Assessment of the cyst wall and surface microbiota in dormant embryos of the Antarctic calanoid copepod, Boeckella poppei

Embryos of zooplankton from inland waters and estuaries can remain viable for years in an extreme state of metabolic suppression. How these embryos resist microbial attack with limited metabolic capacity for immune defence or repair is unknown. As a first step in evaluating resistance to microbial attack in dormant zooplankton, surface colonization of the Antarctic freshwater copepod, Boeckella poppei, was evaluated. Scanning electron micrographs demonstrate the outer two layers of a five-layered cyst wall in B. poppei fragment and create a complex environment for microbial colonization. By contrast, the third layer remains undamaged during years of embryo storage in native sediment. The absence of damage to the third layer indicates that it is resistant to degradation by microbial enzymes. Scanning electron microscopy and microbiome analysis using the 16S ribosomal subunit gene and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region demonstrate the presence of a diverse microbial community on the embryo surface. Coverage of the embryos with microbial life varies from a sparse population with individual microbes to complete coverage by a thick biofilm. Extracellular polymeric substance binds debris and provides a structural element for the microbial community. Frequent observation of bacterial fission indicates that the biofilm is viable in stored sediments.