome has never been studied. We have used flow cytometry, next-generation sequencing techniques, and a combination of single-read and genomic assembly to begin to characterize and compare the epidermal viromes of various shark species across Australia. The data revealed a large proportion of shared taxa in epidermal phage communities within and among shark species. Sharks also contain a greater proportion of virus-like particles on their epidermis compared to the epidermis of other marine host animals. Samples were also collected from sharks with epidermal wounds in the early stages of healing; the wounds show higher proportions of virus-like particles than nearby undamaged epidermis on the same shark. The differences in abundance and community compositions suggest that sharks retain distinct viral communities and that viruses may play a role in wound healing in the shark epidermis.