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Sun WT, Pan CY, Xpark, Ding DS, Pan CH. Northern coral triangle coral ciliates diseases and disease prevention: A first record. J Invertebr Pathol 2024; 206:108177. [PMID: 39142469 DOI: 10.1016/j.jip.2024.108177] [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: 03/05/2024] [Revised: 07/27/2024] [Accepted: 08/11/2024] [Indexed: 08/16/2024]
Abstract
This study is the first to report ciliate infection on soft corals in the Northern Coral Triangle. Infected Briareum violacea will undergo tissue ulceration and death within a short period of time. This ciliate was identified as Scuticociliatia sp. through 18S rRNA gene identification. In this study, the body length of the ciliate was approximately 80-85 μm before parasitizing the B. violacea. After being parasitizing, the body length was approximately 200-250 μm, and the body width was 50 μm. Body size increased three times after parasitism. According to observations, ciliates will first parasitize the coral endoderm in the early stage of infection, and no ciliates were found in the ectoderm. Preliminary judgment suggests that it may invade the coral endoderm through the mouth for parasitism. After parasitism, the ciliate eats the coral tissue and zooxanthellae. The antioxidant enzymes SOD, CAT, and MDA of infected corals were significantly increased, which also means that the corals are in a stress response. Ciliates will eat the zooxanthellae in the coral body, resulting in a significant reduction in the number of zooxanthellae and chlorophyll a. To effectively prevent and treat this disease, Combretum indicum extract was used in this study. It is a tropical plant commonly used medicinally to treat roundworms, pinworms and parasitic diseases. The results showed that at a concentration of 1500-2500 ppm, Combretum indicum extract can be used to treat ciliates and can applied via medicinal bath therapy for long periods without causing coral stress reactions. The results of this study regarding coral disease prevention are in line with SDG 14 and promote the practical application of coral reef ecological sustainability and large-scale coral aquaculture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei-Ting Sun
- Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, College of Hydrosphere, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung City 81157, Taiwan
| | - Chieh-Yu Pan
- Department and Graduate Institute of Aquaculture, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung 811, Taiwan
| | | | - De-Sing Ding
- Department and Graduate Institute of Aquaculture, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung 811, Taiwan.
| | - Chih-Hung Pan
- Department and Graduate Institute of Aquaculture, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung 811, Taiwan
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Brans V, Manzi F, Jacob S, Schtickzelle N. Demography and movement patterns of a freshwater ciliate: The influence of oxygen availability. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11291. [PMID: 38660468 PMCID: PMC11040103 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2023] [Revised: 03/27/2024] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
In freshwater habitats, aerobic animals and microorganisms can react to oxygen deprivation by a series of behavioural and physiological changes, either as a direct consequence of hindered performance or as adaptive responses towards hypoxic conditions. Since oxygen availability can vary throughout the water column, different strategies exist to avoid hypoxia, including that of active 'flight' from low-oxygen sites. Alternatively, some organisms may invest in slower movement, saving energy until conditions return to more favourable levels, which may be described as a 'sit-and-wait' strategy. Here, we aimed to determine which, if any, of these strategies could be used by the freshwater ciliate Tetrahymena thermophila when faced with decreasing levels of oxygen availability in the culture medium. We manipulated oxygen flux into clonal cultures of six strains (i.e. genotypes) and followed their growth kinetics for several weeks using automated image analysis, allowing to precisely quantify changes in density, morphology and movement patterns. Oxygen effects on demography and morphology were comparable across strains: reducing oxygen flux decreased the growth rate and maximal density of experimental cultures, while greatly expanding the duration of their stationary phase. Cells sampled during their exponential growth phase were larger and had a more elongated shape under hypoxic conditions, likely mirroring a shift in resource investment towards individual development rather than frequent divisions. In addition to these general patterns, we found evidence for intraspecific variability in movement responses to oxygen limitation. Some strains showed a reduction in swimming speed, potentially associated with a 'sit-and-wait' strategy; however, the frequent alteration of movement paths towards more linear trajectories also suggests the existence of an inducible 'flight response' in this species. Considering the inherent costs of turns associated with non-linear movement, such a strategy may allow ciliates to escape suboptimal environments at a low energetic cost.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor Brans
- Biodiversity Research Centre, Earth and Life InstituteUniversité catholique de LouvainLouvain‐la‐NeuveBelgium
| | - Florent Manzi
- Biodiversity Research Centre, Earth and Life InstituteUniversité catholique de LouvainLouvain‐la‐NeuveBelgium
| | - Staffan Jacob
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)Station d'Ecologie Théorique et Expérimentale (UAR2029)MoulisFrance
| | - Nicolas Schtickzelle
- Biodiversity Research Centre, Earth and Life InstituteUniversité catholique de LouvainLouvain‐la‐NeuveBelgium
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Pan J, Wang Y, Li C, Zhang S, Ye Z, Ni J, Li H, Li Y, Yue H, Ruan C, Zhao D, Jiang Y, Wu X, Shen X, Zufall RA, Zhang Y, Li W, Lynch M, Long H. Molecular basis of phenotypic plasticity in a marine ciliate. THE ISME JOURNAL 2024; 18:wrae136. [PMID: 39018220 PMCID: PMC11308186 DOI: 10.1093/ismejo/wrae136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2024] [Revised: 07/06/2024] [Accepted: 07/16/2024] [Indexed: 07/19/2024]
Abstract
Phenotypic plasticity, which involves phenotypic transformation in the absence of genetic change, may serve as a strategy for organisms to survive in complex and highly fluctuating environments. However, its reaction norm, molecular basis, and evolution remain unclear in most organisms, especially microbial eukaryotes. In this study, we explored these questions by investigating the reaction norm, regulation, and evolution of phenotypic plasticity in the cosmopolitan marine free-living ciliates Glauconema spp., which undergo significant phenotypic changes in response to food shortages. This study led to the de novo assembly of macronuclear genomes using long-read sequencing, identified hundreds of differentially expressed genes associated with phenotypic plasticity in different life stages, validated the function of two of these genes, and revealed that the reaction norm of body shape in response to food density follows a power-law distribution. Purifying selection may be the dominant evolutionary force acting on the genes associated with phenotypic plasticity, and the overall data support the hypothesis that phenotypic plasticity is a trait maintained by natural selection. This study provides novel insight into the developmental genetics of phenotypic plasticity in non-model unicellular eukaryotes and sheds light on the complexity and long evolutionary history of this important survival strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiao Pan
- Key Laboratory of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity (Ministry of Education), Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, Shandong 266003, China
- Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao Marine Science and Technology Center, Qingdao, Shandong 266237, China
| | - Yaohai Wang
- Key Laboratory of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity (Ministry of Education), Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, Shandong 266003, China
| | - Chao Li
- Key Laboratory of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity (Ministry of Education), Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, Shandong 266003, China
| | - Simo Zhang
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, United States
| | - Zhiqiang Ye
- School of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, Hubei 430079, China
| | - Jiahao Ni
- Key Laboratory of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity (Ministry of Education), Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, Shandong 266003, China
| | - Haichao Li
- Key Laboratory of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity (Ministry of Education), Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, Shandong 266003, China
| | - Yichen Li
- Key Laboratory of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity (Ministry of Education), Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, Shandong 266003, China
| | - Hongwei Yue
- Key Laboratory of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity (Ministry of Education), Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, Shandong 266003, China
| | - Chenchen Ruan
- Key Laboratory of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity (Ministry of Education), Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, Shandong 266003, China
| | - Dange Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity (Ministry of Education), Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, Shandong 266003, China
| | - Yujian Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity (Ministry of Education), Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, Shandong 266003, China
| | - Xiaolin Wu
- Key Laboratory of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity (Ministry of Education), Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, Shandong 266003, China
| | - Xiaopeng Shen
- College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, Anhui 241000, China
| | - Rebecca A Zufall
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, United States
| | - Yu Zhang
- School of Mathematics Science, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, Shandong Province 266000, China
| | - Weiyi Li
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, United States
| | - Michael Lynch
- Biodesign Center for Mechanisms of Evolution, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, United States
| | - Hongan Long
- Key Laboratory of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity (Ministry of Education), Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, Shandong 266003, China
- Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao Marine Science and Technology Center, Qingdao, Shandong 266237, China
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Cerini F, O'Brien D, Wolfe E, Besson M, Clements CF. Phenotypic response to different predator strategies can be mediated by temperature. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10474. [PMID: 37664517 PMCID: PMC10468988 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2023] [Revised: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Temperature change affects biological systems in multifaceted ways, including the alteration of species interaction strengths, with implications for the stability of populations and communities. Temperature-dependent changes to antipredatory responses are an emerging mechanism of destabilization and thus there is a need to understand how prey species respond to predation pressures in the face of changing temperatures. Here, using ciliate protozoans, we assess whether temperature can alter the strength of phenotypic antipredator responses in a prey species and whether this relationship depends on the predator's hunting behavior. We exposed populations of the ciliate Paramecium caudatum to either (i) a sit-and-wait generalist predator (Homalozoon vermiculare) or (ii) a specialized active swimmer predator (Didinium nasutum) across two different temperature regimes (15 and 25°C) to quantify the temperature dependence of antipredator responses over a 24-h period. We utilized a novel high-throughput automated robotic monitoring system to track changes in the behavior (swimming speed) and morphology (cell size) of P. caudatum at frequencies and resolutions previously unachievable by manual sampling. The change in swimming speed through the 24 h differed between the two temperatures but was not altered by the presence of the predators. In contrast, P. caudatum showed a substantial temperature-dependent morphological response to the presence of D. nasutum (but not H. vermiculare), changing cell shape toward a more elongated morph at 15°C (but not at 25°C). Our findings suggest that temperature can have strong effects on prey morphological responses to predator presence, but that this response is potentially dependent on the predator's feeding strategy. This suggests that greater consideration of synergistic antipredator behavioral and physiological responses is required in species and communities subject to environmental changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Cerini
- Dipartimento Scienze Ecologiche e BiologicheUniversità della TusciaViterboItaly
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of BristolBristolUK
| | - Duncan O'Brien
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of BristolBristolUK
| | - Ellie Wolfe
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of BristolBristolUK
| | - Marc Besson
- Sorbonne Université CNRS UMR Biologie des Organismes Marins, BIOMBanyuls‐sur‐MerFrance
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Jacob S, Legrand D. Phenotypic plasticity can reverse the relative extent of intra- and interspecific variability across a thermal gradient. Proc Biol Sci 2021; 288:20210428. [PMID: 34187192 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.0428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Intra- and interspecific variability can both ensure ecosystem functions. Generalizing the effects of individual and species assemblages requires understanding how much within and between species trait variation is genetically based or results from phenotypic plasticity. Phenotypic plasticity can indeed lead to rapid and important changes of trait distributions, and in turn community functionality, depending on environmental conditions, which raises a crucial question: could phenotypic plasticity modify the relative importance of intra- and interspecific variability along environmental gradients? We quantified the fundamental niche of five genotypes in monocultures for each of five ciliate species along a wide thermal gradient in standardized conditions to assess the importance of phenotypic plasticity for the level of intraspecific variability compared to differences between species. We showed that phenotypic plasticity strongly influences trait variability and reverses the relative extent of intra- and interspecific variability along the thermal gradient. Our results show that phenotypic plasticity may lead to either increase or decrease of functional trait variability along environmental gradients, making intra- and interspecific variability highly dynamic components of ecological systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Staffan Jacob
- Station d'Ecologie Théorique et Expérimentale du CNRS UAR5321, 2 route du CNRS, 09200, Moulis, France
| | - Delphine Legrand
- Station d'Ecologie Théorique et Expérimentale du CNRS UAR5321, 2 route du CNRS, 09200, Moulis, France
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