1
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Wuitchik DM, Aichelman HE, Atherton KF, Brown CM, Chen X, DiRoberts L, Pelose GE, Tramonte CA, Davies SW. Photosymbiosis reduces the environmental stress response under a heat challenge in a facultatively symbiotic coral. Sci Rep 2024; 14:15484. [PMID: 38969663 PMCID: PMC11226616 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-66057-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2024] [Accepted: 06/26/2024] [Indexed: 07/07/2024] Open
Abstract
The symbiosis between corals and dinoflagellates of the family Symbiodiniaceae is sensitive to environmental stress. The oxidative bleaching hypothesis posits that extreme temperatures lead to accumulation of photobiont-derived reactive oxygen species ROS, which exacerbates the coral environmental stress response (ESR). To understand how photosymbiosis modulates coral ESRs, these responses must be explored in hosts in and out of symbiosis. We leveraged the facultatively symbiotic coral Astrangia poculata, which offers an opportunity to uncouple the ESR across its two symbiotic phenotypes (brown, white). Colonies of both symbiotic phenotypes were exposed to three temperature treatments for 15 days: (i) control (static 18 °C), (ii) heat challenge (increasing from 18 to 30 °C), and (iii) cold challenge (decreasing from 18 to 4 °C) after which host gene expression was profiled. Cold challenged corals elicited widespread differential expression, however, there were no differences between symbiotic phenotypes. In contrast, brown colonies exhibited greater gene expression plasticity under heat challenge, including enrichment of cell cycle pathways involved in controlling photobiont growth. While this plasticity was greater, the genes driving this plasticity were not associated with an amplified environmental stress response (ESR) and instead showed patterns of a dampened ESR under heat challenge. This provides nuance to the oxidative bleaching hypothesis and suggests that, at least during the early onset of bleaching, photobionts reduce the host's ESR under elevated temperatures in A. poculata.
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Affiliation(s)
- D M Wuitchik
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Biology, Tufts University, Medford, MA, USA.
| | - H E Aichelman
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - K F Atherton
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
- Bioinformatics Graduate Program, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - C M Brown
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - X Chen
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - L DiRoberts
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - G E Pelose
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - C A Tramonte
- Department of Biology, Boston College, Boston, MA, USA
| | - S W Davies
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA.
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2
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Voss PA, Gornik SG, Jacobovitz MR, Rupp S, Dörr M, Maegele I, Guse A. Host nutrient sensing is mediated by mTOR signaling in cnidarian-dinoflagellate symbiosis. Curr Biol 2023; 33:3634-3647.e5. [PMID: 37572664 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.07.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Revised: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 08/14/2023]
Abstract
To survive in the nutrient-poor waters of the tropics, reef-building corals rely on intracellular, photosynthetic dinoflagellate symbionts. Photosynthates produced by the symbiont are translocated to the host, and this enables corals to form the structural foundation of the most biodiverse of all marine ecosystems. Although the regulation of nutrient exchange between partners is critical for ecosystem stability and health, the mechanisms governing how nutrients are sensed, transferred, and integrated into host cell processes are largely unknown. Ubiquitous among eukaryotes, the mechanistic target of the rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway integrates intracellular and extracellular stimuli to influence cell growth and cell-cycle progression and to balance metabolic processes. A functional role of mTOR in the integration of host and symbiont was demonstrated in various nutritional symbioses, and a similar role of mTOR was proposed for coral-algal symbioses. Using the endosymbiosis model Aiptasia, we examined the role of mTOR signaling in both larvae and adult polyps across various stages of symbiosis. We found that symbiosis enhances cell proliferation, and using an Aiptasia-specific antibody, we localized mTOR to symbiosome membranes. We found that mTOR signaling is activated by symbiosis, while inhibition of mTOR signaling disrupts intracellular niche establishment and symbiosis altogether. Additionally, we observed that dysbiosis was a conserved response to mTOR inhibition in the larvae of a reef-building coral species. Our data confim that mTOR signaling plays a pivotal role in integrating symbiont-derived nutrients into host metabolism and symbiosis stability, ultimately allowing symbiotic cnidarians to thrive in challenging environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philipp A Voss
- Centre for Organismal Studies, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 230, Heidelberg 69120 Germany
| | - Sebastian G Gornik
- Centre for Organismal Studies, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 230, Heidelberg 69120 Germany
| | - Marie R Jacobovitz
- Centre for Organismal Studies, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 230, Heidelberg 69120 Germany
| | - Sebastian Rupp
- Centre for Organismal Studies, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 230, Heidelberg 69120 Germany
| | - Melanie Dörr
- Centre for Organismal Studies, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 230, Heidelberg 69120 Germany
| | - Ira Maegele
- Centre for Organismal Studies, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 230, Heidelberg 69120 Germany
| | - Annika Guse
- Centre for Organismal Studies, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 230, Heidelberg 69120 Germany.
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3
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Rivera HE, Tramonte CA, Samaroo J, Dickerson H, Davies SW. Heat challenge elicits stronger physiological and gene expression responses than starvation in symbiotic Oculina arbuscula. J Hered 2023; 114:312-325. [PMID: 36921030 DOI: 10.1093/jhered/esac068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2022] [Accepted: 12/09/2022] [Indexed: 03/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Heterotrophy has been shown to mitigate coral-algal dysbiosis (coral bleaching) under heat challenge, but the molecular mechanisms underlying this phenomenon remain largely unexplored. Here, we quantified coral physiology and gene expression of fragments from 13 genotypes of symbiotic Oculina arbuscula after a 28-d feeding experiment under (1) fed, ambient (24 °C); (2) unfed, ambient; (3) fed, heated (ramp to 33 °C); and (4) unfed, heated treatments. We monitored algal photosynthetic efficiency throughout the experiment, and after 28 d, profiled coral and algal carbohydrate and protein reserves, coral gene expression, algal cell densities, and chlorophyll-a and chlorophyll-c2 pigments. Contrary to previous findings, heterotrophy did little to mitigate the impacts of temperature, and we observed few significant differences in physiology between fed and unfed corals under heat challenge. Our results suggest the duration and intensity of starvation and thermal challenge play meaningful roles in coral energetics and stress response; future work exploring these thresholds and how they may impact coral responses under changing climate is urgently needed. Gene expression patterns under heat challenge in fed and unfed corals showed gene ontology enrichment patterns consistent with classic signatures of the environmental stress response. While gene expression differences between fed and unfed corals under heat challenge were subtle: Unfed, heated corals uniquely upregulated genes associated with cell cycle functions, an indication that starvation may induce the previously described, milder "type B" coral stress response. Future studies interested in disentangling the influence of heterotrophy on coral bleaching would benefit from leveraging the facultative species studied here, but using the coral in its symbiotic and aposymbiotic states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanny E Rivera
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | | | - Jason Samaroo
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | | | - Sarah W Davies
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
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4
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Bove CB, Ingersoll MV, Davies SW. Help Me, Symbionts, You're My Only Hope: Approaches to Accelerate our Understanding of Coral Holobiont Interactions. Integr Comp Biol 2022; 62:1756-1769. [PMID: 36099871 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icac141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2022] [Revised: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 09/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Tropical corals construct the three-dimensional framework for one of the most diverse ecosystems on the planet, providing habitat to a plethora of species across taxa. However, these ecosystem engineers are facing unprecedented challenges, such as increasing disease prevalence and marine heatwaves associated with anthropogenic global change. As a result, major declines in coral cover and health are being observed across the world's oceans, often due to the breakdown of coral-associated symbioses. Here, we review the interactions between the major symbiotic partners of the coral holobiont-the cnidarian host, algae in the family Symbiodiniaceae, and the microbiome-that influence trait variation, including the molecular mechanisms that underlie symbiosis and the resulting physiological benefits of different microbial partnerships. In doing so, we highlight the current framework for the formation and maintenance of cnidarian-Symbiodiniaceae symbiosis, and the role that immunity pathways play in this relationship. We emphasize that understanding these complex interactions is challenging when you consider the vast genetic variation of the cnidarian host and algal symbiont, as well as their highly diverse microbiome, which is also an important player in coral holobiont health. Given the complex interactions between and among symbiotic partners, we propose several research directions and approaches focused on symbiosis model systems and emerging technologies that will broaden our understanding of how these partner interactions may facilitate the prediction of coral holobiont phenotype, especially under rapid environmental change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colleen B Bove
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | | | - Sarah W Davies
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
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5
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Puntin G, Sweet M, Fraune S, Medina M, Sharp K, Weis VM, Ziegler M. Harnessing the Power of Model Organisms To Unravel Microbial Functions in the Coral Holobiont. Microbiol Mol Biol Rev 2022; 86:e0005322. [PMID: 36287022 PMCID: PMC9769930 DOI: 10.1128/mmbr.00053-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Stony corals build the framework of coral reefs, ecosystems of immense ecological and economic importance. The existence of these ecosystems is threatened by climate change and other anthropogenic stressors that manifest in microbial dysbiosis such as coral bleaching and disease, often leading to coral mortality. Despite a significant amount of research, the mechanisms ultimately underlying these destructive phenomena, and what could prevent or mitigate them, remain to be resolved. This is mostly due to practical challenges in experimentation on corals and the highly complex nature of the coral holobiont that also includes bacteria, archaea, protists, and viruses. While the overall importance of these partners is well recognized, their specific contributions to holobiont functioning and their interspecific dynamics remain largely unexplored. Here, we review the potential of adopting model organisms as more tractable systems to address these knowledge gaps. We draw on parallels from the broader biological and biomedical fields to guide the establishment, implementation, and integration of new and emerging model organisms with the aim of addressing the specific needs of coral research. We evaluate the cnidarian models Hydra, Aiptasia, Cassiopea, and Astrangia poculata; review the fast-evolving field of coral tissue and cell cultures; and propose a framework for the establishment of "true" tropical reef-building coral models. Based on this assessment, we also suggest future research to address key aspects limiting our ability to understand and hence improve the response of reef-building corals to future ocean conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Puntin
- Department of Animal Ecology and Systematics, Marine Holobiomics Lab, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Michael Sweet
- Aquatic Research Facility, Environmental Sustainability Research Centre, University of Derby, Derby, United Kingdom
| | - Sebastian Fraune
- Institute for Zoology and Organismic Interactions, Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Mónica Medina
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, State College, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Koty Sharp
- Department of Biology, Marine Biology, and Environmental Science, Roger Williams University, Bristol, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Virginia M. Weis
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
| | - Maren Ziegler
- Department of Animal Ecology and Systematics, Marine Holobiomics Lab, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
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6
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Rotjan RD, Ray NE, Cole I, Castro KG, Kennedy BRC, Barbasch T, Lesneski KC, Lord KS, Bhardwaj A, Edens M, Karageorge I, Klawon C, Kruh-Needleman H, McCarthy G, Perez R, Roberts C, Trumble IF, Volk A, Torres J, Morey J. Shifts in predator behaviour following climate induced disturbance on coral reefs. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20221431. [PMID: 36541169 PMCID: PMC9768634 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.1431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Coral reefs are increasingly ecologically destabilized across the globe due to climate change. Behavioural plasticity in corallivore behaviour and short-term trophic ecology in response to bleaching events may influence the extent and severity of coral bleaching and subsequent recovery potential, yet our understanding of these interactions in situ remains unclear. Here, we investigated interactions between corallivory and coral bleaching during a severe high thermal event (10.3-degree heating weeks) in Belize. We found that parrotfish changed their grazing behaviour in response to bleaching by selectively avoiding bleached Orbicella spp. colonies regardless of bleaching severity or coral size. For bleached corals, we hypothesize that this short-term respite from corallivory may temporarily buffer coral energy budgets by not redirecting energetic resources to wound healing, and may therefore enable compensatory nutrient acquisition. However, colonies that had previously been heavily grazed were also more susceptible to bleaching, which is likely to increase mortality risk. Thus, short-term respite from corallivory during bleaching may not be sufficient to functionally rescue corals during prolonged bleaching. Such pairwise interactions and behavioural shifts in response to disturbance may appear small scale and short term, but have the potential to fundamentally alter ecological outcomes, especially in already-degraded ecosystems that are vulnerable and sensitive to change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Randi D. Rotjan
- Department of Biology, Boston University, 5 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA 02215, USA,Boston University Marine Program, Boston University, 5 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Nicholas E. Ray
- Department of Biology, Boston University, 5 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA 02215, USA,Boston University Marine Program, Boston University, 5 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA 02215, USA,Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Ingrid Cole
- Boston University Marine Program, Boston University, 5 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Kurt G. Castro
- Boston University Marine Program, Boston University, 5 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Brian R. C. Kennedy
- Department of Biology, Boston University, 5 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA 02215, USA,Boston University Marine Program, Boston University, 5 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Tina Barbasch
- Department of Biology, Boston University, 5 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA 02215, USA,Boston University Marine Program, Boston University, 5 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Kathryn C. Lesneski
- Department of Biology, Boston University, 5 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA 02215, USA,Boston University Marine Program, Boston University, 5 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Karina Scavo Lord
- Department of Biology, Boston University, 5 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA 02215, USA,Boston University Marine Program, Boston University, 5 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Anjali Bhardwaj
- Department of Biology, Boston University, 5 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA 02215, USA,Boston University Marine Program, Boston University, 5 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Madeleine Edens
- Boston University Marine Program, Boston University, 5 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Ioanna Karageorge
- Boston University Marine Program, Boston University, 5 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Caitlynn Klawon
- Boston University Marine Program, Boston University, 5 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Hallie Kruh-Needleman
- Boston University Marine Program, Boston University, 5 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Gretchen McCarthy
- Boston University Marine Program, Boston University, 5 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Raziel Perez
- Boston University Marine Program, Boston University, 5 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Christopher Roberts
- Boston University Marine Program, Boston University, 5 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Isabela F. Trumble
- Boston University Marine Program, Boston University, 5 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Aryanna Volk
- Boston University Marine Program, Boston University, 5 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA 02215, USA
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7
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Lord KS, Barcala A, Aichelman HE, Kriefall NG, Brown C, Knasin L, Secor R, Tone C, Tsang L, Finnerty JR. Distinct Phenotypes Associated with Mangrove and Lagoon Habitats in Two Widespread Caribbean Corals, Porites astreoides and Porites divaricata. THE BIOLOGICAL BULLETIN 2021; 240:169-190. [PMID: 34129438 DOI: 10.1086/714047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
AbstractAs coral reefs experience dramatic declines in coral cover throughout the tropics, there is an urgent need to understand the role that non-reef habitats, such as mangroves, play in the ecological niche of corals. Mangrove habitats present a challenge to reef-dwelling corals because they can differ dramatically from adjacent reef habitats with respect to key environmental parameters, such as light. Because variation in light within reef habitats is known to drive intraspecific differences in coral phenotype, we hypothesized that coral species that can exploit both reef and mangrove habitats will exhibit predictable differences in phenotypes between habitats. To investigate how intraspecific variation, driven by either local adaptation or phenotypic plasticity, might enable particular coral species to exploit these two qualitatively different habitat types, we compared the phenotypes of two widespread Caribbean corals, Porites divaricata and Porites astreoides, in mangrove versus lagoon habitats on Turneffe Atoll, Belize. We document significant differences in colony size, color, structural complexity, and corallite morphology between habitats. In every instance, the phenotypic differences between mangrove prop root and lagoon corals exhibited consistent trends in both P. divaricata and P. astreoides. We believe this study is the first to document intraspecific phenotypic diversity in corals occupying mangrove prop root versus lagoonal patch reef habitats. A difference in the capacity to adopt an alternative phenotype that is well suited to the mangrove habitat may explain why some reef coral species can exploit mangroves, while others cannot.
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8
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Wall CB, Wallsgrove NJ, Gates RD, Popp BN. Amino acid δ 13C and δ 15N analyses reveal distinct species-specific patterns of trophic plasticity in a marine symbiosis. LIMNOLOGY AND OCEANOGRAPHY 2021; 66:2033-2050. [PMID: 34248204 PMCID: PMC8252108 DOI: 10.1002/lno.11742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2020] [Revised: 01/20/2021] [Accepted: 01/26/2021] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Compound-specific isotope analyses (CSIA) and multivariate "isotope fingerprinting" track biosynthetic sources and reveal trophic interactions in food webs. However, CSIA have not been widely applied in the study of marine symbioses. Here, we exposed a reef coral (Montipora capitata) in symbiosis with Symbiodiniaceae algae to experimental treatments (autotrophy, mixotrophy, heterotrophy) to test for trophic shifts and amino acid (AA) sources using paired bulk (δ13C, δ15N) and AA-CSIA (δ13CAA, δ15NAA). Treatments did not influence carbon or nitrogen trophic proxies, thereby not supporting nutritional plasticity. Instead, hosts and symbionts consistently overlapped in essential- and nonessential-δ13CAA (11 of 13 amino acids) and trophic- and source-δ15NAA values (9 of 13 amino acids). Host and symbiont trophic-δ15NAA values positively correlated with a plankton end-member, indicative of trophic connections and dietary sources for trophic-AA nitrogen. However, mass balance of AA-trophic positions (TPGlx-Phe) revealed heterotrophic influences to be highly variable (1-41% heterotrophy). Linear discriminant analysis using M. capitata mean-normalized essential-δ13CAA with previously published values (Pocillopora meandrina) showed similar nutrition isotope fingerprints (Symbiodiniaceae vs. plankton) but revealed species-specific trophic strategies. Montipora capitata and Symbiodiniaceae shared identical AA-fingerprints, whereas P. meandrina was assigned to either symbiont or plankton nutrition. Thus, M. capitata was 100% reliant on symbionts for essential-δ13CAA and demonstrated autotrophic fidelity and contrasts with trophic plasticity reported in P. meandrina. While M. capitata AA may originate from host and/or symbiont biosynthesis, AA carbon is Symbiodiniaceae-derived. Together, AA-CSIA/isotope fingerprinting advances the study of coral trophic plasticity and are powerful tools in the study of marine symbioses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher B. Wall
- Hawai'i Institute of Marine BiologyUniversity of Hawai'i at MānoaHonoluluHawaiiUSA
- Pacific Biosciences Research CenterUniversity of Hawai'i at MānoaHonoluluHawaiiUSA
| | | | - Ruth D. Gates
- Hawai'i Institute of Marine BiologyUniversity of Hawai'i at MānoaHonoluluHawaiiUSA
| | - Brian N. Popp
- Department of Earth SciencesUniversity of Hawai'i at MānoaHonoluluHawaiiUSA
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9
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Roger LM, Reich HG, Lawrence E, Li S, Vizgaudis W, Brenner N, Kumar L, Klein-Seetharaman J, Yang J, Putnam HM, Lewinski NA. Applying model approaches in non-model systems: A review and case study on coral cell culture. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0248953. [PMID: 33831033 PMCID: PMC8031391 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0248953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2020] [Accepted: 03/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Model systems approaches search for commonality in patterns underlying biological diversity and complexity led by common evolutionary paths. The success of the approach does not rest on the species chosen but on the scalability of the model and methods used to develop the model and engage research. Fine-tuning approaches to improve coral cell cultures will provide a robust platform for studying symbiosis breakdown, the calcification mechanism and its disruption, protein interactions, micronutrient transport/exchange, and the toxicity of nanoparticles, among other key biological aspects, with the added advantage of minimizing the ethical conundrum of repeated testing on ecologically threatened organisms. The work presented here aimed to lay the foundation towards development of effective methods to sort and culture reef-building coral cells with the ultimate goal of obtaining immortal cell lines for the study of bleaching, disease and toxicity at the cellular and polyp levels. To achieve this objective, the team conducted a thorough review and tested the available methods (i.e. cell dissociation, isolation, sorting, attachment and proliferation). The most effective and reproducible techniques were combined to consolidate culture methods and generate uncontaminated coral cell cultures for ~7 days (10 days maximum). The tests were conducted on scleractinian corals Pocillopora acuta of the same genotype to harmonize results and reduce variation linked to genetic diversity. The development of cell separation and identification methods in conjunction with further investigations into coral cell-type specific metabolic requirements will allow us to tailor growth media for optimized monocultures as a tool for studying essential reef-building coral traits such as symbiosis, wound healing and calcification at multiple scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liza M. Roger
- Life Science and Engineering, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, United States of America
- * E-mail: ,
| | - Hannah G. Reich
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, Rhode Island, United States of America
| | - Evan Lawrence
- Life Science and Engineering, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Shuaifeng Li
- Aeronautics and Astronautics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Whitney Vizgaudis
- Department of Chemistry, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Nathan Brenner
- Department of Chemistry, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Lokender Kumar
- Department of Chemistry, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colorado, United States of America
| | | | - Jinkyu Yang
- Aeronautics and Astronautics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Hollie M. Putnam
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, Rhode Island, United States of America
| | - Nastassja A. Lewinski
- Life Science and Engineering, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, United States of America
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10
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Luz BLP, Miller DJ, Kitahara MV. High regenerative capacity is a general feature within colonial dendrophylliid corals (Anthozoa, Scleractinia). JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY PART B-MOLECULAR AND DEVELOPMENTAL EVOLUTION 2021; 336:281-292. [PMID: 33503321 DOI: 10.1002/jez.b.23021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2019] [Revised: 12/03/2020] [Accepted: 12/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The regenerative capacity of cnidarians plays an essential role in the maintenance and restoration of coral reef ecosystems by allowing faster recovery from disturbances and more efficient small-scale dispersal. However, in the case of invasive species, this property may contribute to their dispersal and success in nonnative habitats. Given that four Indo-Pacific members of the coral genus Tubastraea have invaded the Atlantic, here we evaluated the ability of three of these species (Tubastraea coccinea, Tubastraea diaphana, and Tubastraea micranthus) to regenerate from fragments of undifferentiated coral tissue to fully functional polyps in response to differences in food supply and fragment size. For comparative purposes, another colonial dendrophylliid (Dendrophyllia sp.) was included in the analyses. All dendrophylliids displayed regenerative ability and high survival rates that were independent of whether or not food was supplied or fragment size. However, regeneration rates varied between species and were influenced by fragment size. Temporal expression of key genes of the regenerative process (Wnt and FGF) was profiled during whole-body regeneration of T. coccinea, suggesting a remarkable regenerative ability of T. coccinea that points to its potential use as a laboratory model for the investigation of regeneration in colonial calcified anthozoans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruna Louise Pereira Luz
- Coastal and Ocean Systems Graduate Program, Federal University of Paraná, Pontal do Sul, Pontal do Paraná, Paraná, Brazil.,Center for Marine Biology, University of São Paulo, Praia do Cabelo Gordo, São Sebastião, Brazil.,ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies and Centre for Tropical Bioinformatics and Molecular Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - David John Miller
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies and Centre for Tropical Bioinformatics and Molecular Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - Marcelo Visentini Kitahara
- Coastal and Ocean Systems Graduate Program, Federal University of Paraná, Pontal do Sul, Pontal do Paraná, Paraná, Brazil.,Center for Marine Biology, University of São Paulo, Praia do Cabelo Gordo, São Sebastião, Brazil.,Department of Marine Sciences, Federal University of São Paulo, Santos, São Paulo, Brazil
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11
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Chang TC, Mayfield AB, Fan TY. Culture systems influence the physiological performance of the soft coral Sarcophyton glaucum. Sci Rep 2020; 10:20200. [PMID: 33214591 PMCID: PMC7678846 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-77071-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2020] [Accepted: 10/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
There is an urgent need to develop means of ex situ biobanking and biopreserving corals and other marine organisms whose habitats have been compromised by climate change and other anthropogenic stressors. To optimize laboratory growth of soft corals in a way that could also benefit industry (e.g., aquarium trade), three culture systems were tested herein with Sarcophyton glaucum: (1) a recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) without exogenous biological input (RAS-B), (2) a RAS with "live" rocks and an exogenous food supply (RAS+B), and (3) a simple flow-through system (FTS) featuring partially filtered natural seawater. In each system, the effects of two levels of photosynthetically active radiation (100 or 200 μmol quanta m-2 s-1) and flow velocity (5 or 15 cm s-1) were assessed, and a number of soft coral response variables were measured. All cultured corals survived the multi-month incubation, yet those of the RAS-B grew slowly and even paled; however, once they were fed (RAS-B modified to RAS+B), their pigmentation increased, and their oral discs readily expanded. Light had a more pronounced effect in the RAS-B system, while flow affected certain coral response variables in the FTS tanks; there were few effects of light or flow in the RAS+B system, potentially highlighting the importance of heterotrophy. Unlike the ceramic pedestals of the FTS, those of the RAS+B did not regularly become biofouled by algae. In concert with the aforementioned physiological findings, we therefore recommend RAS+B systems as a superior means of biopreservating and biobanking soft corals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tai-Chi Chang
- Institute of Marine Biology, National Dong Hwa University, Pingtung, 944, Taiwan
| | - Anderson B Mayfield
- National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium, Pingtung, 944, Taiwan.,Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Miami, FL, 33149, USA.,Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies, University of Miami, Miami, FL, 33149, USA
| | - Tung-Yung Fan
- Institute of Marine Biology, National Dong Hwa University, Pingtung, 944, Taiwan. .,National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium, Pingtung, 944, Taiwan.
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Huang YL, Mayfield AB, Fan TY. Effects of feeding on the physiological performance of the stony coral Pocillopora acuta. Sci Rep 2020; 10:19988. [PMID: 33203892 PMCID: PMC7673984 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-76451-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2020] [Accepted: 10/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Reef-building corals rely on both heterotrophy and endosymbiotic dinoflagellate autotrophy to meet their metabolic needs. Those looking to culture these organisms for scientific or industrial purposes must therefore consider both feeding regimes and the light environment. Herein the effects of three photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) levels were assessed in fed and unfed specimens of the model coral Pocillopora acuta that were cultured in a recirculating aquaculture system (RAS). Half of the corals were fed Artemia sp. brine shrimp in a separate feeding tank to prevent biofouling, and fragments were exposed to PAR levels of 105, 157, or 250 μmol quanta m-2 s-1 over a 12-h period each day. All cultured corals survived the 140-day treatment, and the physiological response variables assessed-buoyant weight, specific growth rate, linear extension, color, and Fv/Fm-were significantly influenced by feeding, and, to a lesser extent, light. Specifically, fed corals grew faster and larger, and presented darker pigmentation; corals fed at the highest light levels grew at the fastest rate (6 cm year-1 or 175 mg g-1 week-1). Given the high physiological performance observed, we advocate the active feeding of brine shrimp in RAS by those looking to cultivate P. acuta, and likely other corals, over long-term timescales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan-Leng Huang
- Institute of Marine Biology, National Dong Hwa University, Pingtung, 944, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Anderson B Mayfield
- National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium, Pingtung, 944, Taiwan, ROC
- Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Miami, FL, 33149, USA
- Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies, University of Miami, Miami, FL, 33149, USA
| | - Tung-Yung Fan
- Institute of Marine Biology, National Dong Hwa University, Pingtung, 944, Taiwan, ROC.
- National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium, Pingtung, 944, Taiwan, ROC.
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13
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Hamman EA. Spatial distribution of damage affects the healing, growth, and morphology of coral. Oecologia 2019; 191:621-632. [PMID: 31571039 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-019-04509-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2018] [Accepted: 09/09/2019] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Many predators and herbivores do not kill their prey, but rather remove or damage tissue. Prey are often able to heal or regenerate this lost tissue. If the prey are modular organisms (e.g., some plants and cnidarians), regeneration is frequently influenced by other modules interconnected to damaged ones. For example, many coral predators remove tissue from colonies consisting of many polyps, and these polyps often share resources with their neighbors. Thus, the distribution of tissue loss on a coral colony could affect the coral's response. I hypothesized that spatially aggregated damage might be slow to heal due to competing demands on nearby polyps. To explore the spatial patterns of corallivory and their implications, I conducted: (1) field surveys documenting the spatial distribution of lesions on corals; (2) field experiments testing the effect of the distance between lesions on coral tissue healing, skeletal growth, and morphology; and (3) field surveys relating corallivore presence to coral growth and morphology. In the field surveys, lesions were aggregated at multiple spatial scales, and most lesions had other lesions within 2 cm. When lesions were near one another, coral tissue regeneration was depressed, although there was no effect on whole colony growth. After a year, however, linear extension was lower in the neighborhood of the lesions. Additionally, gastropod corallivores (Coralliophila violacea) with low movement decreased coral growth and increased coral topographical complexity. These results suggest that corallivores that create clusters of coral damage have a greater effect on coral growth and recovery from damage than corallivores that spread damage throughout the colony.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth A Hamman
- Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, USA.
- Department of Biology, Radford University, Radford, USA.
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14
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Rotjan RD, Sharp KH, Gauthier AE, Yelton R, Lopez EMB, Carilli J, Kagan JC, Urban-Rich J. Patterns, dynamics and consequences of microplastic ingestion by the temperate coral, Astrangia poculata. Proc Biol Sci 2019; 286:20190726. [PMID: 31238843 PMCID: PMC6599985 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2019.0726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2019] [Accepted: 05/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Microplastics (less than 5 mm) are a recognized threat to aquatic food webs because they are ingested at multiple trophic levels and may bioaccumulate. In urban coastal environments, high densities of microplastics may disrupt nutritional intake. However, behavioural dynamics and consequences of microparticle ingestion are still poorly understood. As filter or suspension feeders, benthic marine invertebrates are vulnerable to microplastic ingestion. We explored microplastic ingestion by the temperate coral Astrangia poculata. We detected an average of over 100 microplastic particles per polyp in wild-captured colonies from Rhode Island. In the laboratory, corals were fed microbeads to characterize ingestion preference and retention of microplastics and consequences on feeding behaviour. Corals were fed biofilmed microplastics to test whether plastics serve as vectors for microbes. Ingested microplastics were apparent within the mesenterial tissues of the gastrovascular cavity. Corals preferred microplastic beads and declined subsequent offerings of brine shrimp eggs of the same diameter, suggesting that microplastic ingestion can inhibit food intake. The corals co-ingested Escherichia coli cells with microbeads. These findings detail specific mechanisms by which microplastics threaten corals, but also hint that the coral A. poculata, which has a large coastal range, may serve as a useful bioindicator and monitoring tool for microplastic pollution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Randi D. Rotjan
- Department of Biology, Boston University, 5 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA 02215, USA
- New England Aquarium, 1 Central Wharf, Boston, MA 02110, USA
- School for the Environment, UMass Boston, 100 William T Morrissey Boulevard, Boston, MA 02125, USA
| | - Koty H. Sharp
- Department of Biology, Marine Biology, and Environmental Sciences, Roger Williams University, 1 Old Ferry Road, Bristol, RI 02809, USA
| | - Anna E. Gauthier
- Department of Biology, Boston University, 5 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA 02215, USA
- Division of Gastroenterology, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Rowan Yelton
- Department of Biology, Boston University, 5 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA 02215, USA
- New England Aquarium, 1 Central Wharf, Boston, MA 02110, USA
| | - Eliya M. Baron Lopez
- New England Aquarium, 1 Central Wharf, Boston, MA 02110, USA
- School for the Environment, UMass Boston, 100 William T Morrissey Boulevard, Boston, MA 02125, USA
| | - Jessica Carilli
- School for the Environment, UMass Boston, 100 William T Morrissey Boulevard, Boston, MA 02125, USA
| | - Jonathan C. Kagan
- Division of Gastroenterology, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Juanita Urban-Rich
- School for the Environment, UMass Boston, 100 William T Morrissey Boulevard, Boston, MA 02125, USA
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15
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Burmester EM, Breef-Pilz A, Lawrence NF, Kaufman L, Finnerty JR, Rotjan RD. The impact of autotrophic versus heterotrophic nutritional pathways on colony health and wound recovery in corals. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:10805-10816. [PMID: 30519408 PMCID: PMC6262932 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2018] [Accepted: 08/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
For animals that harbor photosynthetic symbionts within their tissues, such as corals, the different relative contributions of autotrophy versus heterotrophy to organismal energetic requirements have direct impacts on fitness. This is especially true for facultatively symbiotic corals, where the balance between host‐caught and symbiont‐produced energy can be altered substantially to meet the variable demands of a shifting environment. In this study, we utilized a temperate coral–algal system (the northern star coral, Astrangia poculata, and its photosynthetic endosymbiont, Symbiodinium psygmophilum) to explore the impacts of nutritional sourcing on the host's health and ability to regenerate experimentally excised polyps. For fed and starved colonies, wound healing and total colony tissue cover were differentially impacted by heterotrophy versus autotrophy. There was an additive impact of positive nutritional and symbiotic states on a coral's ability to initiate healing, but a greater influence of symbiont state on the recovery of lost tissue at the lesion site and complete polyp regeneration. On the other hand, regardless of symbiont state, fed corals maintained a higher overall colony tissue cover, which also enabled more active host behavior (polyp extension) and endosymbiont behavior (photosynthetic ability of Symbiondinium). Overall, we determined that the impact of nutritional state and symbiotic state varied between biological functions, suggesting a diversity in energetic sourcing for each of these processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth M Burmester
- Billion Oyster Project New York New York.,Department of Biology Boston University Boston Massachusetts.,John H Prescott Marine Laboratory Anderson-Cabot Center for Ocean Life, New England Aquarium Boston Massachusetts
| | - Adrienne Breef-Pilz
- John H Prescott Marine Laboratory Anderson-Cabot Center for Ocean Life, New England Aquarium Boston Massachusetts
| | - Nicholas F Lawrence
- John H Prescott Marine Laboratory Anderson-Cabot Center for Ocean Life, New England Aquarium Boston Massachusetts
| | - Les Kaufman
- Department of Biology Boston University Boston Massachusetts
| | - John R Finnerty
- Department of Biology Boston University Boston Massachusetts
| | - Randi D Rotjan
- Department of Biology Boston University Boston Massachusetts.,John H Prescott Marine Laboratory Anderson-Cabot Center for Ocean Life, New England Aquarium Boston Massachusetts
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