APPLIED HOLOGENOMICS: LEVERAGING MICROBIOTA SERVICES THROUGH HOLO-OMIC ANALYSES IN FARMED FISH
Introduction
Emerging evidence across all areas of life has revealed the evolutionary importance of the intimate biological interactions between animals and their associated microbiota. Both the host genotype and the host microbiota have been shown to influence host phenotypes, such as growth and disease states. The hologenome concept maintains that the host genome and the host m icrobial metagenome are subject to essential biological interactions; thus, both should be considered simultaneously as a single interconnected ‘holobiont system’ when investigating how animals respond to e.g., diet and disease.
Methods
Based on challenges in aquaculture, we leverage current knowledge in molecular biology and host microbiota interactions to propose an applied holo-omic framework [1] that integrates molecular data including (meta)genomes, (meta)transcriptomes, epigenomes, and (meta)metabolomes for analysing fish and their associated gut microbiota as interconnected and coregulated holobiont systems (figure 1).
Results
I will present data and results from a suite of ongoing projects - including HoloFish [2] and HoloFood [3] - that all apply our holo-omic framework to understand the essential molecular interactions by which the gut microbiota shapes phenotypic traits in both Atlantic salmon and rainbow trout. In particular, we look at traits related to growth, novel feed additives, and response to a pathogenic bacterium.
Conclusions
I will discuss the feasibility and potential of using our holo-omic framework to combine large -omics data sets for more coherent analyses of host – microbiota systems to help steer a more sustainable gr owth of aquaculture.
References
- Limborg MT, Alberdi, A, Kodama, M, Roggenbuck, M, Kristiansen, K, & Gilbert, MTP (2018) Applied hologenomics: feasibility and potential in aquaculture. Trends in Biotechnology 36 : 252-264
- https://www.fhf.no/prosjekter/prosjektbasen/901436/
- https://www.holofood.eu/
