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202
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Voolstra CR, Li Y, Liew YJ, Baumgarten S, Zoccola D, Flot JF, Tambutté S, Allemand D, Aranda M. Comparative analysis of the genomes of Stylophora pistillata and Acropora digitifera provides evidence for extensive differences between species of corals. Sci Rep 2017; 7:17583. [PMID: 29242500 PMCID: PMC5730576 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-17484-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2016] [Accepted: 11/28/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Stony corals form the foundation of coral reef ecosystems. Their phylogeny is characterized by a deep evolutionary divergence that separates corals into a robust and complex clade dating back to at least 245 mya. However, the genomic consequences and clade-specific evolution remain unexplored. In this study we have produced the genome of a robust coral, Stylophora pistillata, and compared it to the available genome of a complex coral, Acropora digitifera. We conducted a fine-scale gene-based analysis focusing on ortholog groups. Among the core set of conserved proteins, we found an emphasis on processes related to the cnidarian-dinoflagellate symbiosis. Genes associated with the algal symbiosis were also independently expanded in both species, but both corals diverged on the identity of ortholog groups expanded, and we found uneven expansions in genes associated with innate immunity and stress response. Our analyses demonstrate that coral genomes can be surprisingly disparate. Future analyses incorporating more genomic data should be able to determine whether the patterns elucidated here are not only characteristic of the differences between S. pistillata and A. digitifera but also representative of corals from the robust and complex clade at large.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian R Voolstra
- Red Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia.
| | - Yong Li
- Red Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Yi Jin Liew
- Red Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Sebastian Baumgarten
- Red Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia.,Biology of Host-Parasite Interactions Unit, Institut Pasteur, 25 rue du Dr Roux, 75015, Paris, France
| | - Didier Zoccola
- Centre Scientifique de Monaco, 8 quai Antoine Ier, 98000, Monaco, Monaco
| | - Jean-François Flot
- Université libre de Bruxelles, Avenue Franklin Roosevelt 50, 1050, Bruxelles, Belgium
| | - Sylvie Tambutté
- Centre Scientifique de Monaco, 8 quai Antoine Ier, 98000, Monaco, Monaco
| | - Denis Allemand
- Centre Scientifique de Monaco, 8 quai Antoine Ier, 98000, Monaco, Monaco
| | - Manuel Aranda
- Red Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia.
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203
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Deng Y, Hu Z, Shang L, Peng Q, Tang YZ. Transcriptomic Analyses of Scrippsiella trochoidea Reveals Processes Regulating Encystment and Dormancy in the Life Cycle of a Dinoflagellate, with a Particular Attention to the Role of Abscisic Acid. Front Microbiol 2017; 8:2450. [PMID: 29312167 PMCID: PMC5732363 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.02450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2017] [Accepted: 11/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Due to the vital importance of resting cysts in the biology and ecology of many dinoflagellates, a transcriptomic investigation on Scrippsiella trochoidea was conducted with the aim to reveal the molecular processes and relevant functional genes regulating encystment and dormancy in dinoflagellates. We identified via RNA-seq 3,874 (out of 166,575) differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between resting cysts and vegetative cells; a pause of photosynthesis (confirmed via direct measurement of photosynthetic efficiency); an active catabolism including β-oxidation, glycolysis, glyoxylate pathway, and TCA in resting cysts (tested via measurements of respiration rate); 12 DEGs encoding meiotic recombination proteins and members of MEI2-like family potentially involved in sexual reproduction and encystment; elevated expressions in genes encoding enzymes responding to pathogens (chitin deacetylase) and ROS stress in cysts; and 134 unigenes specifically expressed in cysts. We paid particular attention to genes pertaining to phytohormone signaling and identified 4 key genes regulating abscisic acid (ABA) biosynthesis and catabolism, with further characterization based on their full-length cDNA obtained via RACE-PCR. The qPCR results demonstrated elevated biosynthesis and repressed catabolism of ABA during the courses of encystment and cyst dormancy, which was significantly enhanced by lower temperature (4 ± 1°C) and darkness. Direct measurements of ABA using UHPLC-MS/MS and ELISA in vegetative cells and cysts both fully supported qPCR results. These results collectively suggest a vital role of ABA in regulating encystment and maintenance of dormancy, akin to its function in seed dormancy of higher plants. Our results provided a critical advancement in understanding molecular processes in resting cysts of dinoflagellates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunyan Deng
- CAS Key Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, China.,Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Environmental Science, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, China
| | - Zhangxi Hu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, China.,Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Environmental Science, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, China
| | - Lixia Shang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, China
| | - Quancai Peng
- Research Center of Analysis and Measurement, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, China
| | - Ying Zhong Tang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, China.,Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Environmental Science, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, China
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204
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Zhang Y, Sun J, Mu H, Lun JCY, Qiu JW. Molecular pathology of skeletal growth anomalies in the brain coral Platygyra carnosa: A meta-transcriptomic analysis. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2017; 124:660-667. [PMID: 28363426 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2017.03.047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2016] [Revised: 03/17/2017] [Accepted: 03/22/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Coral skeletal growth anomaly (GA) is a common coral disease. Although extensive ecological characterizations of coral GA have been performed, the molecular pathology of this disease remains largely unknown. We compared the meta-transcriptome of normal and GA-affected polyps of Platygyra carnosa using RNA-Seq. Approximately 50 million sequences were generated from four pairs of normal and GA-affected tissue samples. There were 109 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in P. carnosa and 31 DEGs in the coral symbiont Symbiodinium sp. These differentially expressed host genes were enriched in GO terms related to osteogenesis and oncogenesis. There were several differentially expressed immune genes, indicating the presence of both bacteria and viruses in GA-affected tissues. The differentially expressed Symbiodinium genes were enriched in reproduction, nitrogen metabolism and pigment formation, indicating that GA affects the physiology of the symbiont. Our results have provided new insights into the molecular pathology of coral GA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Zhang
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Bioresource and Eco-environmental Science, Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Marine Algal Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jin Sun
- Department of Biology, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China; Division of Life Sciences, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China
| | - Huawei Mu
- Department of Biology, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Janice C Y Lun
- Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Jian-Wen Qiu
- Department of Biology, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China.
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205
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González-Pech RA, Ragan MA, Chan CX. Signatures of adaptation and symbiosis in genomes and transcriptomes of Symbiodinium. Sci Rep 2017; 7:15021. [PMID: 29101370 PMCID: PMC5670126 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-15029-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2017] [Accepted: 10/19/2017] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Symbiodinium is best-known as the photosynthetic symbiont of corals, but some clades are symbiotic in other organisms or include free-living forms. Identifying similarities and differences among these clades can help us understand their relationship with corals, and thereby inform on measures to manage coral reefs in a changing environment. Here, using sequences from 24 publicly available transcriptomes and genomes of Symbiodinium, we assessed 78,389 gene families in Symbiodinium clades and the immediate outgroup Polarella glacialis, and identified putative overrepresented functions in gene families that (1) distinguish Symbiodinium from other members of Order Suessiales, (2) are shared by all of the Symbiodinium clades for which we have data, and (3) based on available information, are specific to each clade. Our findings indicate that transmembrane transport, mechanisms of response to reactive oxygen species, and protection against UV radiation are functions enriched in all Symbiodinium clades but not in P. glacialis. Enrichment of these functions indicates the capability of Symbiodinium to establish and maintain symbiosis, and to respond and adapt to its environment. The observed differences in lineage-specific gene families imply extensive genetic divergence among clades. Our results provide a platform for future investigation of lineage- or clade-specific adaptation of Symbiodinium to their environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raúl A González-Pech
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Mark A Ragan
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Cheong Xin Chan
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia. .,School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia.
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206
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Brodie J, Ball SG, Bouget FY, Chan CX, De Clerck O, Cock JM, Gachon C, Grossman AR, Mock T, Raven JA, Saha M, Smith AG, Vardi A, Yoon HS, Bhattacharya D. Biotic interactions as drivers of algal origin and evolution. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2017; 216:670-681. [PMID: 28857164 DOI: 10.1111/nph.14760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2017] [Accepted: 07/10/2017] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Contents 670 I. 671 II. 671 III. 676 IV. 678 678 References 678 SUMMARY: Biotic interactions underlie life's diversity and are the lynchpin to understanding its complexity and resilience within an ecological niche. Algal biologists have embraced this paradigm, and studies building on the explosive growth in omics and cell biology methods have facilitated the in-depth analysis of nonmodel organisms and communities from a variety of ecosystems. In turn, these advances have enabled a major revision of our understanding of the origin and evolution of photosynthesis in eukaryotes, bacterial-algal interactions, control of massive algal blooms in the ocean, and the maintenance and degradation of coral reefs. Here, we review some of the most exciting developments in the field of algal biotic interactions and identify challenges for scientists in the coming years. We foresee the development of an algal knowledgebase that integrates ecosystem-wide omics data and the development of molecular tools/resources to perform functional analyses of individuals in isolation and in populations. These assets will allow us to move beyond mechanistic studies of a single species towards understanding the interactions amongst algae and other organisms in both the laboratory and the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliet Brodie
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, SW7 5BD, UK
| | - Steven G Ball
- UMR 8576 - UGSF - Unité de Glycobiologie Structurale et Fonctionnelle, Université de Lille CNRS, F 59000, Lille, France
| | - François-Yves Bouget
- Laboratoire d'Océanographie Microbienne, Observatoire Océanologique, University Pierre et Marie Curie, University of Paris VI, CNRS, F-66650, Banyuls-sur-Mer, France
| | - Cheong Xin Chan
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience and School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Qld, 4072, Australia
| | - Olivier De Clerck
- Phycology Research Group, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281, S8, 9000, Gent, Belgium
| | - J Mark Cock
- CNRS, Sorbonne Université, UPMC University Paris 06, Algal Genetics Group, UMR 8227, Integrative Biology of Marine Models, Station Biologique de Roscoff, CS 90074, Roscoff, F-29688, France
| | | | - Arthur R Grossman
- Department of Plant Biology, The Carnegie Institution for Science, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Thomas Mock
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, UK
| | - John A Raven
- Division of Plant Sciences, University of Dundee at the James Hutton Institute, Dundee, DD2 5DA, UK
| | - Mahasweta Saha
- Helmholtz Center for Ocean Research, Kiel, 24105, Germany
| | - Alison G Smith
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EA, UK
| | - Assaf Vardi
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 76100, Israel
| | - Hwan Su Yoon
- Department of Biological Sciences, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, 440-746, South Korea
| | - Debashish Bhattacharya
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, USA
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207
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A Novel Cyclophilin B Gene in the Red Tide Dinoflagellate Cochlodinium polykrikoides: Molecular Characterizations and Transcriptional Responses to Environmental Stresses. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2017; 2017:4101580. [PMID: 29226135 PMCID: PMC5684524 DOI: 10.1155/2017/4101580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2017] [Accepted: 09/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The marine dinoflagellate Cochlodinium polykrikoides is one of the most common ichthyotoxic species that causes harmful algal blooms (HABs), which leads to ecological damage and huge economic loss in aquaculture industries. Cyclophilins (CYPs) belong to the immunophilin superfamily, and they may play a role in the survival mechanisms of the dinoflagellate in stress environments. In the present study, we identified a novel cyclophilin gene from C. polykrikoides and examined physiological and gene transcriptional responses to biocides copper sulphate (CuSO4) and sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl). The full length of CpCYP was 903 bp, ranging from the dinoflagellate splice leader (DinoSL) sequence to the polyA tail, comprising a 639 bp ORF, a 117 bp 5′-UTR, and a 147 bp 3′-UTR. Motif and phylogenetic comparisons showed that CpCYP was affiliated to group B of CYP. In biocide stressors, cell counts, chlorophyll a, and photosynthetic efficiency (Fv/Fm) of C. polykrikoides were considerably decreased in both exposure time- and dose-dependent manners. In addition, CpCYP gene expression was significantly induced after 24 h exposure to the biocide-treated stress conditions. These results indicate an effect of the biocides on the cell physiology and expression profile of CpCYP, suggesting that the gene may play a role in environmental stress responses.
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208
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Ganley JG, Toro-Moreno M, Derbyshire ER. Exploring the Untapped Biosynthetic Potential of Apicomplexan Parasites. Biochemistry 2017; 57:365-375. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.7b00877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jack G. Ganley
- Department
of Chemistry, Duke University, 124 Science Drive, Durham, North Carolina 27708, United States
| | - Maria Toro-Moreno
- Department
of Chemistry, Duke University, 124 Science Drive, Durham, North Carolina 27708, United States
| | - Emily R. Derbyshire
- Department
of Chemistry, Duke University, 124 Science Drive, Durham, North Carolina 27708, United States
- Department
of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, 213 Research Drive, Durham, North Carolina 27710, United States
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209
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Frazier M, Helmkampf M, Bellinger MR, Geib SM, Takabayashi M. De novo metatranscriptome assembly and coral gene expression profile of Montipora capitata with growth anomaly. BMC Genomics 2017; 18:710. [PMID: 28893194 PMCID: PMC5594617 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-017-4090-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2017] [Accepted: 08/25/2017] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Scleractinian corals are a vital component of coral reef ecosystems, and of significant cultural and economic value worldwide. As anthropogenic and natural stressors are contributing to a global decline of coral reefs, understanding coral health is critical to help preserve these ecosystems. Growth anomaly (GA) is a coral disease that has significant negative impacts on coral biology, yet our understanding of its etiology and pathology is lacking. In this study we used RNA-seq along with de novo metatranscriptome assembly and homology assignment to identify coral genes that are expressed in three distinct coral tissue types: tissue from healthy corals (“healthy”), GA lesion tissue from diseased corals (“GA-affected”) and apparently healthy tissue from diseased corals (“GA-unaffected”). We conducted pairwise comparisons of gene expression among these three tissue types to identify genes and pathways that help us to unravel the molecular pathology of this coral disease. Results The quality-filtered de novo-assembled metatranscriptome contained 76,063 genes, of which 13,643 were identified as putative coral genes. Overall gene expression profiles of coral genes revealed high similarity between healthy tissue samples, in contrast to high variance among diseased samples. This indicates GA has a variety of genetic effects at the colony level, including on seemingly healthy (GA-unaffected) tissue. A total of 105 unique coral genes were found differentially expressed among tissue types. Pairwise comparisons revealed the greatest number of differentially expressed genes between healthy and GA-affected tissue (93 genes), followed by healthy and GA-unaffected tissue (33 genes), and GA-affected and -unaffected tissue (7 genes). The putative function of these genes suggests GA is associated with changes in the activity of genes involved in developmental processes and activation of the immune system. Conclusion This is one of the first transcriptome-level studies to investigate coral GA, and the first metatranscriptome assembly for the M. capitata holobiont. The gene expression data, metatranscriptome assembly and methodology developed through this study represent a significant addition to the molecular information available to further our understanding of this coral disease. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12864-017-4090-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monika Frazier
- Tropical Conservation Biology and Environmental Science, University of Hawai'i at Hilo, 200 West Kāwili Street, Hilo, HI, 96720, USA
| | - Martin Helmkampf
- Tropical Conservation Biology and Environmental Science, University of Hawai'i at Hilo, 200 West Kāwili Street, Hilo, HI, 96720, USA
| | - M Renee Bellinger
- Tropical Conservation Biology and Environmental Science, University of Hawai'i at Hilo, 200 West Kāwili Street, Hilo, HI, 96720, USA
| | - Scott M Geib
- United States Department of Agriculture, Agriculture Research Service, Daniel K Inouye U.S. Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center, 64 Nowelo St, Hilo, HI, 96720, USA
| | - Misaki Takabayashi
- Tropical Conservation Biology and Environmental Science, University of Hawai'i at Hilo, 200 West Kāwili Street, Hilo, HI, 96720, USA. .,Marine Science Department, University of Hawai'i at Hilo, 200 West Kāwili Street, Hilo, HI, 96720, USA.
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210
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Macrander JC, Dimond JL, Bingham BL, Reitzel AM. Transcriptome sequencing and characterization of Symbiodinium muscatinei and Elliptochloris marina, symbionts found within the aggregating sea anemone Anthopleura elegantissima. Mar Genomics 2017; 37:82-91. [PMID: 28888836 DOI: 10.1016/j.margen.2017.08.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2017] [Revised: 08/26/2017] [Accepted: 08/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
There is a growing body of literature using transcriptomic data to study how tropical cnidarians and their photosynthetic endosymbionts respond to environmental stressors and participate in metabolic exchange. Despite these efforts, our understanding of how essential genes function to facilitate symbiosis establishment and maintenance remains limited. The inclusion of taxonomically and ecologically diverse endosymbionts will enhance our understanding of these interactions. Here we characterize the transcriptomes of two very different symbionts found within the temperate sea anemone Anthopleura elegantissima: the chlorophyte Elliptochloris marina and the dinoflagellate Symbiodinium muscatinei. We use a multi-level approach to assess the diversity of genes found across S. muscatinei and E. marina transcriptomes, and compare their overall protein domains with other dinoflagellates and chlorophytes. Our analysis identified several genes that are potentially involved in mitigating stress response (e.g., heat shock proteins pathways for mediating reactive oxygen species) and metabolic exchange (e.g., ion transporters). Finally, we show that S. muscatinei and other Symbiodinium strains are equipped with a high salt peridinin-chl-protein (HSPCP) gene previously identified only in free-living dinoflagellates. The addition of these transcriptomes to the cnidarian-symbiont molecular toolkit will aid in understanding how these vitally important symbiotic relationships are established and maintained across a variety of environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason C Macrander
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Carolina, Charlotte, 9201 University City Blvd, Charlotte, NC 28223, USA.
| | - James L Dimond
- Shannon Point Marine Center, Western Washington University, 1900 Shannon Point Road, Anacortes, WA 98221, USA
| | - Brian L Bingham
- Shannon Point Marine Center, Western Washington University, 1900 Shannon Point Road, Anacortes, WA 98221, USA; Department of Environmental Sciences, Western Washington University, 516 High Street, Bellingham, WA 98225, USA
| | - Adam M Reitzel
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Carolina, Charlotte, 9201 University City Blvd, Charlotte, NC 28223, USA
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211
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Gentekaki E, Curtis BA, Stairs CW, Klimeš V, Eliáš M, Salas-Leiva DE, Herman EK, Eme L, Arias MC, Henrissat B, Hilliou F, Klute MJ, Suga H, Malik SB, Pightling AW, Kolisko M, Rachubinski RA, Schlacht A, Soanes DM, Tsaousis AD, Archibald JM, Ball SG, Dacks JB, Clark CG, van der Giezen M, Roger AJ. Extreme genome diversity in the hyper-prevalent parasitic eukaryote Blastocystis. PLoS Biol 2017; 15:e2003769. [PMID: 28892507 PMCID: PMC5608401 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.2003769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2017] [Revised: 09/21/2017] [Accepted: 08/25/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Blastocystis is the most prevalent eukaryotic microbe colonizing the human gut, infecting approximately 1 billion individuals worldwide. Although Blastocystis has been linked to intestinal disorders, its pathogenicity remains controversial because most carriers are asymptomatic. Here, the genome sequence of Blastocystis subtype (ST) 1 is presented and compared to previously published sequences for ST4 and ST7. Despite a conserved core of genes, there is unexpected diversity between these STs in terms of their genome sizes, guanine-cytosine (GC) content, intron numbers, and gene content. ST1 has 6,544 protein-coding genes, which is several hundred more than reported for ST4 and ST7. The percentage of proteins unique to each ST ranges from 6.2% to 20.5%, greatly exceeding the differences observed within parasite genera. Orthologous proteins also display extreme divergence in amino acid sequence identity between STs (i.e., 59%-61% median identity), on par with observations of the most distantly related species pairs of parasite genera. The STs also display substantial variation in gene family distributions and sizes, especially for protein kinase and protease gene families, which could reflect differences in virulence. It remains to be seen to what extent these inter-ST differences persist at the intra-ST level. A full 26% of genes in ST1 have stop codons that are created on the mRNA level by a novel polyadenylation mechanism found only in Blastocystis. Reconstructions of pathways and organellar systems revealed that ST1 has a relatively complete membrane-trafficking system and a near-complete meiotic toolkit, possibly indicating a sexual cycle. Unlike some intestinal protistan parasites, Blastocystis ST1 has near-complete de novo pyrimidine, purine, and thiamine biosynthesis pathways and is unique amongst studied stramenopiles in being able to metabolize α-glucans rather than β-glucans. It lacks all genes encoding heme-containing cytochrome P450 proteins. Predictions of the mitochondrion-related organelle (MRO) proteome reveal an expanded repertoire of functions, including lipid, cofactor, and vitamin biosynthesis, as well as proteins that may be involved in regulating mitochondrial morphology and MRO/endoplasmic reticulum (ER) interactions. In sharp contrast, genes for peroxisome-associated functions are absent, suggesting Blastocystis STs lack this organelle. Overall, this study provides an important window into the biology of Blastocystis, showcasing significant differences between STs that can guide future experimental investigations into differences in their virulence and clarifying the roles of these organisms in gut health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleni Gentekaki
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
- Centre for Comparative Genomics and Evolutionary Bioinformatics, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Bruce A. Curtis
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
- Centre for Comparative Genomics and Evolutionary Bioinformatics, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Courtney W. Stairs
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
- Centre for Comparative Genomics and Evolutionary Bioinformatics, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Vladimír Klimeš
- Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic
| | - Marek Eliáš
- Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic
| | - Dayana E. Salas-Leiva
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
- Centre for Comparative Genomics and Evolutionary Bioinformatics, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Emily K. Herman
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Laura Eme
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
- Centre for Comparative Genomics and Evolutionary Bioinformatics, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Maria C. Arias
- Université des Sciences et Technologies de Lille, Unité de Glycobiologie Structurale et Fonctionnelle, UMR8576 CNRS-USTL, Cité Scientifique, Villeneuve d’Ascq Cedex, France
| | - Bernard Henrissat
- CNRS UMR 7257, Aix-Marseille University, Marseille, France
- INRA, USC 1408 AFMB, Marseille, France
- Department of Biological Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | | | - Mary J. Klute
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Hiroshi Suga
- Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, Prefectural University of Hiroshima, Nanatsuka 562, Shobara, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Shehre-Banoo Malik
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
- Centre for Comparative Genomics and Evolutionary Bioinformatics, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Arthur W. Pightling
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Martin Kolisko
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
- Centre for Comparative Genomics and Evolutionary Bioinformatics, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | | | - Alexander Schlacht
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Darren M. Soanes
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Anastasios D. Tsaousis
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
- Centre for Comparative Genomics and Evolutionary Bioinformatics, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - John M. Archibald
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
- Centre for Comparative Genomics and Evolutionary Bioinformatics, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
- Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, CIFAR Program in Integrated Microbial Biodiversity, Toronto, Canada
| | - Steven G. Ball
- Université des Sciences et Technologies de Lille, Unité de Glycobiologie Structurale et Fonctionnelle, UMR8576 CNRS-USTL, Cité Scientifique, Villeneuve d’Ascq Cedex, France
| | - Joel B. Dacks
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - C. Graham Clark
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | | | - Andrew J. Roger
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
- Centre for Comparative Genomics and Evolutionary Bioinformatics, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
- Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, CIFAR Program in Integrated Microbial Biodiversity, Toronto, Canada
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212
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Aguilar C, Raina JB, Motti CA, Fôret S, Hayward DC, Lapeyre B, Bourne DG, Miller DJ. Transcriptomic analysis of the response of Acropora millepora to hypo-osmotic stress provides insights into DMSP biosynthesis by corals. BMC Genomics 2017; 18:612. [PMID: 28806970 PMCID: PMC5557254 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-017-3959-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2017] [Accepted: 07/25/2017] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) is a small sulphur compound which is produced in prodigious amounts in the oceans and plays a pivotal role in the marine sulfur cycle. Until recently, DMSP was believed to be synthesized exclusively by photosynthetic organisms; however we now know that corals and specific bacteria can also produce this compound. Corals are major sources of DMSP, but the molecular basis for its biosynthesis is unknown in these organisms. RESULTS Here we used salinity stress, which is known to trigger DMSP production in other organisms, in conjunction with transcriptomics to identify coral genes likely to be involved in DMSP biosynthesis. We focused specifically on both adults and juveniles of the coral Acropora millepora: after 24 h of exposure to hyposaline conditions, DMSP concentrations increased significantly by 2.6 fold in adult corals and 1.2 fold in juveniles. Concomitantly, candidate genes enabling each of the necessary steps leading to DMSP production were up-regulated. CONCLUSIONS The data presented strongly suggest that corals use an algal-like pathway to generate DMSP from methionine, and are able to rapidly change expression of the corresponding genes in response to environmental stress. However, our data also indicate that DMSP is unlikely to function primarily as an osmolyte in corals, instead potentially serving as a scavenger of ROS and as a molecular sink for excess methionine produced as a consequence of proteolysis and osmolyte catabolism in corals under hypo-osmotic conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catalina Aguilar
- AIMS@JCU, and Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, 4811, Queensland, Australia.,ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, 4811, Queensland, Australia
| | - Jean-Baptiste Raina
- Climate Change Cluster (C3), Faculty of Science, University of Technology, Sydney, NSW, 2007, Australia
| | - Cherie A Motti
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, 4810, Queensland, Australia
| | - Sylvain Fôret
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, 4811, Queensland, Australia.,Evolution and Ecology, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - David C Hayward
- Evolution and Ecology, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Bruno Lapeyre
- Laboratoire d'excellence CORAIL, Centre de Recherches Insulaires et Observatoire de l'Environnement (CRIOBE), Moorea, B.P. 1013, Papeete, French Polynesia
| | - David G Bourne
- AIMS@JCU, and Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, 4811, Queensland, Australia. .,Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, 4810, Queensland, Australia. .,College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, 4811, Queensland, Australia.
| | - David J Miller
- AIMS@JCU, and Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, 4811, Queensland, Australia. .,ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, 4811, Queensland, Australia.
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213
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Dimond JL, Gamblewood SK, Roberts SB. Genetic and epigenetic insight into morphospecies in a reef coral. Mol Ecol 2017; 26:5031-5042. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.14252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2017] [Revised: 07/06/2017] [Accepted: 07/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- James L. Dimond
- School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences University of Washington Seattle WA USA
- Shannon Point Marine Center Western Washington University Anacortes WA USA
| | | | - Steven B. Roberts
- School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences University of Washington Seattle WA USA
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214
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Zhou Z, Wu Y, Zhang C, Li C, Chen G, Yu X, Shi X, Xu Y, Wang L, Huang B. Suppression of NF-κB signal pathway by NLRC3-like protein in stony coral Acropora aculeus under heat stress. FISH & SHELLFISH IMMUNOLOGY 2017; 67:322-330. [PMID: 28606864 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsi.2017.06.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2017] [Revised: 06/06/2017] [Accepted: 06/08/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Heat stress is the most common factor for coral bleaching, which has increased both in frequency and severity due to global warming. In the present study, the stony coral Acropora aculeus was subjected to acute heat stress and entire transcriptomes were sequenced via the next generation sequencing platform. Four paired-end libraries were constructed and sequenced in two groups, including a control and a heat stress group. A total of 120,319,751 paired-end reads with lengths of 2 × 100 bp were assembled and 55,021 coral-derived genes were obtained. After read mapping and abundance estimation, 9110 differentially expressed genes were obtained in the comparison between the control and heat stress group, including 4465 significantly upregulated and 4645 significantly downregulated genes. Twenty-three GO terms in the Biological Process category were overrepresented for significantly upregulated genes, and divided into six groups according to their relationship. These three groups were related to the NF-κB signal pathway, and the remaining three groups were relevant for pathogen response, immunocyte activation and protein ubiquitination. Forty-three common genes were found in four GO terms, which were directly related to the NF-κB signal pathway. These included 2 NACHT, LRR, PYD domains-containing protein, 5 nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-containing protein, 29 NLRC3-like protein, 4 NLRC5-like protein, and 3 uncharacterized protein. For significantly downregulated genes, 27 overrepresented GO terms were found in the Biological Process category, which were relevant to protein ubiquitination and ATP metabolism. Our results indicate that heat stress suppressed the immune response level via the NLRC3-like protein, the fine-tuning of protein turnover activity, and ATP metabolism. This might disrupt the balance of coral-zooxanthellae symbiosis and result in the bleaching of the coral A. aculeus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhi Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Biological Resources of Ministry of Education, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China.
| | - Yibo Wu
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Biological Resources of Ministry of Education, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
| | - Chengkai Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Biological Resources of Ministry of Education, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
| | - Can Li
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Biological Resources of Ministry of Education, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
| | - Guangmei Chen
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Biological Resources of Ministry of Education, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
| | - Xiaopeng Yu
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Biological Resources of Ministry of Education, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
| | | | - Yanlai Xu
- Qingdao First Sanitarium of Jinan Military Region, Qingdao 266071, China
| | - Lingui Wang
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Biological Resources of Ministry of Education, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
| | - Bo Huang
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Biological Resources of Ministry of Education, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
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215
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Ochsenkühn MA, Röthig T, D’Angelo C, Wiedenmann J, Voolstra CR. The role of floridoside in osmoadaptation of coral-associated algal endosymbionts to high-salinity conditions. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2017; 3:e1602047. [PMID: 28835914 PMCID: PMC5559212 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.1602047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2016] [Accepted: 07/19/2017] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
The endosymbiosis between Symbiodinium dinoflagellates and stony corals provides the foundation of coral reef ecosystems. The survival of these ecosystems is under threat at a global scale, and better knowledge is needed to conceive strategies for mitigating future reef loss. Environmental disturbance imposing temperature, salinity, and nutrient stress can lead to the loss of the Symbiodinium partner, causing so-called coral bleaching. Some of the most thermotolerant coral-Symbiodinium associations occur in the Persian/Arabian Gulf and the Red Sea, which also represent the most saline coral habitats. We studied whether Symbiodinium alter their metabolite content in response to high-salinity environments. We found that Symbiodinium cells exposed to high salinity produced high levels of the osmolyte 2-O-glycerol-α-d-galactopyranoside (floridoside), both in vitro and in their coral host animals, thereby increasing their capacity and, putatively, the capacity of the holobiont to cope with the effects of osmotic stress in extreme environments. Given that floridoside has been previously shown to also act as an antioxidant, this osmolyte may serve a dual function: first, to serve as a compatible organic osmolyte accumulated by Symbiodinium in response to elevated salinities and, second, to counter reactive oxygen species produced as a consequence of potential salinity and heat stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael A. Ochsenkühn
- Red Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
- Division of Science and Engineering, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Till Röthig
- Red Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Cecilia D’Angelo
- Coral Reef Laboratory/Institute for Life Sciences, Ocean and Earth Science, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Jörg Wiedenmann
- Coral Reef Laboratory/Institute for Life Sciences, Ocean and Earth Science, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Christian R. Voolstra
- Red Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
- Corresponding author.
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216
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Johnston EC, Forsman ZH, Flot JF, Schmidt-Roach S, Pinzón JH, Knapp ISS, Toonen RJ. A genomic glance through the fog of plasticity and diversification in Pocillopora. Sci Rep 2017; 7:5991. [PMID: 28729652 PMCID: PMC5519588 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-06085-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2017] [Accepted: 06/07/2017] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Scleractinian corals of the genus Pocillopora (Lamarck, 1816) are notoriously difficult to identify morphologically with considerable debate on the degree to which phenotypic plasticity, introgressive hybridization and incomplete lineage sorting obscure well-defined taxonomic lineages. Here, we used RAD-seq to resolve the phylogenetic relationships among seven species of Pocillopora represented by 15 coral holobiont metagenomic libraries. We found strong concordance between the coral holobiont datasets, reads that mapped to the Pocillopora damicornis (Linnaeus, 1758) transcriptome, nearly complete mitochondrial genomes, 430 unlinked high-quality SNPs shared across all Pocillopora taxa, and a conspecificity matrix of the holobiont dataset. These datasets also show strong concordance with previously published clustering of the mitochondrial clades based on the mtDNA open reading frame (ORF). We resolve seven clear monophyletic groups, with no evidence for introgressive hybridization among any but the most recently derived sister species. In contrast, ribosomal and histone datasets, which are most commonly used in coral phylogenies to date, were less informative and contradictory to these other datasets. These data indicate that extant Pocillopora species diversified from a common ancestral lineage within the last ~3 million years. Key to this evolutionary success story may be the high phenotypic plasticity exhibited by Pocillopora species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erika C Johnston
- Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Kāne'ohe, HI, 96744, USA.
| | - Zac H Forsman
- Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Kāne'ohe, HI, 96744, USA
| | - Jean-François Flot
- Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Avenue F.D. Roosevelt 50, B-1050, Bruxelles, Belgium
| | - Sebastian Schmidt-Roach
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, 4810, Townsville, Australia
- Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, 26129, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Jorge H Pinzón
- Department of Psychiatry, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Ingrid S S Knapp
- Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Kāne'ohe, HI, 96744, USA
| | - Robert J Toonen
- Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Kāne'ohe, HI, 96744, USA
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217
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Grau-Bové X, Torruella G, Donachie S, Suga H, Leonard G, Richards TA, Ruiz-Trillo I. Dynamics of genomic innovation in the unicellular ancestry of animals. eLife 2017; 6:26036. [PMID: 28726632 PMCID: PMC5560861 DOI: 10.7554/elife.26036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2017] [Accepted: 07/11/2017] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Which genomic innovations underpinned the origin of multicellular animals is still an open debate. Here, we investigate this question by reconstructing the genome architecture and gene family diversity of ancestral premetazoans, aiming to date the emergence of animal-like traits. Our comparative analysis involves genomes from animals and their closest unicellular relatives (the Holozoa), including four new genomes: three Ichthyosporea and Corallochytrium limacisporum. Here, we show that the earliest animals were shaped by dynamic changes in genome architecture before the emergence of multicellularity: an early burst of gene diversity in the ancestor of Holozoa, enriched in transcription factors and cell adhesion machinery, was followed by multiple and differently-timed episodes of synteny disruption, intron gain and genome expansions. Thus, the foundations of animal genome architecture were laid before the origin of complex multicellularity – highlighting the necessity of a unicellular perspective to understand early animal evolution. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.26036.001 Hundreds of millions of years ago, some single-celled organisms gained the ability to work together and form multicellular organisms. This transition was a major step in evolution and took place at separate times in several parts of the tree of life, including in animals, plants, fungi and algae. Animals are some of the most complex organisms on Earth. Their single-celled ancestors were also quite genetically complex themselves and their genomes (the complete set of the organism’s DNA) already contained many genes that now coordinate the activity of the cells in a multicellular organism. The genome of an animal typically has certain features: it is large, diverse and contains many segments (called introns) that are not genes. By seeing if the single-celled relatives of animals share these traits, it is possible to learn more about when specific genetic features first evolved, and whether they are linked to the origin of animals. Now, Grau-Bové et al. have studied the genomes of several of the animal kingdom’s closest single-celled relatives using a technique called whole genome sequencing. This revealed that there was a period of rapid genetic change in the single-celled ancestors of animals during which their genes became much more diverse. Another ‘explosion’ of diversity happened after animals had evolved. Furthermore, the overall amount of the genomic content inside cells and the number of introns found in the genome rapidly increased in separate, independent events in both animals and their single-celled ancestors. Future research is needed to investigate whether other multicellular life forms – such as plants, fungi and algae – originated in the same way as animal life. Understanding how the genetic material of animals evolved also helps us to understand the genetic structures that affect our health. For example, genes that coordinate the behavior of cells (and so are important for multicellular organisms) also play a role in cancer, where cells break free of this regulation to divide uncontrollably. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.26036.002
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Affiliation(s)
- Xavier Grau-Bové
- Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.,Departament de Genètica, Microbiologia i Estadística, Universitat de Barelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Guifré Torruella
- Unité d'Ecologie, Systématique et Evolution, Université Paris-Sud/Paris-Saclay, AgroParisTech, Orsay, France
| | - Stuart Donachie
- Department of Microbiology, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, United States.,Advanced Studies in Genomics, Proteomics and Bioinformatics, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, United States
| | - Hiroshi Suga
- Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, Prefectural University of Hiroshima, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Guy Leonard
- Department of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas A Richards
- Department of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Iñaki Ruiz-Trillo
- Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.,Departament de Genètica, Microbiologia i Estadística, Universitat de Barelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.,ICREA, Passeig Lluís Companys, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
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218
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Hall MR, Kocot KM, Baughman KW, Fernandez-Valverde SL, Gauthier MEA, Hatleberg WL, Krishnan A, McDougall C, Motti CA, Shoguchi E, Wang T, Xiang X, Zhao M, Bose U, Shinzato C, Hisata K, Fujie M, Kanda M, Cummins SF, Satoh N, Degnan SM, Degnan BM. The crown-of-thorns starfish genome as a guide for biocontrol of this coral reef pest. Nature 2017; 544:231-234. [PMID: 28379940 DOI: 10.1038/nature22033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 117] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2016] [Accepted: 03/05/2017] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
The crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS, the Acanthaster planci species group) is a highly fecund predator of reef-building corals throughout the Indo-Pacific region. COTS population outbreaks cause substantial loss of coral cover, diminishing the integrity and resilience of reef ecosystems. Here we sequenced genomes of COTS from the Great Barrier Reef, Australia and Okinawa, Japan to identify gene products that underlie species-specific communication and could potentially be used in biocontrol strategies. We focused on water-borne chemical plumes released from aggregating COTS, which make the normally sedentary starfish become highly active. Peptide sequences detected in these plumes by mass spectrometry are encoded in the COTS genome and expressed in external tissues. The exoproteome released by aggregating COTS consists largely of signalling factors and hydrolytic enzymes, and includes an expanded and rapidly evolving set of starfish-specific ependymin-related proteins. These secreted proteins may be detected by members of a large family of olfactory-receptor-like G-protein-coupled receptors that are expressed externally, sometimes in a sex-specific manner. This study provides insights into COTS-specific communication that may guide the generation of peptide mimetics for use on reefs with COTS outbreaks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael R Hall
- Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS), Cape Ferguson, Townsville, Queensland 4810, Australia
| | - Kevin M Kocot
- Centre for Marine Science, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Kenneth W Baughman
- Marine Genomics Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Onna, Okinawa 904-0495, Japan
| | - Selene L Fernandez-Valverde
- Centre for Marine Science, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Marie E A Gauthier
- Centre for Marine Science, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - William L Hatleberg
- Centre for Marine Science, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Arunkumar Krishnan
- Centre for Marine Science, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Carmel McDougall
- Centre for Marine Science, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Cherie A Motti
- Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS), Cape Ferguson, Townsville, Queensland 4810, Australia
| | - Eiichi Shoguchi
- Marine Genomics Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Onna, Okinawa 904-0495, Japan
| | - Tianfang Wang
- Genecology Research Centre, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore DC, Queensland 4558, Australia
| | - Xueyan Xiang
- Centre for Marine Science, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Min Zhao
- Centre for Marine Science, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia.,Genecology Research Centre, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore DC, Queensland 4558, Australia
| | - Utpal Bose
- Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS), Cape Ferguson, Townsville, Queensland 4810, Australia.,Genecology Research Centre, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore DC, Queensland 4558, Australia
| | - Chuya Shinzato
- Marine Genomics Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Onna, Okinawa 904-0495, Japan
| | - Kanako Hisata
- Marine Genomics Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Onna, Okinawa 904-0495, Japan
| | - Manabu Fujie
- DNA Sequencing Section, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Onna, Okinawa 904-0495, Japan
| | - Miyuki Kanda
- DNA Sequencing Section, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Onna, Okinawa 904-0495, Japan
| | - Scott F Cummins
- Genecology Research Centre, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore DC, Queensland 4558, Australia
| | - Noriyuki Satoh
- Marine Genomics Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Onna, Okinawa 904-0495, Japan
| | - Sandie M Degnan
- Centre for Marine Science, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Bernard M Degnan
- Centre for Marine Science, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
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219
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Hidalgo O, Pellicer J, Christenhusz M, Schneider H, Leitch AR, Leitch IJ. Is There an Upper Limit to Genome Size? TRENDS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2017; 22:567-573. [PMID: 28506667 DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2017.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2017] [Revised: 04/03/2017] [Accepted: 04/05/2017] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
At 50-fold the size of the human genome (3 Gb), the staggeringly huge genome of 147.3 Gb recently discovered in the fern Tmesipteris obliqua is comparable in size to those of the other plant and animal record-holders (i.e., Paris japonica, a flowering plant with a genome size of 148.8 Gb, and Protopterus aethiopicus, a lungfish with a genome of 130 Gb). The synthesis of available information on giant genomes suggests that the biological limit to genome size expansion in eukaryotes may have been reached. We propose several explanations for why the genomes of ferns, flowering plants, and lungfish, all of which have independently undergone dramatic increases in genome size through a variety of mechanisms, do not exceed 150 Gb.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Harald Schneider
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London W7 5BD, UK; Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Centre for Integrative Conservation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Menglun, Mengla, Yunnan, PR China
| | - Andrew R Leitch
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, UK
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220
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Levin RA, Voolstra CR, Agrawal S, Steinberg PD, Suggett DJ, van Oppen MJH. Engineering Strategies to Decode and Enhance the Genomes of Coral Symbionts. Front Microbiol 2017; 8:1220. [PMID: 28713348 PMCID: PMC5492045 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.01220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2017] [Accepted: 06/16/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Elevated sea surface temperatures from a severe and prolonged El Niño event (2014–2016) fueled by climate change have resulted in mass coral bleaching (loss of dinoflagellate photosymbionts, Symbiodinium spp., from coral tissues) and subsequent coral mortality, devastating reefs worldwide. Genetic variation within and between Symbiodinium species strongly influences the bleaching tolerance of corals, thus recent papers have called for genetic engineering of Symbiodinium to elucidate the genetic basis of bleaching-relevant Symbiodinium traits. However, while Symbiodinium has been intensively studied for over 50 years, genetic transformation of Symbiodinium has seen little success likely due to the large evolutionary divergence between Symbiodinium and other model eukaryotes rendering standard transformation systems incompatible. Here, we integrate the growing wealth of Symbiodinium next-generation sequencing data to design tailored genetic engineering strategies. Specifically, we develop a testable expression construct model that incorporates endogenous Symbiodinium promoters, terminators, and genes of interest, as well as an internal ribosomal entry site from a Symbiodinium virus. Furthermore, we assess the potential for CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing through new analyses of the three currently available Symbiodinium genomes. Finally, we discuss how genetic engineering could be applied to enhance the stress tolerance of Symbiodinium, and in turn, coral reefs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel A Levin
- Centre for Marine Bio-Innovation, The University of New South Wales, SydneyNSW, Australia.,School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of New South Wales, SydneyNSW, Australia.,Climate Change Cluster, University of Technology Sydney, UltimoNSW, Australia
| | - Christian R Voolstra
- Red Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST),Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Shobhit Agrawal
- Red Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST),Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Peter D Steinberg
- Centre for Marine Bio-Innovation, The University of New South Wales, SydneyNSW, Australia.,School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of New South Wales, SydneyNSW, Australia.,Sydney Institute of Marine Science, MosmanNSW, Australia
| | - David J Suggett
- Climate Change Cluster, University of Technology Sydney, UltimoNSW, Australia
| | - Madeleine J H van Oppen
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, TownsvilleQLD, Australia.,School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, ParkvilleVIC, Australia
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221
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Wang X, Liew YJ, Li Y, Zoccola D, Tambutte S, Aranda M. Draft genomes of the corallimorphariansAmplexidiscus fenestraferandDiscosomasp. Mol Ecol Resour 2017; 17:e187-e195. [DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.12680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2016] [Revised: 03/26/2017] [Accepted: 04/03/2017] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Xin Wang
- Biological and Environmental Sciences & Engineering Division (BESE); Red Sea Research Center (RSRC); King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST); Thuwal Saudi Arabia
| | - Yi Jin Liew
- Biological and Environmental Sciences & Engineering Division (BESE); Red Sea Research Center (RSRC); King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST); Thuwal Saudi Arabia
| | - Yong Li
- Biological and Environmental Sciences & Engineering Division (BESE); Red Sea Research Center (RSRC); King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST); Thuwal Saudi Arabia
| | | | | | - Manuel Aranda
- Biological and Environmental Sciences & Engineering Division (BESE); Red Sea Research Center (RSRC); King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST); Thuwal Saudi Arabia
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222
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Thomas L, Kennington WJ, Evans RD, Kendrick GA, Stat M. Restricted gene flow and local adaptation highlight the vulnerability of high-latitude reefs to rapid environmental change. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2017; 23:2197-2205. [PMID: 28132420 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.13639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2016] [Revised: 10/20/2016] [Accepted: 01/11/2017] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Global climate change poses a serious threat to the future health of coral reef ecosystems. This calls for management strategies that are focused on maximizing the evolutionary potential of coral reefs. Fundamental to this is an accurate understanding of the spatial genetic structure in dominant reef-building coral species. In this study, we apply a genotyping-by-sequencing approach to investigate genome-wide patterns of genetic diversity, gene flow, and local adaptation in a reef-building coral, Pocillopora damicornis, across 10 degrees of latitude and a transition from temperate to tropical waters. We identified strong patterns of differentiation and reduced genetic diversity in high-latitude populations. In addition, genome-wide scans for selection identified a number of outlier loci putatively under directional selection with homology to proteins previously known to be involved in heat tolerance in corals and associated with processes such as photoprotection, protein degradation, and immunity. This study provides genomic evidence for both restricted gene flow and local adaptation in a widely distributed coral species, and highlights the potential vulnerability of leading-edge populations to rapid environmental change as they are locally adapted, reproductively isolated, and have reduced levels of genetic diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke Thomas
- The UWA Oceans Institute, School of Plant Biology, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - W Jason Kennington
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Animal Biology, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - Richard D Evans
- Science and Conservation Division, Department of Parks and Wildlife, Marine Science Program, Perth, WA, 6151, Australia
| | - Gary A Kendrick
- The UWA Oceans Institute, School of Plant Biology, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - Michael Stat
- Trace and Environmental DNA (TrEnD) Laboratory, Department of Environment and Agriculture, Curtin University, Perth, WA, 6102, Australia
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223
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Price DC, Bhattacharya D. Robust Dinoflagellata phylogeny inferred from public transcriptome databases. JOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY 2017; 53:725-729. [PMID: 28273342 DOI: 10.1111/jpy.12529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2016] [Accepted: 02/24/2017] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Dinoflagellates are dominant members of the plankton and play key roles in ocean ecosystems as primary producers, predators, parasites, coral photobionts, and causative agents of algal blooms that produce toxins harmful to humans and commercial fisheries. These unicellular protists exhibit remarkable trophic and morphological diversity and include species with some of the largest reported nuclear genomes. Despite their high ecological and economic importance, comprehensive genome (or transcriptome) based dinoflagellate trees of life are few in number. To address this issue, we used recently generated public sequencing data, including from the Moore Microbial Eukaryote Transcriptome Sequencing Project, to identify dinoflagellate-specific ortholog groups. These orthologs were combined to create a broadly sampled and highly resolved phylogeny of dinoflagellates. Our results emphasize the scope and utility of public sequencing databases in creating broad and robust phylogenies for large and complex taxonomic lineages, while also providing unique insights into the evolution of thecate dinoflagellates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dana C Price
- Department of Plant Biology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey, 08901, USA
| | - Debashish Bhattacharya
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Natural Resources, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey, 08901, USA
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224
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Tonk L, Sampayo EM, Chai A, Schrameyer V, Hoegh-Guldberg O. Symbiodinium (Dinophyceae) community patterns in invertebrate hosts from inshore marginal reefs of the southern Great Barrier Reef, Australia. JOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY 2017; 53:589-600. [PMID: 28196275 DOI: 10.1111/jpy.12523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2016] [Accepted: 01/03/2017] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The broad range in physiological variation displayed by Symbiodinium spp. has proven imperative during periods of environmental change and contribute to the survival of their coral host. Characterizing how host and Symbiodinium community assemblages differ across environmentally distinct habitats provides useful information to predict how corals will respond to major environmental change. Despite the extensive characterizations of Symbiodinium diversity found amongst reef cnidarians on the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) substantial biogeographic gaps exist, especially across inshore habitats. Here, we investigate Symbiodinium community patterns in invertebrates from inshore and mid-shelf reefs on the southern GBR, Australia. Dominant Symbiodinium types were characterized using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis fingerprinting and sequencing of the ITS2 region of the ribosomal DNA. Twenty one genetically distinct Symbiodinium types including four novel types were identified from 321 reef-invertebrate samples comprising three sub-generic clades (A, C, and D). A range of host genera harbored C22a, which is normally rare or absent from inshore or low latitude reefs in the GBR. Multivariate analysis showed that host identity and sea surface temperature best explained the variation in symbiont communities across sites. Patterns of changes in Symbiodinium community assemblage over small geographic distances (100s of kilometers or less) indicate the likelihood that shifts in Symbiodinium distributions and associated host populations, may occur in response to future climate change impacting the GBR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda Tonk
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies and School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland, 4072, Australia
| | - Eugenia M Sampayo
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies and School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland, 4072, Australia
| | - Aaron Chai
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies and School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland, 4072, Australia
| | - Verena Schrameyer
- Plant Functional Biology & Climate Change Cluster, University of Technology Sydney, Broadway, New South Wales, 2007, Australia
| | - Ove Hoegh-Guldberg
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies and School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland, 4072, Australia
- Global Change Institute, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland, 4072, Australia
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225
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Mies M, Sumida PYG, Rädecker N, Voolstra CR. Marine Invertebrate Larvae Associated with Symbiodinium: A Mutualism from the Start? Front Ecol Evol 2017. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2017.00056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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226
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Neubauer EF, Poole AZ, Neubauer P, Detournay O, Tan K, Davy SK, Weis VM. A diverse host thrombospondin-type-1 repeat protein repertoire promotes symbiont colonization during establishment of cnidarian-dinoflagellate symbiosis. eLife 2017; 6. [PMID: 28481198 PMCID: PMC5446238 DOI: 10.7554/elife.24494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2016] [Accepted: 04/29/2017] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The mutualistic endosymbiosis between cnidarians and dinoflagellates is mediated by complex inter-partner signaling events, where the host cnidarian innate immune system plays a crucial role in recognition and regulation of symbionts. To date, little is known about the diversity of thrombospondin-type-1 repeat (TSR) domain proteins in basal metazoans or their potential role in regulation of cnidarian-dinoflagellate mutualisms. We reveal a large and diverse repertoire of TSR proteins in seven anthozoan species, and show that in the model sea anemone Aiptasia pallida the TSR domain promotes colonization of the host by the symbiotic dinoflagellate Symbiodinium minutum. Blocking TSR domains led to decreased colonization success, while adding exogenous TSRs resulted in a ‘super colonization’. Furthermore, gene expression of TSR proteins was highest at early time-points during symbiosis establishment. Our work characterizes the diversity of cnidarian TSR proteins and provides evidence that these proteins play an important role in the establishment of cnidarian-dinoflagellate symbiosis. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.24494.001 Cnidarians, such as corals and sea anemones, often form a close relationship with microscopic algae that live inside their cells – a partnership, on which the entire coral reef ecosystem depends. These microalgae produce sugars and other compounds that the cnidarians need to survive, while the cnidarians protect the microalgae from the environment and provide the raw materials they need to harness energy from sunlight. However, very little is known about how the two partners are able to communicate with each other to form this close relationship, which is referred to as a symbiosis. Symbiotic relationships between a host and a microbe require a number of adaptations on both sides, and involve numerous signalling molecules. A host species is under constant pressure to develop mechanisms to recognize and tolerate the beneficial microbes without leaving itself vulnerable to attack by microbes that might cause disease. Similarly, the beneficial microbes need to be able to invade and survive inside their host. Previous research has shown that TSR proteins in hosts play a role in recognizing and controlling disease-causing microbes. Until now, however, it was unknown whether TSR proteins are involved in establishing a symbiosis between cnidarians and their algal partners. Neubauer et al. analysed six species of symbiotic cnidarians and discovered a diverse repertoire of TSR proteins. These proteins were found in the host genomes, rather than in the symbiotic algae, strongly suggesting that they originated from the host. Neubauer et al. next incubated a sea anemone species in a solution of TSR proteins and saw that it became ‘super-colonized’ with algae, meaning that over time, millions of the microalgae entered and stayed in the anemone’s tentacles. In contrast, when the TSR proteins were blocked, colonization was almost entirely stopped. This suggests that host TSR proteins play an important role for the microalgae when they colonialize corals and other cnidarians. The signals that enable microalgae to successfully colonialize cnidarians are unquestionably complex and there is still much to learn. These findings add another piece to the puzzle of how symbiotic algae bypass the cnidarian’s immune system to persist and flourish in their host. An important next step will be to test how blocking the genes that encode the TSR proteins will affect the symbiotic relationship between these species. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.24494.002
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Affiliation(s)
- Emilie-Fleur Neubauer
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Angela Z Poole
- Department of Biology, Western Oregon University, Monmouth, United States.,Department of Integrative Biology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, United States
| | | | | | - Kenneth Tan
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, United States
| | - Simon K Davy
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Virginia M Weis
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, United States
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227
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Mies M, Voolstra CR, Castro CB, Pires DO, Calderon EN, Sumida PYG. Expression of a symbiosis-specific gene in Symbiodinium type A1 associated with coral, nudibranch and giant clam larvae. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2017; 4:170253. [PMID: 28573035 PMCID: PMC5451836 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.170253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2017] [Accepted: 04/27/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Symbiodinium are responsible for the majority of primary production in coral reefs and found in a mutualistic symbiosis with multiple animal phyla. However, little is known about the molecular signals involved in the establishment of this symbiosis and whether it initiates during host larval development. To address this question, we monitored the expression of a putative symbiosis-specific gene (H+-ATPase) in Symbiodinium A1 ex hospite and in association with larvae of a scleractinian coral (Mussismilia hispida), a nudibranch (Berghia stephanieae) and a giant clam (Tridacna crocea). We acquired broodstock for each host, induced spawning and cultured the larvae. Symbiodinium cells were offered and larval samples taken for each host during the first 72 h after symbiont addition. In addition, control samples including free-living Symbiodinium and broodstock tissue containing symbionts for each host were collected. RNA extraction and RT-PCR were performed and amplified products cloned and sequenced. Our results show that H+-ATPase was expressed in Symbiodinium associated with coral and giant clam larvae, but not with nudibranch larvae, which digested the symbionts. Broodstock tissue for coral and giant clam also expressed H+-ATPase, but not the nudibranch tissue sample. Our results of the expression of H+-ATPase as a marker gene suggest that symbiosis between Symbiodinium and M. hispida and T. crocea is established during host larval development. Conversely, in the case of B. stephanieae larvae, evidence does not support a mutualistic relationship. Our study supports the utilization of H+-ATPase expression as a marker for assessing Symbiodinium-invertebrate relationships with applications for the differentiation of symbiotic and non-symbiotic associations. At the same time, insights from a single marker gene approach are limited and future studies should direct the identification of additional symbiosis-specific genes, ideally from both symbiont and host.
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Affiliation(s)
- M. Mies
- Oceanographic Institute, University of São Paulo, Praça do Oceanográfico 191, 05508-120 São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - C. R. Voolstra
- Red Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, 23955-6900 Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - C. B. Castro
- Museu Nacional, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Quinta da Boa Vista, s/n, 20940-040 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
- Instituto Coral Vivo, Rua dos Coqueiros, 87-45807-000 Santa Cruz Cabrália, BA, Brazil
| | - D. O. Pires
- Museu Nacional, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Quinta da Boa Vista, s/n, 20940-040 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
- Instituto Coral Vivo, Rua dos Coqueiros, 87-45807-000 Santa Cruz Cabrália, BA, Brazil
| | - E. N. Calderon
- Instituto Coral Vivo, Rua dos Coqueiros, 87-45807-000 Santa Cruz Cabrália, BA, Brazil
- Núcleo em Ecologia e Desenvolvimento Socioambiental de Macaé, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Av São José do Barreto, 764-27965-045 Macaé, RJ, Brazil
| | - P. Y. G. Sumida
- Oceanographic Institute, University of São Paulo, Praça do Oceanográfico 191, 05508-120 São Paulo, SP, Brazil
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228
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Transcriptome Analysis of Core Dinoflagellates Reveals a Universal Bias towards "GC" Rich Codons. Mar Drugs 2017; 15:md15050125. [PMID: 28448468 PMCID: PMC5450531 DOI: 10.3390/md15050125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2017] [Revised: 04/11/2017] [Accepted: 04/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Although dinoflagellates are a potential source of pharmaceuticals and natural products, the mechanisms for regulating and producing these compounds are largely unknown because of extensive post-transcriptional control of gene expression. One well-documented mechanism for controlling gene expression during translation is codon bias, whereby specific codons slow or even terminate protein synthesis. Approximately 10,000 annotatable genes from fifteen “core” dinoflagellate transcriptomes along a range of overall guanine and cytosine (GC) content were used for codonW analysis to determine the relative synonymous codon usage (RSCU) and the GC content at each codon position. GC bias in the analyzed dataset and at the third codon position varied from 51% and 54% to 66% and 88%, respectively. Codons poor in GC were observed to be universally absent, but bias was most pronounced for codons ending in uracil followed by adenine (UA). GC bias at the third codon position was able to explain low abundance codons as well as the low effective number of codons. Thus, we propose that a bias towards codons rich in GC bases is a universal feature of core dinoflagellates, possibly relating to their unique chromosome structure, and not likely a major mechanism for controlling gene expression.
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229
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Burroughs AM, Kaur G, Zhang D, Aravind L. Novel clades of the HU/IHF superfamily point to unexpected roles in the eukaryotic centrosome, chromosome partitioning, and biologic conflicts. Cell Cycle 2017; 16:1093-1103. [PMID: 28441108 PMCID: PMC5499826 DOI: 10.1080/15384101.2017.1315494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The HU superfamily of proteins, with a unique DNA-binding mode, has been extensively studied as the primary chromosome-packaging protein of the bacterial superkingdom. Representatives also play a role in DNA-structuring during recombination events and in eukaryotic organellar genome maintenance. However, beyond these well-studied roles, little is understood of the functional diversification of this large superfamily. Using sensitive sequence and structure analysis methods we identify multiple novel clades of the HU superfamily. We present evidence that a novel eukaryotic clade prototyped by the human CCDC81 protein acquired roles beyond DNA-binding, likely in protein-protein interaction in centrosome organization and as a potential cargo-binding protein in conjunction with Dynein-VII. We also show that these eukaryotic versions were acquired via an early lateral transfer from bacteroidetes, where we predict a role in chromosome partition. This likely happened before the last eukaryotic common ancestor, pointing to potential endosymbiont contributions beyond that of the mitochondrial progenitor. Further, we show that the dramatic lineage-specific expansion of this domain in the bacteroidetes lineage primarily is linked to a functional shift related to potential recognition and preemption of genome invasive entities such as mobile elements. Remarkably, the CCDC81 clade has undergone a similar massive lineage-specific expansion within the archosaurian lineage in birds, suggesting a possible use of the HU superfamily in a similar capacity in recognition of non-self molecules even in this case.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Maxwell Burroughs
- a National Center for Biotechnology Information , National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health , Bethesda , MD , USA
| | - Gurmeet Kaur
- a National Center for Biotechnology Information , National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health , Bethesda , MD , USA
| | - Dapeng Zhang
- a National Center for Biotechnology Information , National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health , Bethesda , MD , USA
| | - L Aravind
- a National Center for Biotechnology Information , National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health , Bethesda , MD , USA
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230
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Raina JB, Clode PL, Cheong S, Bougoure J, Kilburn MR, Reeder A, Forêt S, Stat M, Beltran V, Thomas-Hall P, Tapiolas D, Motti CM, Gong B, Pernice M, Marjo CE, Seymour JR, Willis BL, Bourne DG. Subcellular tracking reveals the location of dimethylsulfoniopropionate in microalgae and visualises its uptake by marine bacteria. eLife 2017; 6. [PMID: 28371617 PMCID: PMC5380433 DOI: 10.7554/elife.23008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2016] [Accepted: 03/02/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Phytoplankton-bacteria interactions drive the surface ocean sulfur cycle and local climatic processes through the production and exchange of a key compound: dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP). Despite their large-scale implications, these interactions remain unquantified at the cellular-scale. Here we use secondary-ion mass spectrometry to provide the first visualization of DMSP at sub-cellular levels, tracking the fate of a stable sulfur isotope (34S) from its incorporation by microalgae as inorganic sulfate to its biosynthesis and exudation as DMSP, and finally its uptake and degradation by bacteria. Our results identify for the first time the storage locations of DMSP in microalgae, with high enrichments present in vacuoles, cytoplasm and chloroplasts. In addition, we quantify DMSP incorporation at the single-cell level, with DMSP-degrading bacteria containing seven times more 34S than the control strain. This study provides an unprecedented methodology to label, retain, and image small diffusible molecules, which can be transposable to other symbiotic systems. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.23008.001 Sulfur is an essential element for many organisms and environmental processes. Every year, organisms including microalgae produce more than one billion tons of a sulfur-containing compound called DMSP. Some of this DMSP is released into seawater, where it acts as a key nutrient for microscopic organisms and as a foraging cue to attract fish. DMSP is also the precursor of a gas that helps to form clouds. Despite DMSP’s potential large-scale effects, it is still not clear what role it plays in the organisms that produce it, or how it is transferred from the microalgae that produce it to the bacteria that use it. It is thought that DMSP could potentially protect the cells from sudden changes in the amount of salt in the seawater (salinity) or from other damage, such as oxidative stress – a build-up of harmful chemicals inside cells. In a controlled setting using artificial seawater, Raina et al. used high-resolution imaging and chemical analysis to track the journey of DMSP from microalgae to recipient bacteria. The results show that similar to land plants, algae store DMSP in the compartments that regulate cell pressure and photosynthesis. The presence of DMSP in these locations also supports its proposed role in protecting cells from changes in salinity or oxidative damage. A future step will be to identify the genes involved in producing DMSP in microalgae. This knowledge could be used to create mutants that are either incapable of producing this molecule or that overproduce it. In combination with the high-resolution imaging techniques described here, this will allow researchers to fully understand the role that DMSP plays in these organisms. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.23008.002
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Baptiste Raina
- AIMS@JCU, James Cook University, Townsville, Australia.,Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, Australia.,Climate Change Cluster, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, Australia.,ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Australia.,College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Australia
| | - Peta L Clode
- The Centre for Microscopy Characterisation and Analysis, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia.,Oceans Institute, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia
| | - Soshan Cheong
- Mark Wainwright Analytical Centre, University of New South Wales, Kensington, Australia
| | - Jeremy Bougoure
- The Centre for Microscopy Characterisation and Analysis, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia.,School of Earth and Environment, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia
| | - Matt R Kilburn
- The Centre for Microscopy Characterisation and Analysis, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia
| | - Anthony Reeder
- The Centre for Microscopy Characterisation and Analysis, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia
| | - Sylvain Forêt
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Australia.,Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
| | - Michael Stat
- Trace and Environmental DNA Laboratory, Department of Environment and Agriculture, Curtin University, Perth, Australia
| | - Victor Beltran
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, Australia
| | | | - Dianne Tapiolas
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, Australia
| | - Cherie M Motti
- AIMS@JCU, James Cook University, Townsville, Australia.,Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, Australia
| | - Bill Gong
- Mark Wainwright Analytical Centre, University of New South Wales, Kensington, Australia
| | - Mathieu Pernice
- Climate Change Cluster, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Christopher E Marjo
- Mark Wainwright Analytical Centre, University of New South Wales, Kensington, Australia
| | - Justin R Seymour
- Climate Change Cluster, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Bette L Willis
- AIMS@JCU, James Cook University, Townsville, Australia.,ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Australia.,College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Australia
| | - David G Bourne
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, Australia.,College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Australia
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231
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Hongo Y, Yasuda N, NagaI S. Identification of Genes for Synthesis of the Blue Pigment, Biliverdin IXα, in the Blue Coral Heliopora coerulea. THE BIOLOGICAL BULLETIN 2017; 232:71-81. [PMID: 28654333 DOI: 10.1086/692661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Heliopora coerulea is the only species in the subclass Octocorallia that has a crystalline aragonite skeleton. The skeleton has been reported to contain the blue pigment, biliverdin IXα, which is formed by heme oxygenase (HO) during heme decomposition. There is little information regarding gene expression in H. coerulea; therefore, the biosynthesis pathway for biliverdin IXα is poorly understood. To identify the genes related to heme synthesis and degradation, metatranscripts of H. coerulea and its symbiont Symbiodinium spp. were sequenced and separated from the host- and symbiont-derived sequences. From the metatranscriptome analyses, all genes for heme synthesis and three HOs were isolated from the host and symbiont. From our phylogenetic and amino acid analysis, we noted that one of the HO isoforms in the host coral was predicted to possess HO activity. However, biliverdin reductase, which reduces biliverdin to bilirubin, was not identified in the present study. Similarly, biliverdin reductase was not identified in the transcripts of the red coral Corallium rubrum, a species that also belongs to Octocorallia. However, genes related to heme synthesis and HO were found in C. rubrum. We speculate that Heliopora coerulea can produce biliverdin and accumulate it in the skeleton, while red corals and other Octocorallia species cannot. Further information from molecular studies of H. coerulea will provide insights into the synthesis of biliverdin IXα, the blue pigment in the hard crystalline aragonite skeleton, and will be fundamental to future ecological and physiological studies.
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Key Words
- ALA, 5-aminolevulinic acid
- DDBJ, DNA Data Bank of Japan
- GO, gene ontology
- HO, heme oxygenase
- ROS, reactive oxygen species
- contig (from contiguous), a group of DNA segments that overlap and, as one, depict a consensus region of DNA
- hcHO-1, 2, 3, three isoforms of heme oxygenase in Heliopora coerulea
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232
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Kohli GS, Campbell K, John U, Smith KF, Fraga S, Rhodes LL, Murray SA. Role of Modular Polyketide Synthases in the Production of Polyether Ladder Compounds in Ciguatoxin-Producing Gambierdiscus polynesiensis and G. excentricus (Dinophyceae). J Eukaryot Microbiol 2017; 64:691-706. [PMID: 28211202 DOI: 10.1111/jeu.12405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2016] [Revised: 01/31/2017] [Accepted: 02/03/2017] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Gambierdiscus, a benthic dinoflagellate, produces ciguatoxins that cause the human illness Ciguatera. Ciguatoxins are polyether ladder compounds that have a polyketide origin, indicating that polyketide synthases (PKS) are involved in their production. We sequenced transcriptomes of Gambierdiscus excentricus and Gambierdiscus polynesiensis and found 264 contigs encoding single domain ketoacyl synthases (KS; G. excentricus: 106, G. polynesiensis: 143) and ketoreductases (KR; G. excentricus: 7, G. polynesiensis: 8) with sequence similarity to type I PKSs, as reported in other dinoflagellates. In addition, 24 contigs (G. excentricus: 3, G. polynesiensis: 21) encoding multiple PKS domains (forming typical type I PKSs modules) were found. The proposed structure produced by one of these megasynthases resembles a partial carbon backbone of a polyether ladder compound. Seventeen contigs encoding single domain KS, KR, s-malonyltransacylase, dehydratase and enoyl reductase with sequence similarity to type II fatty acid synthases (FAS) in plants were found. Type I PKS and type II FAS genes were distinguished based on the arrangement of domains on the contigs and their sequence similarity and phylogenetic clustering with known PKS/FAS genes in other organisms. This differentiation of PKS and FAS pathways in Gambierdiscus is important, as it will facilitate approaches to investigating toxin biosynthesis pathways in dinoflagellates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gurjeet S Kohli
- Climate Change Cluster, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW, 2007, Australia.,Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 689528, Singapore
| | - Katrina Campbell
- Institute for Global Food Security, School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, David Keir Building, Stranmillis Road, Belfast, BT9 5AG, United Kingdom
| | - Uwe John
- Alfred-Wegener-Institute Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung, Bremerhaven, 27515, Germany.,Helmholtz Institute for Functional Marine Biodiversity, University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, 26111, Germany
| | - Kirsty F Smith
- Cawthron Institute, 98 Halifax Street East, Nelson, 7010, New Zealand
| | - Santiago Fraga
- Instituto Español de Oceanografía, Centro Oceanográfico de Vigo, Subida a Radio Faro 50, Vigo, 36390, Spain
| | - Lesley L Rhodes
- Cawthron Institute, 98 Halifax Street East, Nelson, 7010, New Zealand
| | - Shauna A Murray
- Climate Change Cluster, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW, 2007, Australia
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233
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Thornhill DJ, Howells EJ, Wham DC, Steury TD, Santos SR. Population genetics of reef coral endosymbionts (Symbiodinium
, Dinophyceae). Mol Ecol 2017; 26:2640-2659. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.14055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2016] [Revised: 01/20/2017] [Accepted: 01/23/2017] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- D. J. Thornhill
- Department of Biological Sciences and Molette Biology Laboratory for Environmental and Climate Change Studies; Auburn University; 101 Rouse Life Sciences Building Auburn AL 36849 USA
| | - E. J. Howells
- Center for Genomics and Systems Biology; New York University Abu Dhabi; PO Box 129188 Abu Dhabi United Arab Emirates
| | - D. C. Wham
- Department of Biology; Pennsylvania State University; 208 Mueller Laboratory University Park PA 16802 USA
| | - T. D. Steury
- School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences; Auburn University; 3301 Forestry and Wildlife Building Auburn AL 36849 USA
| | - S. R. Santos
- Department of Biological Sciences and Molette Biology Laboratory for Environmental and Climate Change Studies; Auburn University; 101 Rouse Life Sciences Building Auburn AL 36849 USA
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234
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Casabianca S, Cornetti L, Capellacci S, Vernesi C, Penna A. Genome complexity of harmful microalgae. HARMFUL ALGAE 2017; 63:7-12. [PMID: 28366402 DOI: 10.1016/j.hal.2017.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2016] [Revised: 01/09/2017] [Accepted: 01/09/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
During the past decade, next generation sequencing (NGS) technologies have provided new insights into the diversity, dynamics, and metabolic pathways of natural microbial communities. But, these new techniques face challenges related to the genome size and level of genome complexity of the species under investigation. Moreover, the coverage depth and the short-read length achieved by NGS based approaches also represent a major challenge for assembly. These factors could limit the use of these high-throughput sequencing methods for species lacking a reference genome and characterized by a high level of complexity. In the present work, the evolutionary history, mainly consisting of gene transfer events from bacteria and unicellular eukaryotes to microalgae, including harmful species, is discussed and reviewed as it relates to NGS application in microbial communities, with a particular focus on harmful algal bloom species and dinoflagellates. In the context of genetic population studies, genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS), an NGS based approach, could be used for the discovery and analysis of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). The NGS technologies are still relatively new and require further improvement. Specifically, there is a need to develop and standardize tools and approaches to handle large data sets, which have to be used for the majority of HAB species characterized by evolutionary highly dynamic genomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Casabianca
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, University of Urbino, Viale Trieste 296, 61121 Pesaro, Italy; CoNISMa, Italian Interuniversity Consortium on Marine Sciences, Piazzale Flaminio 9, 00196, Rome, Italy
| | - Luca Cornetti
- Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Samuela Capellacci
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, University of Urbino, Viale Trieste 296, 61121 Pesaro, Italy; CoNISMa, Italian Interuniversity Consortium on Marine Sciences, Piazzale Flaminio 9, 00196, Rome, Italy
| | - Cristiano Vernesi
- Department of Biodiversity and Molecular Ecology, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, Via E. Mach 1, San Michele all'Adige, 38010 Trento, Italy
| | - Antonella Penna
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, University of Urbino, Viale Trieste 296, 61121 Pesaro, Italy; CoNISMa, Italian Interuniversity Consortium on Marine Sciences, Piazzale Flaminio 9, 00196, Rome, Italy.
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235
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Gavelis GS, Wakeman KC, Tillmann U, Ripken C, Mitarai S, Herranz M, Özbek S, Holstein T, Keeling PJ, Leander BS. Microbial arms race: Ballistic "nematocysts" in dinoflagellates represent a new extreme in organelle complexity. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2017; 3:e1602552. [PMID: 28435864 PMCID: PMC5375639 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.1602552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2016] [Accepted: 02/10/2017] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
We examine the origin of harpoon-like secretory organelles (nematocysts) in dinoflagellate protists. These ballistic organelles have been hypothesized to be homologous to similarly complex structures in animals (cnidarians); but we show, using structural, functional, and phylogenomic data, that nematocysts evolved independently in both lineages. We also recorded the first high-resolution videos of nematocyst discharge in dinoflagellates. Unexpectedly, our data suggest that different types of dinoflagellate nematocysts use two fundamentally different types of ballistic mechanisms: one type relies on a single pressurized capsule for propulsion, whereas the other type launches 11 to 15 projectiles from an arrangement similar to a Gatling gun. Despite their radical structural differences, these nematocysts share a single origin within dinoflagellates and both potentially use a contraction-based mechanism to generate ballistic force. The diversity of traits in dinoflagellate nematocysts demonstrates a stepwise route by which simple secretory structures diversified to yield elaborate subcellular weaponry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory S. Gavelis
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
- Corresponding author.
| | - Kevin C. Wakeman
- Office of International Affairs, Hokkaido University, Kita 10, Nishi 8, Sapporo 060-0810, Japan
- Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, Bremerhaven, Germany
| | - Urban Tillmann
- Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University, Kita 10, Nishi 8, Sapporo 060-0810, Japan
| | - Christina Ripken
- Marine Biophysics Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Satoshi Mitarai
- Marine Biophysics Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Maria Herranz
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Suat Özbek
- Centre for Organismal Studies, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Thomas Holstein
- Centre for Organismal Studies, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | | | - Brian S. Leander
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
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236
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Condition-specific RNA editing in the coral symbiont Symbiodinium microadriaticum. PLoS Genet 2017; 13:e1006619. [PMID: 28245292 PMCID: PMC5357065 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1006619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2016] [Revised: 03/17/2017] [Accepted: 02/07/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
RNA editing is a rare post-transcriptional event that provides cells with an additional level of gene expression regulation. It has been implicated in various processes including adaptation, viral defence and RNA interference; however, its potential role as a mechanism in acclimatization has just recently been recognised. Here, we show that RNA editing occurs in 1.6% of all nuclear-encoded genes of Symbiodinium microadriaticum, a dinoflagellate symbiont of reef-building corals. All base-substitution edit types were present, and statistically significant motifs were associated with three edit types. Strikingly, a subset of genes exhibited condition-specific editing patterns in response to different stressors that resulted in significant increases of non-synonymous changes. We posit that this previously unrecognised mechanism extends this organism’s capability to respond to stress beyond what is encoded by the genome. This in turn may provide further acclimatization capacity to these organisms, and by extension, their coral hosts. RNA editing is a mechanism that alters the nucleotide sequence of transcripts; edited transcripts are thus different from what is encoded in the genome. If the edits occur in coding regions, non-synonymous changes will generate additional protein diversity. Environmental stress is one of the many triggers for RNA editing, and evidence for its role in stress response is emerging. Here, we identified nuclear-encoded genes undergoing RNA editing in S. microadriaticum, a dinoflagellate symbiont of reef-building corals. When subjected to several common environmental stressors, the editing frequencies of some genes shifted in a consistent pattern that was specific to the applied stress. Within these genes, the predicted edits were predominantly non-synonymous in nature, suggesting that RNA editing is introducing genotypic variability beyond the organism’s haploid genome, extending its capability to respond to stress. Our data suggest that differential RNA editing is a process that contributes to the capacity of these algal symbionts to acclimate to environmental stress.
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237
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Gierz SL, Forêt S, Leggat W. Transcriptomic Analysis of Thermally Stressed Symbiodinium Reveals Differential Expression of Stress and Metabolism Genes. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2017; 8:271. [PMID: 28293249 PMCID: PMC5328969 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2017.00271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2016] [Accepted: 02/14/2017] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Endosymbioses between dinoflagellate algae (Symbiodinium sp.) and scleractinian coral species form the foundation of coral reef ecosystems. The coral symbiosis is highly susceptible to elevated temperatures, resulting in coral bleaching, where the algal symbiont is released from host cells. This experiment aimed to determine the transcriptional changes in cultured Symbiodinium, to better understand the response of cellular mechanisms under future temperature conditions. Cultures were exposed to elevated temperatures (average 31°C) or control conditions (24.5°C) for a period of 28 days. Whole transcriptome sequencing of Symbiodinium cells on days 4, 19, and 28 were used to identify differentially expressed genes under thermal stress. A large number of genes representing 37.01% of the transcriptome (∼23,654 unique genes, FDR < 0.05) with differential expression were detected at no less than one of the time points. Consistent with previous studies of Symbiodinium gene expression, fold changes across the transcriptome were low, with 92.49% differentially expressed genes at ≤2-fold change. The transcriptional response included differential expression of genes encoding stress response components such as the antioxidant network and molecular chaperones, cellular components such as core photosynthesis machinery, integral light-harvesting protein complexes and enzymes such as fatty acid desaturases. Differential expression of genes encoding glyoxylate cycle enzymes were also found, representing the first report of this in Symbiodinium. As photosynthate transfer from Symbiodinium to coral hosts provides up to 90% of a coral's daily energy requirements, the implications of altered metabolic processes from exposure to thermal stress found in this study on coral-Symbiodinium associations are unknown and should be considered when assessing the stability of the symbiotic relationship under future climate conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah L. Gierz
- College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, TownsvilleQLD, Australia
- Comparative Genomics Centre, James Cook University, TownsvilleQLD, Australia
| | - Sylvain Forêt
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, TownsvilleQLD, Australia
- Evolution, Ecology and Genetics, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, CanberraACT, Australia
| | - William Leggat
- College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, TownsvilleQLD, Australia
- Comparative Genomics Centre, James Cook University, TownsvilleQLD, Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, TownsvilleQLD, Australia
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238
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Transcriptome profiling of Galaxea fascicularis and its endosymbiont Symbiodinium reveals chronic eutrophication tolerance pathways and metabolic mutualism between partners. Sci Rep 2017; 7:42100. [PMID: 28181581 PMCID: PMC5299600 DOI: 10.1038/srep42100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2016] [Accepted: 01/06/2017] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
In the South China Sea, coastal eutrophication in the Beibu Gulf has seriously threatened reef habitats by subjecting corals to chronic physiological stress. To determine how coral holobionts may tolerate such conditions, we examined the transcriptomes of healthy colonies of the galaxy coral Galaxea fascicularis and its endosymbiont Symbiodinium from two reef sites experiencing pristine or eutrophied nutrient regimes. We identified 236 and 205 genes that were differentially expressed in eutrophied hosts and symbionts, respectively. Both gene sets included pathways related to stress responses and metabolic interactions. An analysis of genes originating from each partner revealed striking metabolic integration with respect to vitamins, cofactors, amino acids, fatty acids, and secondary metabolite biosynthesis. The expression levels of these genes supported the existence of a continuum of mutualism in this coral-algal symbiosis. Additionally, large sets of transcription factors, cell signal transduction molecules, biomineralization components, and galaxin-related proteins were expanded in G. fascicularis relative to other coral species.
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239
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Bongaerts P, Riginos C, Brunner R, Englebert N, Smith SR, Hoegh-Guldberg O. Deep reefs are not universal refuges: Reseeding potential varies among coral species. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2017; 3:e1602373. [PMID: 28246645 PMCID: PMC5310828 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.1602373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2016] [Accepted: 01/09/2017] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Deep coral reefs (that is, mesophotic coral ecosystems) can act as refuges against major disturbances affecting shallow reefs. It has been proposed that, through the provision of coral propagules, such deep refuges may aid in shallow reef recovery; however, this "reseeding" hypothesis remains largely untested. We conducted a genome-wide assessment of two scleractinian coral species with contrasting reproductive modes, to assess the potential for connectivity between mesophotic (40 m) and shallow (12 m) depths on an isolated reef system in the Western Atlantic (Bermuda). To overcome the pervasive issue of endosymbiont contamination associated with de novo sequencing of corals, we used a novel subtraction reference approach. We have demonstrated that strong depth-associated selection has led to genome-wide divergence in the brooding species Agaricia fragilis (with divergence by depth exceeding divergence by location). Despite introgression from shallow into deep populations, a lack of first-generation migrants indicates that effective connectivity over ecological time scales is extremely limited for this species and thus precludes reseeding of shallow reefs from deep refuges. In contrast, no genetic structuring between depths (or locations) was observed for the broadcasting species Stephanocoenia intersepta, indicating substantial potential for vertical connectivity. Our findings demonstrate that vertical connectivity within the same reef system can differ greatly between species and that the reseeding potential of deep reefs in Bermuda may apply to only a small number of scleractinian species. Overall, we argue that the "deep reef refuge hypothesis" holds for individual coral species during episodic disturbances but should not be assumed as a broader ecosystem-wide phenomenon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pim Bongaerts
- Global Change Institute, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
- Corresponding author.
| | - Cynthia Riginos
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Ramona Brunner
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
- Faculty of Biology and Chemistry, University of Bremen, Bremen 28359, Germany
| | - Norbert Englebert
- Global Change Institute, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | | | - Ove Hoegh-Guldberg
- Global Change Institute, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
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240
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Jang SH, Jeong HJ, Chon JK, Lee SY. De novo assembly and characterization of the transcriptome of the newly described dinoflagellate Ansanella granifera: Spotlight on flagellum-associated genes. Mar Genomics 2017; 33:47-55. [PMID: 28111206 DOI: 10.1016/j.margen.2017.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2016] [Revised: 01/11/2017] [Accepted: 01/11/2017] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Many dinoflagellates are known to cause red tides and often outgrow non-motile diatoms and motile small flagellates through active vertical migration between well-lit surface and eutrophic deep waters and/or by locating and ingesting prey cells. Their flagella play important roles in these two critical behaviors. However, the structural and functional genes of dinoflagellate flagella are very little known. Thus, a de novo assembly and characterization of the transcriptome of the fast-swimming dinoflagellate Ansanella granifera were conducted and its flagellum genes were compared with those of other dinoflagellates, motile small flagellates, and non-motile protist species. Based on assembled data using Trinity/CLC combined strategy, 83,652 transcripts of A. granifera were identified. The assembled consensus sequences were annotated to the NCBI non-redundant (nr), InterProScan, Gene Ontology (GO), and KEGG pathway analyses. Moreover, 71 structural and 35 functional flagellum-associated genes expressed were identified. The number of expressed flagellar structural and functional genes of A. granifera was not markedly different from those of other dinoflagellates or motile small flagellates, but much greater than those of non-motile species. Furthermore, in both phylogenetic trees based on the outer dynein arm (ODA1, ODA9, and DLC1) and inner dynein arm (IDA4, IDA7, and BOP5) flagellum genes of dinoflagellates, the problem of the long-branch attraction artifacts of Oxyrrhis marina which has been reported in the phylogenetic trees based on ribosomal DNA was removed. Moreover, in both phylogenetic trees based on the ODA and IDA flagellum genes, the species in the order Peridiniales or Gymnodiniales were revealed to belong to a big clade of each order. Therefore, the phylogenetic tree based on the flagellum genes is likely to give a clue to resolve the problem of separation in a big clade of a dinoflagellate order which has also been reported in the phylogenetic trees based on ribosomal DNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Se Hyeon Jang
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Hae Jin Jeong
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea; Advanced Institutes of Convergence Technology, Suwon, Gyeonggi-do 16229, Republic of Korea.
| | - Jae Kyung Chon
- Department of Interdisciplinary Program in Bioinformatics, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Sung Yeon Lee
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
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241
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Yuan C, Zhou Z, Zhang Y, Chen G, Yu X, Ni X, Tang J, Huang B. Effects of elevated ammonium on the transcriptome of the stony coral Pocillopora damicornis. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2017; 114:46-52. [PMID: 27567199 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2016.08.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2016] [Revised: 07/25/2016] [Accepted: 08/17/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The survival of corals worldwide has been seriously threatened by eutrophication events concomitant with the increase in ocean pollution. In the present study, whole transcriptomes of the stony coral Pocillopora damicornis exposed to elevated ammonium were sequenced. A total of 121,366,983 pair-end reads were obtained, and 209,337 genes were assembled, including 42,399 coral-derived and 54,874 zooxanthella-derived genes. Further, a comparison of the control versus stress group revealed 6572 differentially expressed genes. For 1015 significantly upregulated genes, 24 GO terms were overrepresented, among which 3 terms related to apoptosis and cell death induction included one caspase, five bcl-2-like proteins, and two tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily member genes. For 5557 significantly downregulated genes, the top 10 overrepresented terms were related to metabolism and signal transduction. These results indicate that apoptosis and cell death could be induced under elevated ammonium, suggesting that metabolic regulation and signal transduction might be involved in the reconstruction of the coral-zooxanthellae symbiotic balance in the stony coral P. damicornis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Yuan
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Biological Resources of Ministry of Education, Hainan University, Haikou, Hainan, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhi Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Biological Resources of Ministry of Education, Hainan University, Haikou, Hainan, People's Republic of China.
| | - Yidan Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Biological Resources of Ministry of Education, Hainan University, Haikou, Hainan, People's Republic of China
| | - Guangmei Chen
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Biological Resources of Ministry of Education, Hainan University, Haikou, Hainan, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaopeng Yu
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Biological Resources of Ministry of Education, Hainan University, Haikou, Hainan, People's Republic of China
| | - Xingzhen Ni
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Biological Resources of Ministry of Education, Hainan University, Haikou, Hainan, People's Republic of China
| | - Jia Tang
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Biological Resources of Ministry of Education, Hainan University, Haikou, Hainan, People's Republic of China
| | - Bo Huang
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Biological Resources of Ministry of Education, Hainan University, Haikou, Hainan, People's Republic of China.
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242
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Pey A, Zamoum T, Christen R, Merle PL, Furla P. Characterization of glutathione peroxidase diversity in the symbiotic sea anemone Anemonia viridis. Biochimie 2017; 132:94-101. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2016.10.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2016] [Accepted: 10/20/2016] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
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243
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Evolutionary Lessons from Species with Unique Kinetochores. CENTROMERES AND KINETOCHORES 2017; 56:111-138. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-58592-5_5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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244
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Kurotani A, Yamada Y, Sakurai T. Alga-PrAS (Algal Protein Annotation Suite): A Database of Comprehensive Annotation in Algal Proteomes. PLANT & CELL PHYSIOLOGY 2017; 58:e6. [PMID: 28069893 PMCID: PMC5444574 DOI: 10.1093/pcp/pcw212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2016] [Accepted: 11/24/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Algae are smaller organisms than land plants and offer clear advantages in research over terrestrial species in terms of rapid production, short generation time and varied commercial applications. Thus, studies investigating the practical development of effective algal production are important and will improve our understanding of both aquatic and terrestrial plants. In this study we estimated multiple physicochemical and secondary structural properties of protein sequences, the predicted presence of post-translational modification (PTM) sites, and subcellular localization using a total of 510,123 protein sequences from the proteomes of 31 algal and three plant species. Algal species were broadly selected from green and red algae, glaucophytes, oomycetes, diatoms and other microalgal groups. The results were deposited in the Algal Protein Annotation Suite database (Alga-PrAS; http://alga-pras.riken.jp/), which can be freely accessed online.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atsushi Kurotani
- RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, 1-7-22 Suehiro, Tsurumi, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 230-0045, Japan
| | - Yutaka Yamada
- RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, 1-7-22 Suehiro, Tsurumi, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 230-0045, Japan
| | - Tetsuya Sakurai
- RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, 1-7-22 Suehiro, Tsurumi, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 230-0045, Japan
- Interdisciplinary Science Unit, Multidisciplinary Science Cluster, Research and Education Faculty, Kochi University, 200 Otsu, Monobe, Nankoku, Kochi, 783-8502, Japan
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245
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Major transitions in dinoflagellate evolution unveiled by phylotranscriptomics. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2016; 114:E171-E180. [PMID: 28028238 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1614842114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 167] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Dinoflagellates are key species in marine environments, but they remain poorly understood in part because of their large, complex genomes, unique molecular biology, and unresolved in-group relationships. We created a taxonomically representative dataset of dinoflagellate transcriptomes and used this to infer a strongly supported phylogeny to map major morphological and molecular transitions in dinoflagellate evolution. Our results show an early-branching position of Noctiluca, monophyly of thecate (plate-bearing) dinoflagellates, and paraphyly of athecate ones. This represents unambiguous phylogenetic evidence for a single origin of the group's cellulosic theca, which we show coincided with a radiation of cellulases implicated in cell division. By integrating dinoflagellate molecular, fossil, and biogeochemical evidence, we propose a revised model for the evolution of thecal tabulations and suggest that the late acquisition of dinosterol in the group is inconsistent with dinoflagellates being the source of this biomarker in pre-Mesozoic strata. Three distantly related, fundamentally nonphotosynthetic dinoflagellates, Noctiluca, Oxyrrhis, and Dinophysis, contain cryptic plastidial metabolisms and lack alternative cytosolic pathways, suggesting that all free-living dinoflagellates are metabolically dependent on plastids. This finding led us to propose general mechanisms of dependency on plastid organelles in eukaryotes that have lost photosynthesis; it also suggests that the evolutionary origin of bioluminescence in nonphotosynthetic dinoflagellates may be linked to plastidic tetrapyrrole biosynthesis. Finally, we use our phylogenetic framework to show that dinoflagellate nuclei have recruited DNA-binding proteins in three distinct evolutionary waves, which included two independent acquisitions of bacterial histone-like proteins.
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Aranda M, Li Y, Liew YJ, Baumgarten S, Simakov O, Wilson MC, Piel J, Ashoor H, Bougouffa S, Bajic VB, Ryu T, Ravasi T, Bayer T, Micklem G, Kim H, Bhak J, LaJeunesse TC, Voolstra CR. Genomes of coral dinoflagellate symbionts highlight evolutionary adaptations conducive to a symbiotic lifestyle. Sci Rep 2016; 6:39734. [PMID: 28004835 PMCID: PMC5177918 DOI: 10.1038/srep39734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 200] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2016] [Accepted: 11/28/2016] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite half a century of research, the biology of dinoflagellates remains enigmatic: they defy many functional and genetic traits attributed to typical eukaryotic cells. Genomic approaches to study dinoflagellates are often stymied due to their large, multi-gigabase genomes. Members of the genus Symbiodinium are photosynthetic endosymbionts of stony corals that provide the foundation of coral reef ecosystems. Their smaller genome sizes provide an opportunity to interrogate evolution and functionality of dinoflagellate genomes and endosymbiosis. We sequenced the genome of the ancestral Symbiodinium microadriaticum and compared it to the genomes of the more derived Symbiodinium minutum and Symbiodinium kawagutii and eukaryote model systems as well as transcriptomes from other dinoflagellates. Comparative analyses of genome and transcriptome protein sets show that all dinoflagellates, not only Symbiodinium, possess significantly more transmembrane transporters involved in the exchange of amino acids, lipids, and glycerol than other eukaryotes. Importantly, we find that only Symbiodinium harbor an extensive transporter repertoire associated with the provisioning of carbon and nitrogen. Analyses of these transporters show species-specific expansions, which provides a genomic basis to explain differential compatibilities to an array of hosts and environments, and highlights the putative importance of gene duplications as an evolutionary mechanism in dinoflagellates and Symbiodinium.
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Affiliation(s)
- M. Aranda
- Red Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Y. Li
- Red Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Y. J. Liew
- Red Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - S. Baumgarten
- Red Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - O. Simakov
- Centre for Organismal Studies, Heidelberg University, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - M. C. Wilson
- Institute of Microbiology, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zurich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 4, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - J. Piel
- Institute of Microbiology, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zurich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 4, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - H. Ashoor
- Computational Bioscience Research Center (CBRC), Computer, Electrical and Mathematical Sciences and Engineering Division (CEMSE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - S. Bougouffa
- Computational Bioscience Research Center (CBRC), Computer, Electrical and Mathematical Sciences and Engineering Division (CEMSE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - V. B. Bajic
- Computational Bioscience Research Center (CBRC), Computer, Electrical and Mathematical Sciences and Engineering Division (CEMSE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - T. Ryu
- KAUST Environmental Epigenetics Program (KEEP), Division of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - T. Ravasi
- KAUST Environmental Epigenetics Program (KEEP), Division of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - T. Bayer
- Red Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
- GEOMAR Department: Evolutionary Ecology of Marine Fishes, GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research, Kiel, Germany
| | - G. Micklem
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EH, UK
| | - H. Kim
- Personal Genomics Institute, Genome Research Foundation, Suwon, Republic of Korea
| | - J. Bhak
- Personal Genomics Institute, Genome Research Foundation, Suwon, Republic of Korea
| | - T. C. LaJeunesse
- Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - C. R. Voolstra
- Red Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
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247
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Quigley KM, Willis BL, Bay LK. Maternal effects and Symbiodinium community composition drive differential patterns in juvenile survival in the coral Acropora tenuis. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2016; 3:160471. [PMID: 27853562 PMCID: PMC5098987 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.160471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2016] [Accepted: 09/12/2016] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Coral endosymbionts in the dinoflagellate genus Symbiodinium are known to impact host physiology and have led to the evolution of reef-building, but less is known about how symbiotic communities in early life-history stages and their interactions with host parental identity shape the structure of coral communities on reefs. Differentiating the roles of environmental and biological factors driving variation in population demographic processes, particularly larval settlement, early juvenile survival and the onset of symbiosis is key to understanding how coral communities are structured and to predicting how they are likely to respond to climate change. We show that maternal effects (that here include genetic and/or effects related to the maternal environment) can explain nearly 24% of variation in larval settlement success and 5-17% of variation in juvenile survival in an experimental study of the reef-building scleractinian coral, Acropora tenuis. After 25 days on the reef, Symbiodinium communities associated with juvenile corals differed significantly between high mortality and low mortality families based on estimates of taxonomic richness, composition and relative abundance of taxa. Our results highlight that maternal and familial effects significantly explain variation in juvenile survival and symbiont communities in a broadcast-spawning coral, with Symbiodinium type A3 possibly a critical symbiotic partner during this early life stage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate M. Quigley
- College of Marine and Environmental Sciences, and ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia
- AIMS@JCU, Australian Institute of Marine Science and James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia
| | - Bette L. Willis
- College of Marine and Environmental Sciences, and ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia
- AIMS@JCU, Australian Institute of Marine Science and James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia
| | - Line K. Bay
- AIMS@JCU, Australian Institute of Marine Science and James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, PMB 3, Townsville, Queensland 4810, Australia
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248
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Quigley KM, Willis BL, Bay LK. Maternal effects and Symbiodinium community composition drive differential patterns in juvenile survival in the coral Acropora tenuis. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2016. [PMID: 27853562 DOI: 10.5061/dryad.8b5g6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Coral endosymbionts in the dinoflagellate genus Symbiodinium are known to impact host physiology and have led to the evolution of reef-building, but less is known about how symbiotic communities in early life-history stages and their interactions with host parental identity shape the structure of coral communities on reefs. Differentiating the roles of environmental and biological factors driving variation in population demographic processes, particularly larval settlement, early juvenile survival and the onset of symbiosis is key to understanding how coral communities are structured and to predicting how they are likely to respond to climate change. We show that maternal effects (that here include genetic and/or effects related to the maternal environment) can explain nearly 24% of variation in larval settlement success and 5-17% of variation in juvenile survival in an experimental study of the reef-building scleractinian coral, Acropora tenuis. After 25 days on the reef, Symbiodinium communities associated with juvenile corals differed significantly between high mortality and low mortality families based on estimates of taxonomic richness, composition and relative abundance of taxa. Our results highlight that maternal and familial effects significantly explain variation in juvenile survival and symbiont communities in a broadcast-spawning coral, with Symbiodinium type A3 possibly a critical symbiotic partner during this early life stage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate M Quigley
- College of Marine and Environmental Sciences, and ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia; AIMS@JCU, Australian Institute of Marine Science and James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia
| | - Bette L Willis
- College of Marine and Environmental Sciences, and ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia; AIMS@JCU, Australian Institute of Marine Science and James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia
| | - Line K Bay
- AIMS@JCU, Australian Institute of Marine Science and James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia; Australian Institute of Marine Science, PMB 3, Townsville, Queensland 4810, Australia
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249
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Abstract
Sulfur-containing compounds are important components of all organisms, but few studies have explored sulfate utilization in corals. Our previous study found that the expression of a sulfur transporter (SLC26A11) was upregulated in the presence of Symbiodinium cells in juveniles of the reef-building coral Acropora tenuis. In this study, we performed autoradiography using 35S-labeled sulfate ions (35SO4 2−) to examine the localization and amount of incorporated radioactive sulfate in the coral tissues and symbiotic algae. Incorporated 35SO4 2− was detected in symbiotic algal cells, nematocysts, ectodermal cells and calicoblast cells. The combined results of 35S autoradiography and Alcian Blue staining showed that incorporated 35S accumulated as sulfated glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) in the ectodermal cell layer. We also compared the relative incorporation of 35SO4 2− into coral tissues and endosymbiotic algae, and their chemical fractions in dark versus light (photosynthetic) conditions. The amount of sulfur compounds, such as GAGs and lipids, generated from 35SO4 2− was higher under photosynthetic conditions. Together with the upregulation of sulfate transporters by symbiosis, our results suggest that photosynthesis of algal endosymbionts contributes to the synthesis and utilization of sulfur compounds in corals. Summary:35S-labeled sulfate incorporated into various cells of coral demonstrates that photosynthesis of endosymbiotic algae contributes to the synthesis and utilization of sulfur compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ikuko Yuyama
- Center for Information Biology, National Institute of Genetics, 1111 Yata, Mishima, Shizuoka 411-8540, Japan Graduate School of Science and Technology, Shizuoka University, 836 Ohya, Suruga-ku, Shizuoka 422-8529, Japan
| | - Tomihiko Higuchi
- Graduate School of Science and Technology, Shizuoka University, 836 Ohya, Suruga-ku, Shizuoka 422-8529, Japan Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8564, Japan
| | - Yoshio Takei
- Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8564, Japan
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250
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Wolfowicz I, Baumgarten S, Voss PA, Hambleton EA, Voolstra CR, Hatta M, Guse A. Aiptasia sp. larvae as a model to reveal mechanisms of symbiont selection in cnidarians. Sci Rep 2016; 6:32366. [PMID: 27582179 PMCID: PMC5007887 DOI: 10.1038/srep32366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2016] [Accepted: 08/08/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Symbiosis, defined as the persistent association between two distinct species, is an evolutionary and ecologically critical phenomenon facilitating survival of both partners in diverse habitats. The biodiversity of coral reef ecosystems depends on a functional symbiosis with photosynthetic dinoflagellates of the highly diverse genus Symbiodinium, which reside in coral host cells and continuously support their nutrition. The mechanisms underlying symbiont selection to establish a stable endosymbiosis in non-symbiotic juvenile corals are unclear. Here we show for the first time that symbiont selection patterns for larvae of two Acropora coral species and the model anemone Aiptasia are similar under controlled conditions. We find that Aiptasia larvae distinguish between compatible and incompatible symbionts during uptake into the gastric cavity and phagocytosis. Using RNA-Seq, we identify a set of candidate genes potentially involved in symbiosis establishment. Together, our data complement existing molecular resources to mechanistically dissect symbiont phagocytosis in cnidarians under controlled conditions, thereby strengthening the role of Aiptasia larvae as a powerful model for cnidarian endosymbiosis establishment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iliona Wolfowicz
- Centre for Organismal Studies (COS), Heidelberg University, Heidelberg 69120, Germany
- Graduate Program in Areas of Basic and Applied Biology (GABBA), University of Porto, Porto 4200-465, Portugal
| | - Sebastian Baumgarten
- Red Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Philipp A. Voss
- Centre for Organismal Studies (COS), Heidelberg University, Heidelberg 69120, Germany
| | | | - Christian R. Voolstra
- Red Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Masayuki Hatta
- Graduate School of Humanities and Sciences, Ochanomizu University, Tokyo 112-8610, Japan
| | - Annika Guse
- Centre for Organismal Studies (COS), Heidelberg University, Heidelberg 69120, Germany
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