Article

A research team led by Prof. QIAN Peiyuan from The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) has conducted a hologenomic analysis of the deep-sea black coral Bathypathes pseudoalternata (B. pseudoalternata) in collaboration with the Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory and the Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute.

The study, published in Cell Host & Microbe, reveals how B. pseudoalternata survives in extreme habitats through microbiome interactions. The researchers developed an analytical framework to explore host genomics and microbial profiles, successfully assembling a high-quality genome with 16 chromosomes.

Findings indicate a genetic reliance on symbiotic microbes for essential nutrients due to the coral's lack of complete biosynthetic pathways. Microbial analyses showed a stable microbiome critical for the coral's survival, with symbionts providing detoxification, nutrient synthesis, and antiviral defense.