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Morgan MB, Williams J, Breeze B, English N, Higdon N, Onthank K, Qualley DF. Synergistic and antagonistic interactions of oxybenzone and ocean acidification: new insight into vulnerable cellular processes in non-calcifying anthozoans. Front Physiol 2024; 14:1332446. [PMID: 38274044 PMCID: PMC10808722 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2023.1332446] [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] [Received: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 12/28/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Cnidarians face significant threats from ocean acidification (OA) and anthropogenic pollutants such as oxybenzone (BP-3). The convergence of threats from multiple stressors is an important area to investigate because of potential significant synergistic or antagonistic interactions. Real-time quantitative PCR was performed to characterize the expression profiles of twenty-two genes of interest (GOI) in sea anemones (Exaiptasia diaphana) exposed to one of four treatments: 1) 96 h of OA conditions followed by a 4 h exposure to 20 ppb BP-3; 2) Exposure to 4 h 20 ppb BP-3 without 96 h of OA; 3) Exposure to 96 h of OA alone; or 4) laboratory conditions with no exposure to BP-3 and/or OA. These 22 GOIs represent cellular processes associated with proton-dependent transport, sodium-dependent transport, metal cation binding/transport, extracellular matrix, amino acid metabolism/transport, immunity, and/or steroidogenesis. These 22 GOIs provide new insight into vulnerable cellular processes in non-calcifying anthozoans exposed to OA and BP-3. Expression profiles were categorized as synergistic, antagonistic, or additive of BP-3 in the presence of OA. Two GOIs were synergistic. Fifteen GOIs were antagonistic and the remaining five GOIs were additive in response to BP-3 in acidified seawater. A subset of these GOIs appear to be candidate biomarkers for future in situ investigations. In human health, proton-dependent monocarboxylate transporters (MCTs) are promising pharmacological targets and recognized as potential biomarkers. By comparison, these same MCTs appear to be targets of xenobiotic chemical pollutants in cnidarian physiology. In the presence of BP-3, a network of collagen synthesis genes are upregulated and antagonistic in their expression profiles. Cytochrome b561 is a critical protein required for collagen synthesis and in silico modeling demonstrates BP-3 binds in the pocket of cytochrome b561. Understanding the underlying molecular mechanisms of "drug-like" compounds such as BP-3 may lead to a more comprehensive interpretation of transcriptional expression profiles. The collective antagonistic responses of GOIs associated with collagen synthesis strongly suggests these GOIs should be considered candidate biomarkers of effect. GOIs with synergistic and additive responses represent candidate biomarkers of exposure. Results show the effects of OA and BP-3 are interactive with respect to their impact on cnidarians. This investigation offers mechanistic data that supports the expression profiles and underpins higher order physiological responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael B. Morgan
- Department of Biology, Berry College, Mount Berry, GA, United States
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Berry College, Mount Berry, GA, United States
| | - Jacob Williams
- Department of Biology, Berry College, Mount Berry, GA, United States
| | - Barrett Breeze
- Department of Biology, Berry College, Mount Berry, GA, United States
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Berry College, Mount Berry, GA, United States
| | - Nicholas English
- Department of Biology, Berry College, Mount Berry, GA, United States
| | - Nathaniel Higdon
- Department of Biology, Berry College, Mount Berry, GA, United States
| | - Kirt Onthank
- Department of Biology, Walla Walla University, College Place, WA, United States
| | - Dominic F. Qualley
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Berry College, Mount Berry, GA, United States
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2
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Young BD, Rosales SM, Enochs IC, Kolodziej G, Formel N, Moura A, D'Alonso GL, Traylor-Knowles N. Different disease inoculations cause common responses of the host immune system and prokaryotic component of the microbiome in Acropora palmata. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0286293. [PMID: 37228141 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0286293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2023] [Accepted: 05/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Reef-building corals contain a complex consortium of organisms, a holobiont, which responds dynamically to disease, making pathogen identification difficult. While coral transcriptomics and microbiome communities have previously been characterized, similarities and differences in their responses to different pathogenic sources has not yet been assessed. In this study, we inoculated four genets of the Caribbean branching coral Acropora palmata with a known coral pathogen (Serratia marcescens) and white band disease. We then characterized the coral's transcriptomic and prokaryotic microbiomes' (prokaryiome) responses to the disease inoculations, as well as how these responses were affected by a short-term heat stress prior to disease inoculation. We found strong commonality in both the transcriptomic and prokaryiomes responses, regardless of disease inoculation. Differences, however, were observed between inoculated corals that either remained healthy or developed active disease signs. Transcriptomic co-expression analysis identified that corals inoculated with disease increased gene expression of immune, wound healing, and fatty acid metabolic processes. Co-abundance analysis of the prokaryiome identified sets of both healthy-and-disease-state bacteria, while co-expression analysis of the prokaryiomes' inferred metagenomic function revealed infected corals' prokaryiomes shifted from free-living to biofilm states, as well as increasing metabolic processes. The short-term heat stress did not increase disease susceptibility for any of the four genets with any of the disease inoculations, and there was only a weak effect captured in the coral hosts' transcriptomic and prokaryiomes response. Genet identity, however, was a major driver of the transcriptomic variance, primarily due to differences in baseline immune gene expression. Despite genotypic differences in baseline gene expression, we have identified a common response for components of the coral holobiont to different disease inoculations. This work has identified genes and prokaryiome members that can be focused on for future coral disease work, specifically, putative disease diagnostic tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin D Young
- Department of Marine Biology and Ecology, Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric and Earth Science, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, United States of America
- Cooperative Institute of Marine and Atmospheric Science, Rosenstiel School of Marine Atmospheric, and Earth Science, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, United States of America
- Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Miami, Florida, United States of America
| | - Stephanie M Rosales
- Cooperative Institute of Marine and Atmospheric Science, Rosenstiel School of Marine Atmospheric, and Earth Science, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, United States of America
- Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Miami, Florida, United States of America
| | - Ian C Enochs
- Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Miami, Florida, United States of America
| | - Graham Kolodziej
- Cooperative Institute of Marine and Atmospheric Science, Rosenstiel School of Marine Atmospheric, and Earth Science, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, United States of America
- Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Miami, Florida, United States of America
| | - Nathan Formel
- Biology Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Amelia Moura
- Coral Restoration Foundation, Tavernier, Florida, United States of America
| | | | - Nikki Traylor-Knowles
- Department of Marine Biology and Ecology, Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric and Earth Science, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, United States of America
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3
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Morgan MB, Ross J, Ellwanger J, Phrommala RM, Youngblood H, Qualley D, Williams J. Sea Anemones Responding to Sex Hormones, Oxybenzone, and Benzyl Butyl Phthalate: Transcriptional Profiling and in Silico Modelling Provide Clues to Decipher Endocrine Disruption in Cnidarians. Front Genet 2022; 12:793306. [PMID: 35087572 PMCID: PMC8787064 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.793306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2021] [Accepted: 12/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Endocrine disruption is suspected in cnidarians, but questions remain how occurs. Steroid sex hormones are detected in corals and sea anemones even though these animals do not have estrogen receptors and their repertoire of steroidogenic enzymes appears to be incomplete. Pathways associated with sex hormone biosynthesis and sterol signaling are an understudied area in cnidarian biology. The objective of this study was to identify a suite of genes that can be linked to exposure of endocrine disruptors. Exaiptasia diaphana were exposed to nominal 20ppb concentrations of estradiol (E2), testosterone (T), cholesterol, oxybenzone (BP-3), or benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP) for 4 h. Eleven genes of interest (GOIs) were chosen from a previously generated EST library. The GOIs are 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases type 14 (17β HSD14) and type 12 (17β HSD12), Niemann-Pick C type 2 (NPC2), Equistatin (EI), Complement component C3 (C3), Cathepsin L (CTSL), Patched domain-containing protein 3 (PTCH3), Smoothened (SMO), Desert Hedgehog (DHH), Zinc finger protein GLI2 (GLI2), and Vitellogenin (VTG). These GOIs were selected because of functional associations with steroid hormone biosynthesis; cholesterol binding/transport; immunity; phagocytosis; or Hedgehog signaling. Quantitative Real-Time PCR quantified expression of GOIs. In silico modelling utilized protein structures from Protein Data Bank as well as creating protein structures with SWISS-MODEL. Results show transcription of steroidogenic enzymes, and cholesterol binding/transport proteins have similar transcription profiles for E2, T, and cholesterol treatments, but different profiles when BP-3 or BBP is present. C3 expression can differentiate between exposures to BP-3 versus BBP as well as exposure to cholesterol versus sex hormones. In silico modelling revealed all ligands (E2, T, cholesterol, BBP, and BP-3) have favorable binding affinities with 17β HSD14, 17β HSD12, NPC2, SMO, and PTCH proteins. VTG expression was down-regulated in the sterol treatments but up-regulated in BP-3 and BBP treatments. In summary, these eleven GOIs collectively generate unique transcriptional profiles capable of discriminating between the five chemical exposures used in this investigation. This suite of GOIs are candidate biomarkers for detecting transcriptional changes in steroidogenesis, gametogenesis, sterol transport, and Hedgehog signaling. Detection of disruptions in these pathways offers new insight into endocrine disruption in cnidarians.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael B Morgan
- Department of Biology, Berry College, Mount Berry, GA, United States.,Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Berry College, Mount Berry, GA, United States
| | - James Ross
- Department of Biology, Berry College, Mount Berry, GA, United States.,Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Berry College, Mount Berry, GA, United States.,Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory Vaccine Center, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Joseph Ellwanger
- Department of Biology, Berry College, Mount Berry, GA, United States
| | | | - Hannah Youngblood
- Department of Biology, Berry College, Mount Berry, GA, United States.,Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Berry College, Mount Berry, GA, United States.,Department of Cellular Biology and Anatomy, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, United States
| | - Dominic Qualley
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Berry College, Mount Berry, GA, United States
| | - Jacob Williams
- Department of Biology, Berry College, Mount Berry, GA, United States
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Thome PE, Rivera-Ortega J, Rodríguez-Villalobos JC, Cerqueda-García D, Guzmán-Urieta EO, García-Maldonado JQ, Carabantes N, Jordán-Dahlgren E. Local dynamics of a white syndrome outbreak and changes in the microbial community associated with colonies of the scleractinian brain coral Pseudodiploria strigosa. PeerJ 2021; 9:e10695. [PMID: 33604172 PMCID: PMC7863780 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.10695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2020] [Accepted: 12/12/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Reef corals in the Mexican Reef System have been severely affected by the emergence of a white syndrome that resembles both White Plague II and SCTLD descriptions. Meandroid scleractinian coral species are among the most severely affected. To gain insight into this affliction we conducted a broad study in the brain coral Pseudodiploria strigosa at a rear reef site in the NE Mexican Caribbean. We describe macro and microscopical signals of the disease, characterize the outbreak dynamics, the tissue histopathology, explore immunological responses in the individuals, and compare microbial assemblages associated with the surface mucus layer of healthy and unhealthy colonies. At the study site, the white syndrome outbreak on P. strigosa showed a high incidence rate in summer-fall and a low one in winter, as well as low survival expectation of diseased colonies at the end of the study. After 306 days of observation, out of 96 tracked colonies, eight remained apparently healthy and seven were diseased. No effective resistance to colony disease progression was observed once white syndrome signs developed. Tissue loss rate during the study varied among colonies (mean = 10.8 cm2, s.d. = 7.8 cm2) suggesting a complex relation between causal agents and colony resistance. The deterioration of tissues was evidenced from the basal to the surface body wall of polyps (up to 66% hypertrophy and liquefactive necrosis in unhealthy colonies), implying that microscopic alterations begin before macroscopic signals develop, suggesting this may be a systemic disease. We measured high levels of phenoloxidase (two orders of magnitude higher PO activity than P. strigosa affected by BBD) and antibacterial activity without significant reduction in unhealthy samples from the mucus layer, indicative of an enhanced immunological response. Results showed that opportunistic bacteria dominated damaged colonies, where six genera of the Bacteroidia class were found with significant changes in unhealthy colonies after DeSeq2 analysis. Nevertheless, histological observations did not support infection of the tissues. The opportunistic overload seems to be contained within the mucus layer but may be associated with the mortality of tissues in a yet unclear way. Future research should focus on experimental infections, the tracking of natural infections, and the immunocompetence of corals in the face of environmental pressures due to local, regional, and global impacts. If environmental deterioration is the primary cause of the continuing emergence and re-emergence of lethal coral diseases, as has been proposed by many authors, the only true option to effectively help preserve the coral reef biodiversity and services, is to restore the environmental quality of reef waters at the local scale and reduce greenhouse gases at the global scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia E Thome
- Instituto de Ciencias Del Mar y Limnología, Unidad Académica de Sistemas Arrecifales, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Puerto Morelos, Quintana Roo, Mexico
| | - Jacqueline Rivera-Ortega
- Instituto de Ciencias Del Mar y Limnología, Unidad Académica de Sistemas Arrecifales, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Puerto Morelos, Quintana Roo, Mexico
| | - Jenny C Rodríguez-Villalobos
- Departamento de Ciencias Marinas y Costeras, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California Sur, La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico.,Ecosistemas y Conservación, ProAzul Terrestre A.C., La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico
| | - Daniel Cerqueda-García
- Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN, Unidad Mérida, Departamento de Recursos del Mar, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico
| | - Edgar O Guzmán-Urieta
- Instituto de Ciencias Del Mar y Limnología, Unidad Académica de Sistemas Arrecifales, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Puerto Morelos, Quintana Roo, Mexico
| | - José Q García-Maldonado
- CONACyT, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN, Unidad Mérida, Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico
| | - Natalia Carabantes
- Instituto de Ciencias Del Mar y Limnología, Unidad Académica de Sistemas Arrecifales, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Puerto Morelos, Quintana Roo, Mexico
| | - Eric Jordán-Dahlgren
- Instituto de Ciencias Del Mar y Limnología, Unidad Académica de Sistemas Arrecifales, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Puerto Morelos, Quintana Roo, Mexico
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5
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Tracy AM, Weil E, Burge CA. Ecological Factors Mediate Immunity and Parasitic Co-Infection in Sea Fan Octocorals. Front Immunol 2021; 11:608066. [PMID: 33505396 PMCID: PMC7829190 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.608066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2020] [Accepted: 11/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The interplay among environment, demography, and host-parasite interactions is a challenging frontier. In the ocean, fundamental changes are occurring due to anthropogenic pressures, including increased disease outbreaks on coral reefs. These outbreaks include multiple parasites, calling into question how host immunity functions in this complex milieu. Our work investigates the interplay of factors influencing co-infection in the Caribbean sea fan octocoral, Gorgonia ventalina, using metrics of the innate immune response: cellular immunity and expression of candidate immune genes. We used existing copepod infections and live pathogen inoculation with the Aspergillus sydowii fungus, detecting increased expression of the immune recognition gene Tachylectin 5A (T5A) in response to both parasites. Cellular immunity increased by 8.16% in copepod infections compared to controls and single Aspergillus infections. We also detected activation of cellular immunity in reef populations, with a 13.6% increase during copepod infections. Cellular immunity was similar in the field and in the lab, increasing with copepod infections and not the fungus. Amoebocyte density and the expression of T5A and a matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) gene were also positively correlated across all treatments and colonies, irrespective of parasitic infection. We then assessed the scaling of immune metrics to population-level disease patterns and found random co-occurrence of copepods and fungus across 15 reefs in Puerto Rico. The results suggest immune activation by parasites may not alter parasite co-occurrence if factors other than immunity prevail in structuring parasite infection. We assessed non-immune factors in the field and found that sea fan colony size predicted infection by the copepod parasite. Moreover, the effect of infection on immunity was small relative to that of site differences and live coral cover, and similar to the effect of reproductive status. While additional immune data would shed light on the extent of this pattern, ecological factors may play a larger role than immunity in controlling parasite patterns in the wild. Parsing the effects of immunity and ecological factors in octocoral co-infection shows how disease depends on more than one host and one parasite and explores the application of co-infection research to a colonial marine organism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allison M. Tracy
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
| | - Ernesto Weil
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez, PR, United States
| | - Colleen A. Burge
- Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD, United States
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6
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Young BD, Serrano XM, Rosales SM, Miller MW, Williams D, Traylor-Knowles N. Innate immune gene expression in Acropora palmata is consistent despite variance in yearly disease events. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0228514. [PMID: 33091033 PMCID: PMC7580945 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0228514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2020] [Accepted: 09/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Coral disease outbreaks are expected to increase in prevalence, frequency and severity due to climate change and other anthropogenic stressors. This is especially worrying for the Caribbean branching coral Acropora palmata which has already seen an 80% decrease in cover primarily due to disease. Despite the importance of this keystone species, there has yet to be a characterization of its transcriptomic response to disease exposure. In this study we provide the first transcriptomic analysis of 12 A. palmata genotypes and their symbiont Symbiodiniaceae exposed to disease in 2016 and 2017. Year was the primary driver of gene expression variance for A. palmata and the Symbiodiniaceae. We hypothesize that lower expression of ribosomal genes in the coral, and higher expression of transmembrane ion transport genes in the Symbiodiniaceae indicate that a compensation or dysbiosis may be occurring between host and symbiont. Disease response was the second driver of gene expression variance for A. palmata and included a core set of 422 genes that were significantly differentially expressed. Of these, 2 genes (a predicted cyclin-dependent kinase 11b and aspartate 1-decarboxylase) showed negative Log2 fold changes in corals showing transmission of disease, and positive Log2 fold changes in corals showing no transmission of disease, indicating that these may be important in disease resistance. Co-expression analysis identified two modules positively correlated to disease exposure, one enriched for lipid biosynthesis genes, and the other enriched in innate immune genes. The hub gene in the immune module was identified as D-amino acid oxidase, a gene implicated in phagocytosis and microbiome homeostasis. The role of D-amino acid oxidase in coral immunity has not been characterized but could be an important enzyme for responding to disease. Our results indicate that A. palmata mounts a core immune response to disease exposure despite differences in the disease type and virulence between 2016 and 2017. These identified genes may be important for future biomarker development in this Caribbean keystone species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin D. Young
- Department of Marine Biology and Ecology, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, Miami, FL, United States of America
| | - Xaymara M. Serrano
- Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory, National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, Miami, Florida, United States of America
- Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, United States of America
| | - Stephanie M. Rosales
- Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, United States of America
| | - Margaret W. Miller
- Southeast Fisheries Science Center, NOAA-National Marine Fisheries Service, Miami, FL, United States of America
- SECORE International, Miami, FL, United States of America
| | - Dana Williams
- Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, United States of America
- Southeast Fisheries Science Center, NOAA-National Marine Fisheries Service, Miami, FL, United States of America
| | - Nikki Traylor-Knowles
- Department of Marine Biology and Ecology, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, Miami, FL, United States of America
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7
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Heger P, Zheng W, Rottmann A, Panfilio KA, Wiehe T. The genetic factors of bilaterian evolution. eLife 2020; 9:e45530. [PMID: 32672535 PMCID: PMC7535936 DOI: 10.7554/elife.45530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2019] [Accepted: 07/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The Cambrian explosion was a unique animal radiation ~540 million years ago that produced the full range of body plans across bilaterians. The genetic mechanisms underlying these events are unknown, leaving a fundamental question in evolutionary biology unanswered. Using large-scale comparative genomics and advanced orthology evaluation techniques, we identified 157 bilaterian-specific genes. They include the entire Nodal pathway, a key regulator of mesoderm development and left-right axis specification; components for nervous system development, including a suite of G-protein-coupled receptors that control physiology and behaviour, the Robo-Slit midline repulsion system, and the neurotrophin signalling system; a high number of zinc finger transcription factors; and novel factors that previously escaped attention. Contradicting the current view, our study reveals that genes with bilaterian origin are robustly associated with key features in extant bilaterians, suggesting a causal relationship.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Heger
- Institute for Genetics, Cologne Biocenter, University of CologneCologneGermany
| | - Wen Zheng
- Institute for Genetics, Cologne Biocenter, University of CologneCologneGermany
| | - Anna Rottmann
- Institute for Genetics, Cologne Biocenter, University of CologneCologneGermany
| | - Kristen A Panfilio
- Institute for Zoology: Developmental Biology, Cologne Biocenter, University of CologneCologneGermany
- School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Gibbet Hill CampusCoventryUnited Kingdom
| | - Thomas Wiehe
- Institute for Genetics, Cologne Biocenter, University of CologneCologneGermany
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8
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Weis VM. Cell Biology of Coral Symbiosis: Foundational Study Can Inform Solutions to the Coral Reef Crisis. Integr Comp Biol 2019; 59:845-855. [DOI: 10.1093/icb/icz067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Coral reefs are faced with almost complete destruction by the end of the century due to global warming unless humanity can cap global temperature rise. There is now a race to develop a diverse set of solutions to save coral reefs. In this perspective, a case is made for understanding the cell biology of coral–dinoflagellate symbiosis to help inform development of solutions for saving reefs. Laboratory model systems for the study of coral symbiosis, including the sea anemone Exaiptasia pallida, are featured as valuable tools in the fight to save corals. The roles of host innate immunity and inter-partner nutrient dynamics in the onset, ongoing maintenance, and dysregulation of symbiosis are reviewed and discussed. Key innate immune genes and pathways, such as glycan–lectin interactions, the sphingosine rheostat, and the cytokine transforming growth factor beta are shown to modulate a host immune response in the symbiotic state. An upset in the homeostatic inorganic nutrient balance during heat stress and high exogenous nutrient availability is credited with driving the partnership toward dysregulation and coral bleaching. Specific examples are given where knowledge of the cell biology of symbiosis is informing the development of solutions, including studies showing clear limitations in the value of partner switching and acclimatization protocols. Finally, emphasis is placed on rapid advancement of knowledge to try to meet the urgent need for solutions. This includes real-time open communication with colleagues on successes and failures, sharing of resources and information, and working together in the spirit of a collective mission to save coral reefs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Virginia M Weis
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
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9
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Mansfield KM, Gilmore TD. Innate immunity and cnidarian-Symbiodiniaceae mutualism. DEVELOPMENTAL AND COMPARATIVE IMMUNOLOGY 2019; 90:199-209. [PMID: 30268783 DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2018.09.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2018] [Revised: 09/25/2018] [Accepted: 09/26/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The phylum Cnidaria (sea anemones, corals, hydra, jellyfish) is one the most distantly related animal phyla to humans, and yet cnidarians harbor many of the same cellular pathways involved in innate immunity in mammals. In addition to its role in pathogen recognition, the innate immune system has a role in managing beneficial microbes and supporting mutualistic microbial symbioses. Some corals and sea anemones undergo mutualistic symbioses with photosynthetic algae in the family Symbiodiniaceae. These symbioses can be disrupted by anthropogenic disturbances of ocean environments, which can have devastating consequences for the health of coral reef ecosystems. Several studies of cnidarian-Symbiodiniaceae symbiosis have implicated proteins in the host immune system as playing a role in both symbiont tolerance and loss of symbiosis (i.e., bleaching). In this review, we critically evaluate current knowledge about the role of host immunity in the regulation of symbiosis in cnidarians.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Thomas D Gilmore
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.
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10
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Noreña – P A, González Muñoz A, Mosquera-Rendón J, Botero K, Cristancho MA. Colombia, an unknown genetic diversity in the era of Big Data. BMC Genomics 2018; 19:859. [PMID: 30537922 PMCID: PMC6288850 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-018-5194-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Latin America harbors some of the most biodiverse countries in the world, including Colombia. Despite the increasing use of cutting-edge technologies in genomics and bioinformatics in several biological science fields around the world, the region has fallen behind in the inclusion of these approaches in biodiversity studies. In this study, we used data mining methods to search in four main public databases of genetic sequences such as: NCBI Nucleotide and BioProject, Pathosystems Resource Integration Center, and Barcode of Life Data Systems databases. We aimed to determine how much of the Colombian biodiversity is contained in genetic data stored in these public databases and how much of this information has been generated by national institutions. Additionally, we compared this data for Colombia with other countries of high biodiversity in Latin America, such as Brazil, Argentina, Costa Rica, Mexico, and Peru. RESULTS In Nucleotide, we found that 66.84% of total records for Colombia have been published at the national level, and this data represents less than 5% of the total number of species reported for the country. In BioProject, 70.46% of records were generated by national institutions and the great majority of them is represented by microorganisms. In BOLD Systems, 26% of records have been submitted by national institutions, representing 258 species for Colombia. This number of species reported for Colombia span approximately 0.46% of the total biodiversity reported for the country (56,343 species). Finally, in PATRIC database, 13.25% of the reported sequences were contributed by national institutions. Colombia has a better biodiversity representation in public databases in comparison to other Latin American countries, like Costa Rica and Peru. Mexico and Argentina have the highest representation of species at the national level, despite Brazil and Colombia, which actually hold the first and second places in biodiversity worldwide. CONCLUSIONS Our findings show gaps in the representation of the Colombian biodiversity at the molecular and genetic levels in widely consulted public databases. National funding for high-throughput molecular research, NGS technologies costs, and access to genetic resources are limiting factors. This fact should be taken as an opportunity to foster the development of collaborative projects between research groups in the Latin American region to study the vast biodiversity of these countries using 'omics' technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandra Noreña – P
- Bioinformatics Unit, Centro de Bioinformática y Biología Computacional de Colombia– BIOS, Manizales, Colombia
| | - Andrea González Muñoz
- Bioinformatics Unit, Centro de Bioinformática y Biología Computacional de Colombia– BIOS, Manizales, Colombia
| | - Jeanneth Mosquera-Rendón
- Bioinformatics Unit, Centro de Bioinformática y Biología Computacional de Colombia– BIOS, Manizales, Colombia
| | - Kelly Botero
- Bioinformatics Unit, Centro de Bioinformática y Biología Computacional de Colombia– BIOS, Manizales, Colombia
| | - Marco A. Cristancho
- Bioinformatics Unit, Centro de Bioinformática y Biología Computacional de Colombia– BIOS, Manizales, Colombia
- Vicerrectoría de Investigaciones, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia
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11
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Zárate-Potes A, Ocampo ID, Cadavid LF. The putative immune recognition repertoire of the model cnidarian Hydractinia symbiolongicarpus is large and diverse. Gene 2018; 684:104-117. [PMID: 30393111 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2018.10.068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2018] [Revised: 10/05/2018] [Accepted: 10/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Immune recognition of molecular patterns from microorganisms or self-altered cells activate effector responses that neutralize and eliminate these potentially harmful agents. In virtually every metazoan group the process is carried out by pattern recognition receptors, typically constituted by immunoglobulin (Ig), leucine rich repeat (LRR), and/or lectin domains. In order to get insights into the ancestral immune recognition repertoire of animals, we have sequenced the transcriptome of bacterially challenged colonies of the model cnidarian Hydractinia symbiolongicarpus using the Illumina platform. Over 116,000 assembled contigs were annotated by sequence similarity, domain architecture, and functionally. From these, a subset of 315 unique transcripts was predicted as the putative immune recognition repertoire of H. symbiolongicarpus. Interestingly, canonical Toll-like receptors (TLR) were not predicted, nor any transmembrane protein with the Toll/interleukine-1 receptor (TIR) domain. Yet, a variety of predicted proteins with transmembrane domains associated with LRR ectodomains were identified, as well as homologs of the key transduction factor NF-kB, and its associated regulatory proteins. This also has been documented in Hydra, and suggests that recognition and signaling initiation has been decoupled in the TLR system of hydrozoans. In contrast, both canonical and non-canonical NOD-like receptors were identified in H. symbiolongicarpus, showing a higher diversity than the TLR system and perhaps a wider functional landscape. The collection of Ig-like containing putative immune recognition molecules was diverse, and included at least 26 unique membrane-bound predicted proteins and 88 cytoplasmic/secreted predicted molecules. In addition, 25 and 5 transcripts encoding the Ig-like containing allorecognition determinants ALR1 and ALR2, respectively, were identified. Sequence and phylogenetic analyses suggested the presence of various transcriptionally active alr loci, and the action of recombination-based mechanisms diversifying them. Transcripts encoding at least six lectin families with putative roles in immune recognition were found, including 19 unique C-type lectins and 21 unique rhamnose-binding lectins. Other predicted immune recognition receptors included scavenger receptors from three families, lipopolysaccharide-binding proteins, cell-adhesion molecules and thioester-bond containing proteins. This analysis demonstrated that the putative immune recognition repertoire of H. symbiolongicarpus is large and diverse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandra Zárate-Potes
- Departamento de Biología, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Cr. 30 # 45-08, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Iván D Ocampo
- Departamento de Biología, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Cr. 30 # 45-08, Bogotá, Colombia; Facultad de Ciencias Básicas, Universidad Santiago de Cali, Calle 5 # 62-00, Cali, Colombia
| | - Luis F Cadavid
- Instituto of Genética, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Cr. 30 # 45-08, Bogotá, Colombia.
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12
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Deciphering the nature of the coral-Chromera association. ISME JOURNAL 2018; 12:776-790. [PMID: 29321691 PMCID: PMC5864212 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-017-0005-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2017] [Revised: 08/22/2017] [Accepted: 10/10/2017] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Since the discovery of Chromera velia as a novel coral-associated microalga, this organism has attracted interest because of its unique evolutionary position between the photosynthetic dinoflagellates and the parasitic apicomplexans. The nature of the relationship between Chromera and its coral host is controversial. Is it a mutualism, from which both participants benefit, a parasitic relationship, or a chance association? To better understand the interaction, larvae of the common Indo-Pacific reef-building coral Acropora digitifera were experimentally infected with Chromera, and the impact on the host transcriptome was assessed at 4, 12, and 48 h post-infection using Illumina RNA-Seq technology. The transcriptomic response of the coral to Chromera was complex and implies that host immunity is strongly suppressed, and both phagosome maturation and the apoptotic machinery is modified. These responses differ markedly from those described for infection with a competent strain of the coral mutualist Symbiodinium, instead resembling those of vertebrate hosts to parasites and/or pathogens such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Consistent with ecological studies suggesting that the association may be accidental, the transcriptional response of A. digitifera larvae leads us to conclude that Chromera could be a coral parasite, commensal, or accidental bystander, but certainly not a beneficial mutualist.
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13
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Fuess LE, Pinzόn C JH, Weil E, Mydlarz LD. Associations between transcriptional changes and protein phenotypes provide insights into immune regulation in corals. DEVELOPMENTAL AND COMPARATIVE IMMUNOLOGY 2016; 62:17-28. [PMID: 27109903 DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2016.04.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2016] [Revised: 04/18/2016] [Accepted: 04/19/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Disease outbreaks in marine ecosystems have driven worldwide declines of numerous taxa, including corals. Some corals, such as Orbicella faveolata, are particularly susceptible to disease. To explore the mechanisms contributing to susceptibility, colonies of O. faveolata were exposed to immune challenge with lipopolysaccharides. RNA sequencing and protein activity assays were used to characterize the response of corals to immune challenge. Differential expression analyses identified 17 immune-related transcripts that varied in expression post-immune challenge. Network analyses revealed several groups of transcripts correlated to immune protein activity. Several transcripts, which were annotated as positive regulators of immunity were included in these groups, and some were downregulated following immune challenge. Correlations between expression of these transcripts and protein activity results further supported the role of these transcripts in positive regulation of immunity. The observed pattern of gene expression and protein activity may elucidate the processes contributing to the disease susceptibility of species like O. faveolata.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren E Fuess
- Department of Biology, University of Texas Arlington, Arlington, TX, USA
| | - Jorge H Pinzόn C
- Department of Biology, University of Texas Arlington, Arlington, TX, USA
| | - Ernesto Weil
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez, PR, USA
| | - Laura D Mydlarz
- Department of Biology, University of Texas Arlington, Arlington, TX, USA.
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14
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Poole AZ, Kitchen SA, Weis VM. The Role of Complement in Cnidarian-Dinoflagellate Symbiosis and Immune Challenge in the Sea Anemone Aiptasia pallida. Front Microbiol 2016; 7:519. [PMID: 27148208 PMCID: PMC4840205 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2016.00519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2015] [Accepted: 03/29/2016] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The complement system is an innate immune pathway that in vertebrates, is responsible for initial recognition and ultimately phagocytosis and destruction of microbes. Several complement molecules including C3, Factor B, and mannose binding lectin associated serine proteases (MASP) have been characterized in invertebrates and while most studies have focused on their conserved role in defense against pathogens, little is known about their role in managing beneficial microbes. The purpose of this study was to (1) characterize complement pathway genes in the symbiotic sea anemone Aiptasia pallida, (2) investigate the evolution of complement genes in invertebrates, and (3) examine the potential dual role of complement genes Factor B and MASP in the onset and maintenance of cnidarian-dinoflagellate symbiosis and immune challenge using qPCR based studies. The results demonstrate that A. pallida has multiple Factor B genes (Ap_Bf-1, Ap_Bf-2a, and Ap_Bf-2b) and one MASP gene (Ap_MASP). Phylogenetic analysis indicates that the evolutionary history of complement genes is complex, and there have been many gene duplications or gene loss events, even within members of the same phylum. Gene expression analyses revealed a potential role for complement in both onset and maintenance of cnidarian-dinoflagellate symbiosis and immune challenge. Specifically, Ap_Bf-1 and Ap_MASP are significantly upregulated in the light at the onset of symbiosis and in response to challenge with the pathogen Serratia marcescens suggesting that they play a role in the initial recognition of both beneficial and harmful microbes. Ap_Bf-2b in contrast, was generally downregulated during the onset and maintenance of symbiosis and in response to challenge with S. marcescens. Therefore, the exact role of Ap_Bf-2b in response to microbes remains unclear, but the results suggest that the presence of microbes leads to repressed expression. Together, these results indicate functional divergence between Ap_Bf-1 and Ap_Bf-2b, and that Ap_Bf-1 and Ap_MASP may be functioning together in an ancestral hybrid of the lectin and alternative complement pathways. Overall, this study provides information on the role of the complement system in a basal metazoan and its role in host-microbe interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela Z Poole
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oregon State UniversityCorvallis, OR, USA; Department of Biology, Western Oregon UniverstiyMonmouth, OR, USA
| | - Sheila A Kitchen
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oregon State University Corvallis, OR, USA
| | - Virginia M Weis
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oregon State University Corvallis, OR, USA
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15
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Anderson DA, Walz ME, Weil E, Tonellato P, Smith MC. RNA-Seq of the Caribbean reef-building coral Orbicella faveolata (Scleractinia-Merulinidae) under bleaching and disease stress expands models of coral innate immunity. PeerJ 2016; 4:e1616. [PMID: 26925311 PMCID: PMC4768675 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.1616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2015] [Accepted: 01/01/2016] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Climate change-driven coral disease outbreaks have led to widespread declines in coral populations. Early work on coral genomics established that corals have a complex innate immune system, and whole-transcriptome gene expression studies have revealed mechanisms by which the coral immune system responds to stress and disease. The present investigation expands bioinformatic data available to study coral molecular physiology through the assembly and annotation of a reference transcriptome of the Caribbean reef-building coral, Orbicella faveolata. Samples were collected during a warm water thermal anomaly, coral bleaching event and Caribbean yellow band disease outbreak in 2010 in Puerto Rico. Multiplex sequencing of RNA on the Illumina GAIIx platform and de novo transcriptome assembly by Trinity produced 70,745,177 raw short-sequence reads and 32,463 O. faveolata transcripts, respectively. The reference transcriptome was annotated with gene ontologies, mapped to KEGG pathways, and a predicted proteome of 20,488 sequences was generated. Protein families and signaling pathways that are essential in the regulation of innate immunity across Phyla were investigated in-depth. Results were used to develop models of evolutionarily conserved Wnt, Notch, Rig-like receptor, Nod-like receptor, and Dicer signaling. O. faveolata is a coral species that has been studied widely under climate-driven stress and disease, and the present investigation provides new data on the genes that putatively regulate its immune system.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A Anderson
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America; Department of Marine Sciences, University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, United States of America
| | - Marcus E Walz
- Joseph J. Zilber School of Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee , Milwaukee, Wisconsin , United States of America
| | - Ernesto Weil
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez , Mayagüez, Puerto Rico , United States of America
| | - Peter Tonellato
- Joseph J. Zilber School of Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States of America; Department of Biomedical Informatics, Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Matthew C Smith
- School of Freshwater Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee , Milwaukee, Wisconsin , United States of America
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16
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Morgan M, Goodner K, Ross J, Poole AZ, Stepp E, Stuart CH, Wilbanks C, Weil E. Development and application of molecular biomarkers for characterizing Caribbean Yellow Band Disease in Orbicella faveolata. PeerJ 2015; 3:e1371. [PMID: 26557440 PMCID: PMC4636412 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.1371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2015] [Accepted: 10/13/2015] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Molecular stress responses associated with coral diseases represent an under-studied area of cnidarian transcriptome investigations. Caribbean Yellow Band Disease (CYBD) is considered a disease of Symbiodinium within the tissues of the coral host Orbicella faveolata. There is a paucity of diagnostic tools to assist in the early detection and characterization of coral diseases. The validity of a diagnostic test is determined by its ability to distinguish host organisms that have the disease from those that do not. The ability to detect and identify disease-affected tissue before visible signs of the disease are evident would then be a useful diagnostic tool for monitoring and managing disease outbreaks. Representational Difference Analysis (RDA) was utilized to isolate differentially expressed genes in O. faveolata exhibiting CYBD. Preliminary screening of RDA products identified a small number of genes of interest (GOI) which included an early growth response factor and ubiquitin ligase from the coral host as well as cytochrome oxidase from the algal symbiont. To further characterize the specificity of response, quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) was utilized to compare the expression profiles of these GOIs within diseased tissues (visible lesions), tissues that precede visible lesions by 2–4 cm (transition area), and tissues from healthy-looking colonies with no signs of disease. Results show there are distinctive differences in the expression profiles of these three GOIs within each tissue examined. Collectively, this small suite of GOIs can provide a molecular “finger print” which is capable of differentiating between infected and uninfected colonies on reefs where CYBD is known to occur.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Morgan
- Department of Biology, Berry College , Mount Berry, GA , United States
| | - Kylia Goodner
- Department of Genetics, Yale University , New Haven, CT , United States
| | - James Ross
- Department of Biology, Berry College , Mount Berry, GA , United States
| | - Angela Z Poole
- Department of Biology, Western Oregon University , Monmouth, OR , United States
| | - Elizabeth Stepp
- The Medical College of Georgia, Georgia Regents University , Augusta, GA , United States
| | - Christopher H Stuart
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine , Winston-Salem, NC , United States
| | - Cydney Wilbanks
- Department of Biology, Berry College , Mount Berry, GA , United States
| | - Ernesto Weil
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of Puerto Rico , Lajas, Puerto Rico , United States
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