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Smith LC. The marine sponge, Hymeniacidon sinapium, displays allorecognition of siblings during post-larval settling and metamorphosis to juveniles. DEVELOPMENTAL AND COMPARATIVE IMMUNOLOGY 2024; 157:105179. [PMID: 38614378 DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2024.105179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2024] [Revised: 04/08/2024] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/15/2024]
Abstract
Marine sponges, including the crumb of bread sponge, Hymeniacidon sinapium, display allorejection responses to contact with conspecifics in both experimental and natural settings. These responses have been used to infer immunocompetence in a variety of marine invertebrates. However, larvae and juveniles from several marine sponge species fuse and form chimeras. Some of these chimeras persist, whereas others eventually break down, revealing a period of allogeneic non-responsiveness that varies depending on the species. Alternatively, for H. sinapium, most pairs of sibling post-larvae and juveniles that settle in contact initiate immediate allorecognition and show the same morphological response progression as the adults. This indicates that allorecognition and response occurs during early metamorphosis. Results from H. sinapium and other sponge species, in addition to annotations of sponge genomes, suggest that allorecognition and immunocompetence in sponges are mediated by distinct systems and may become functional at different times during or after metamorphosis for different species. Consequently, allorecognition may not be a good proxy for the onset of immunocompetence.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Courtney Smith
- The Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California at Los Angeles, 609 Charles E Young Drive E, Los Angeles, CA, 90024, USA; The Department of Biological Sciences, George Washington University, Suite 6000, 800 22nd St NW, Washington, DC, 20052, USA.
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2
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Marulanda-Gomez AM, Ribes M, Franzenburg S, Hentschel U, Pita L. Transcriptomic responses of Mediterranean sponges upon encounter with symbiont microbial consortia. BMC Genomics 2024; 25:674. [PMID: 38972970 PMCID: PMC11229196 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-024-10548-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2024] [Accepted: 06/21/2024] [Indexed: 07/09/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sponges (phylum Porifera) constantly interact with microbes. They graze on microbes from the water column by filter-feeding and they harbor symbiotic partners within their bodies. In experimental setups, sponges take up symbionts at lower rates compared with seawater microbes. This suggests that sponges have the capacity to differentiate between microbes and preferentially graze in non-symbiotic microbes, although the underlying mechanisms of discrimination are still poorly understood. Genomic studies showed that, compared to other animal groups, sponges present an extended repertoire of immune receptors, in particular NLRs, SRCRs, and GPCRs, and a handful of experiments showed that sponges regulate the expression of these receptors upon encounter with microbial elicitors. We hypothesize that sponges may rely on differential expression of their diverse repertoire of poriferan immune receptors to sense different microbial consortia while filter-feeding. To test this, we characterized the transcriptomic response of two sponge species, Aplysina aerophoba and Dysidea avara, upon incubation with microbial consortia extracted from A. aerophoba in comparison with incubation with seawater microbes. The sponges were sampled after 1 h, 3 h, and 5 h for RNA-Seq differential gene expression analysis. RESULTS D. avara incubated with A. aerophoba-symbionts regulated the expression of genes related to immunity, ubiquitination, and signaling. Within the set of differentially-expressed immune genes we identified different families of Nucleotide Oligomerization Domain (NOD)-Like Receptors (NLRs). These results represent the first experimental evidence that different types of NLRs are involved in microbial discrimination in a sponge. In contrast, the transcriptomic response of A. aerophoba to its own symbionts involved comparatively fewer genes and lacked genes encoding for immune receptors. CONCLUSION Our work suggests that: (i) the transcriptomic response of sponges upon microbial exposure may imply "fine-tuning" of baseline gene expression as a result of their interaction with microbes, (ii) the differential response of sponges to microbial encounters varied between the species, probably due to species-specific characteristics or related to host's traits, and (iii) immune receptors belonging to different families of NLR-like genes played a role in the differential response to microbes, whether symbionts or food bacteria. The regulation of these receptors in sponges provides further evidence of the potential role of NLRs in invertebrate host-microbe interactions. The study of sponge responses to microbes exemplifies how investigating different animal groups broadens our knowledge of the evolution of immune specificity and symbiosis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Marta Ribes
- Institut de Ciències del Mar, ICM - CSIC, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sören Franzenburg
- Research Group Genetics and Bioinformatics/Systems Immunology, Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology, Christian-Albrechts-Universität Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Ute Hentschel
- RD3 Marine Ecology, RU Marine Symbioses, GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Kiel, Germany
- Christian-Albrechts-Universität Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Lucia Pita
- Institut de Ciències del Mar, ICM - CSIC, Barcelona, Spain.
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3
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Zhao M, Lin Z, Zheng Z, Yao D, Yang S, Zhao Y, Chen X, Aweya JJ, Zhang Y. The mechanisms and factors that induce trained immunity in arthropods and mollusks. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1241934. [PMID: 37744346 PMCID: PMC10513178 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1241934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Besides dividing the organism's immune system into adaptive and innate immunity, it has long been thought that only adaptive immunity can establish immune memory. However, many studies have shown that innate immunity can also build immunological memory through epigenetic reprogramming and modifications to resist pathogens' reinfection, known as trained immunity. This paper reviews the role of mitochondrial metabolism and epigenetic modifications and describes the molecular foundation in the trained immunity of arthropods and mollusks. Mitochondrial metabolism and epigenetic modifications complement each other and play a key role in trained immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingming Zhao
- Institute of Marine Sciences and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Biotechnology, Shantou University, Shantou, China
| | - Zhongyang Lin
- Institute of Marine Sciences and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Biotechnology, Shantou University, Shantou, China
| | - Zhihong Zheng
- Institute of Marine Sciences and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Biotechnology, Shantou University, Shantou, China
| | - Defu Yao
- Institute of Marine Sciences and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Biotechnology, Shantou University, Shantou, China
| | - Shen Yang
- College of Ocean Food and Biological Engineering, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Food Microbiology and Enzyme Engineering, Jimei University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Yongzhen Zhao
- Guangxi Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Aquatic Genetic Breeding and Healthy Aquaculture, Nanning, China
| | - Xiuli Chen
- Guangxi Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Aquatic Genetic Breeding and Healthy Aquaculture, Nanning, China
| | - Jude Juventus Aweya
- Institute of Marine Sciences and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Biotechnology, Shantou University, Shantou, China
- College of Ocean Food and Biological Engineering, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Food Microbiology and Enzyme Engineering, Jimei University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Yueling Zhang
- Institute of Marine Sciences and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Biotechnology, Shantou University, Shantou, China
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4
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Pérez-Llano Y, Yarzábal Rodríguez LA, Martínez-Romero E, Dobson ADW, Gunde-Cimerman N, Vasconcelos V, Batista-García RA. From friends to foes: fungi could be emerging marine sponge pathogens under global change scenarios. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1213340. [PMID: 37670990 PMCID: PMC10476623 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1213340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Global change, experienced in the form of ocean warming and pollution by man-made goods and xenobiotics, is rapidly affecting reef ecosystems and could have devastating consequences for marine ecology. Due to their critical role in regulating marine food webs and trophic connections, sponges are an essential model for studying and forecasting the impact of global change on reef ecosystems. Microbes are regarded as major contributors to the health and survival of sponges in marine environments. While most culture-independent studies on sponge microbiome composition to date have focused on prokaryotic diversity, the importance of fungi in holobiont behavior has been largely overlooked. Studies focusing on the biology of sponge fungi are uncommon. Thus, our current understanding is quite limited regarding the interactions and “crosstalk” between sponges and their associated fungi. Anthropogenic activities and climate change may reveal sponge-associated fungi as novel emerging pathogens. Global change scenarios could trigger the expression of fungal virulence genes and unearth new opportunistic pathogens, posing a risk to the health of sponges and severely damaging reef ecosystems. Although ambitious, this hypothesis has not yet been proven. Here we also postulate as a pioneering hypothesis that manipulating sponge-associated fungal communities may be a new strategy to cope with the threats posed to sponge health by pathogens and pollutants. Additionally, we anticipate that sponge-derived fungi might be used as novel sponge health promoters and beneficial members of the resident sponge microbiome in order to increase the sponge's resistance to opportunistic fungal infections under a scenario of global change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yordanis Pérez-Llano
- Centro de Investigación en Dinámica Celular, Instituto de Investigación en Ciencias Básicas y Aplicadas, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
- Center for Genomic Sciences, Autonomous National University of Mexico (UNAM), Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
| | | | - Esperanza Martínez-Romero
- Center for Genomic Sciences, Autonomous National University of Mexico (UNAM), Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
| | | | - Nina Gunde-Cimerman
- Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty. University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Vitor Vasconcelos
- CIIMAR – Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Matosinhos, Portugal
- Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Ramón Alberto Batista-García
- Centro de Investigación en Dinámica Celular, Instituto de Investigación en Ciencias Básicas y Aplicadas, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
- CIIMAR – Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Matosinhos, Portugal
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5
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Zhang S, Song W, Nothias LF, Couvillion SP, Webster N, Thomas T. Comparative metabolomic analysis reveals shared and unique chemical interactions in sponge holobionts. MICROBIOME 2022; 10:22. [PMID: 35105377 PMCID: PMC8805237 DOI: 10.1186/s40168-021-01220-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2021] [Accepted: 12/27/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sponges are ancient sessile metazoans, which form with their associated microbial symbionts a complex functional unit called a holobiont. Sponges are a rich source of chemical diversity; however, there is limited knowledge of which holobiont members produce certain metabolites and how they may contribute to chemical interactions. To address this issue, we applied non-targeted liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to either whole sponge tissue or fractionated microbial cells from six different, co-occurring sponge species. RESULTS Several metabolites were commonly found or enriched in whole sponge tissue, supporting the notion that sponge cells produce them. These include 2-methylbutyryl-carnitine, hexanoyl-carnitine and various carbohydrates, which may be potential food sources for microorganisms, as well as the antagonistic compounds hymenialdisine and eicosatrienoic acid methyl ester. Metabolites that were mostly observed or enriched in microbial cells include the antioxidant didodecyl 3,3'-thiodipropionate, the antagonistic compounds docosatetraenoic acid, and immune-suppressor phenylethylamide. This suggests that these compounds are mainly produced by the microbial members in the sponge holobiont, and are potentially either involved in inter-microbial competitions or in defenses against intruding organisms. CONCLUSIONS This study shows how different chemical functionality is compartmentalized between sponge hosts and their microbial symbionts and provides new insights into how chemical interactions underpin the function of sponge holobionts. Video abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shan Zhang
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, 2052 Australia
- Centre for Marine Science and Innovation, University of New South Wales, Sydney, 2052 Australia
| | - Weizhi Song
- Centre for Marine Science and Innovation, University of New South Wales, Sydney, 2052 Australia
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, 2052 Australia
| | - Louis-Félix Nothias
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA USA
| | - Sneha P. Couvillion
- Biological Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA USA
| | - Nicole Webster
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, Australia
- Australian Centre for Ecogenomics, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Torsten Thomas
- Centre for Marine Science and Innovation, University of New South Wales, Sydney, 2052 Australia
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, 2052 Australia
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Buckley KM, Dooley H. Immunological Diversity Is a Cornerstone of Organismal Defense and Allorecognition across Metazoa. JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY (BALTIMORE, MD. : 1950) 2022; 208:203-211. [PMID: 35017209 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.2100754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2021] [Accepted: 10/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
The ongoing arms race between hosts and microbes has fueled the evolution of novel strategies for diversifying the molecules involved in immune responses. Characterization of immune systems from an ever-broadening phylogenetic range of organisms reveals that there are many mechanisms by which this diversity can be generated and maintained. Diversification strategies operate at the level of populations, genomes, genes, and even individual transcripts. Lineage-specific innovations have been cataloged within the immune systems of both invertebrates and vertebrates. Furthermore, somatic diversification of immune receptor genes has now been described in jawless vertebrates and some invertebrate species. In addition to pathogen detection, immunological diversity plays important roles in several distinct allorecognition systems. In this Brief Review, we highlight some of the evolutionary innovations employed by a variety of metazoan species to generate the molecular diversity required to detect a vast array of molecules in the context of both immune response and self/nonself-recognition.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Helen Dooley
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Institute of Marine & Environmental Technology, Baltimore, MD
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7
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Prigot-Maurice C, Beltran-Bech S, Braquart-Varnier C. Why and how do protective symbionts impact immune priming with pathogens in invertebrates? DEVELOPMENTAL AND COMPARATIVE IMMUNOLOGY 2022; 126:104245. [PMID: 34453995 DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2021.104245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2021] [Revised: 07/29/2021] [Accepted: 08/24/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Growing evidence demonstrates that invertebrates display adaptive-like immune abilities, commonly known as "immune priming". Immune priming is a process by which a host improves its immune defences following an initial pathogenic exposure, leading to better protection after a subsequent infection with the same - or different - pathogens. Nevertheless, beneficial symbionts can enhance similar immune priming processes in hosts, such as when they face repeated infections with pathogens. This "symbiotic immune priming" protects the host against pathogenic viruses, bacteria, fungi, or eukaryotic parasites. In this review, we explore the extent to which protective symbionts interfere and impact immune priming against pathogens from both a mechanical (proximal) and an evolutionary (ultimate) point of view. We highlight that the immune priming of invertebrates is the cornerstone of the tripartite interaction of hosts/symbionts/pathogens. The main shared mechanism of immune priming (induced by symbionts or pathogens) is the sustained immune response at the beginning of host-microbial interactions. However, the evolutionary outcome of immune priming leads to a specific discrimination, which provides enhanced tolerance or resistance depending on the type of microbe. Based on several studies testing immune priming against pathogens in the presence or absence of protective symbionts, we observed that both types of immune priming could overlap and affect each other inside the same hosts. As protective symbionts could be an evolutionary force that influences immune priming, they may help us to better understand the heterogeneity of pathogenic immune priming across invertebrate populations and species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cybèle Prigot-Maurice
- Université de Poitiers - UFR Sciences Fondamentales et Appliquées, Laboratoire Écologie et Biologie des Interactions - UMR CNRS 7267, Bâtiment B8-B35, 5 rue Albert Turpin, TSA 51106, F, 86073, POITIERS Cedex 9, France.
| | - Sophie Beltran-Bech
- Université de Poitiers - UFR Sciences Fondamentales et Appliquées, Laboratoire Écologie et Biologie des Interactions - UMR CNRS 7267, Bâtiment B8-B35, 5 rue Albert Turpin, TSA 51106, F, 86073, POITIERS Cedex 9, France
| | - Christine Braquart-Varnier
- Université de Poitiers - UFR Sciences Fondamentales et Appliquées, Laboratoire Écologie et Biologie des Interactions - UMR CNRS 7267, Bâtiment B8-B35, 5 rue Albert Turpin, TSA 51106, F, 86073, POITIERS Cedex 9, France
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8
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Waterworth SC, Parker-Nance S, Kwan JC, Dorrington RA. Comparative Genomics Provides Insight into the Function of Broad-Host Range Sponge Symbionts. mBio 2021; 12:e0157721. [PMID: 34519538 PMCID: PMC8546597 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01577-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2021] [Accepted: 08/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The fossil record indicates that the earliest evidence of extant marine sponges (phylum Porifera) existed during the Cambrian explosion and that their symbiosis with microbes may have begun in their extinct ancestors during the Precambrian period. Many symbionts have adapted to their sponge host, where they perform specific, specialized functions. There are also widely distributed bacterial taxa such as Poribacteria, SAUL, and Tethybacterales that are found in a broad range of invertebrate hosts. Here, we added 11 new genomes to the Tethybacterales order, identified a novel family, and show that functional potential differs between the three Tethybacterales families. We compare the Tethybacterales with the well-characterized Entoporibacteria and show that these symbionts appear to preferentially associate with low-microbial abundance (LMA) and high-microbial abundance (HMA) sponges, respectively. Within these sponges, we show that these symbionts likely perform distinct functions and may have undergone multiple association events, rather than a single association event followed by coevolution. IMPORTANCE Marine sponges often form symbiotic relationships with bacteria that fulfil a specific need within the sponge holobiont, and these symbionts are often conserved within a narrow range of related taxa. To date, there exist only three known bacterial taxa (Entoporibacteria, SAUL, and Tethybacterales) that are globally distributed and found in a broad range of sponge hosts, and little is known about the latter two. We show that the functional potential of broad-host range symbionts is conserved at a family level and that these symbionts have been acquired several times over evolutionary history. Finally, it appears that the Entoporibacteria are associated primarily with high-microbial abundance sponges, while the Tethybacterales associate with low-microbial abundance sponges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha C. Waterworth
- Division of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rhodes University, Makhanda, South Africa
| | - Shirley Parker-Nance
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rhodes University, Makhanda, South Africa
- South African Environmental Observation Network, Elwandle Coastal Node, Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth), South Africa
| | - Jason C. Kwan
- Division of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Rosemary A. Dorrington
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rhodes University, Makhanda, South Africa
- South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity, Makhanda, South Africa
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9
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Schmittmann L, Franzenburg S, Pita L. Individuality in the Immune Repertoire and Induced Response of the Sponge Halichondria panicea. Front Immunol 2021; 12:689051. [PMID: 34220847 PMCID: PMC8242945 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.689051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Accepted: 05/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The animal immune system mediates host-microbe interactions from the host perspective. Pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) and the downstream signaling cascades they induce are a central part of animal innate immunity. These molecular immune mechanisms are still not fully understood, particularly in terms of baseline immunity vs induced specific responses regulated upon microbial signals. Early-divergent phyla like sponges (Porifera) can help to identify the evolutionarily conserved mechanisms of immune signaling. We characterized both the expressed immune gene repertoire and the induced response to lipopolysaccharides (LPS) in Halichondria panicea, a promising model for sponge symbioses. We exposed sponges under controlled experimental conditions to bacterial LPS and performed RNA-seq on samples taken 1h and 6h after exposure. H. panicea possesses a diverse array of putative PRRs. While part of those PRRs was constitutively expressed in all analyzed sponges, the majority was expressed individual-specific and regardless of LPS treatment or timepoint. The induced immune response by LPS involved differential regulation of genes related to signaling and recognition, more specifically GTPases and post-translational regulation mechanisms like ubiquitination and phosphorylation. We have discovered individuality in both the immune receptor repertoire and the response to LPS, which may translate into holobiont fitness and susceptibility to stress. The three different layers of immune gene control observed in this study, - namely constitutive expression, individual-specific expression, and induced genes -, draw a complex picture of the innate immune gene regulation in H. panicea. Most likely this reflects synergistic interactions among the different components of immunity in their role to control and respond to a stable microbiome, seawater bacteria, and potential pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lara Schmittmann
- Research Unit Marine Symbioses, GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Sören Franzenburg
- Research Group Genetics&Bioinformatics/Systems Immunology, Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology, Christian Albrechts University of Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Lucía Pita
- Research Unit Marine Symbioses, GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Kiel, Germany
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10
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Phylogeny resolved, metabolism revealed: functional radiation within a widespread and divergent clade of sponge symbionts. ISME JOURNAL 2020; 15:503-519. [PMID: 33011742 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-020-00791-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2020] [Revised: 09/09/2020] [Accepted: 09/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
The symbiosis between bacteria and sponges has arguably the longest evolutionary history for any extant metazoan lineage, yet little is known about bacterial evolution or adaptation in this process. An example of often dominant and widespread bacterial symbionts of sponges is a clade of uncultured and uncharacterised Proteobacteria. Here we set out to characterise this group using metagenomics, in-depth phylogenetic analyses, metatranscriptomics, and fluorescence in situ hybridisation microscopy. We obtained five metagenome-assembled-genomes (MAGs) from different sponge species that, together with a previously published MAG (AqS2), comprise two families within a new gammaproteobacterial order that we named UTethybacterales. Members of this order share a heterotrophic lifestyle but vary in their predicted ability to use various carbon, nitrogen and sulfur sources, including taurine, spermidine and dimethylsulfoniopropionate. The deep branching of the UTethybacterales within the Gammaproteobacteria and their almost exclusive presence in sponges suggests they have entered a symbiosis with their host relatively early in evolutionary time and have subsequently functionally radiated. This is reflected in quite distinct lifestyles of various species of UTethybacterales, most notably their diverse morphologies, predicted substrate preferences, and localisation within the sponge tissue. This study provides new insight into the evolution of metazoan-bacteria symbiosis.
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11
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Britstein M, Cerrano C, Burgsdorf I, Zoccarato L, Kenny NJ, Riesgo A, Lalzar M, Steindler L. Sponge microbiome stability during environmental acquisition of highly specific photosymbionts. Environ Microbiol 2020; 22:3593-3607. [PMID: 32656901 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.15165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2020] [Revised: 06/15/2020] [Accepted: 07/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
In this study, we used in situ transplantations to provide the first evidence of horizontal acquisition of cyanobacterial symbionts by a marine sponge. The acquisition of the symbionts by the host sponge Petrosia ficiformis, which was observed in distinct visible patches, appeared several months after transplantation and at different times on different sponge specimens. We further used 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing of genomic DNA (gDNA) and complementary DNA (cDNA) and metatranscriptomics to investigate how the acquisition of the symbiotic cyanobacterium Candidatus Synechococcus feldmannii perturbed the diverse microbiota associated with the host P. ficiformis. To our surprise, the microbiota remained relatively stable during cyanobacterial symbiont acquisition at both structural (gDNA content) and activity (cDNA expression) levels. At the transcriptomic level, photosynthesis was the primary function gained following the acquisition of cyanobacteria. Genes involved in carotene production and oxidative stress tolerance were among those highly expressed by Ca. S. feldmannii, suggesting that this symbiont may protect itself and its host from damaging light radiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maya Britstein
- Department of Marine Biology, Leon H. Charney School of Marine Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Carlo Cerrano
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy
| | - Ilia Burgsdorf
- Department of Marine Biology, Leon H. Charney School of Marine Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Luca Zoccarato
- Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Berlin, Germany
| | - Nathan J Kenny
- Life Sciences Department, The Natural History Museum of London, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD, UK
| | - Ana Riesgo
- Life Sciences Department, The Natural History Museum of London, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD, UK
| | - Maya Lalzar
- Bioinformatics Service Unit, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Laura Steindler
- Department of Marine Biology, Leon H. Charney School of Marine Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
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12
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Dierking K, Pita L. Receptors Mediating Host-Microbiota Communication in the Metaorganism: The Invertebrate Perspective. Front Immunol 2020; 11:1251. [PMID: 32612612 PMCID: PMC7308585 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.01251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2020] [Accepted: 05/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Multicellular organisms live in close association with a plethora of microorganism, which have a profound effect on multiple host functions. As such, the microbiota and its host form an intimate functional entity, termed the metaorganism or holobiont. But how does the metaorganism communicate? Which receptors recognize microbial signals, mediate the effect of the microbiota on host physiology or regulate microbiota composition and homeostasis? In this review we provide an overview on the function of different receptor classes in animal host-microbiota communication. We put a special focus on invertebrate hosts, including both traditional invertebrate models such as Drosophila melanogaster and Caenorhabditis elegans and “non-model” invertebrates in microbiota research. Finally, we highlight the potential of invertebrate systems in studying mechanism of host-microbiota interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katja Dierking
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology and Genetics, Zoological Institute, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Lucía Pita
- RD3 Marine Symbioses, GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research, Kiel, Germany
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13
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Boraschi D, Alijagic A, Auguste M, Barbero F, Ferrari E, Hernadi S, Mayall C, Michelini S, Navarro Pacheco NI, Prinelli A, Swart E, Swartzwelter BJ, Bastús NG, Canesi L, Drobne D, Duschl A, Ewart MA, Horejs-Hoeck J, Italiani P, Kemmerling B, Kille P, Prochazkova P, Puntes VF, Spurgeon DJ, Svendsen C, Wilde CJ, Pinsino A. Addressing Nanomaterial Immunosafety by Evaluating Innate Immunity across Living Species. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2020; 16:e2000598. [PMID: 32363795 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202000598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2020] [Revised: 03/12/2020] [Accepted: 03/13/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The interaction of a living organism with external foreign agents is a central issue for its survival and adaptation to the environment. Nanosafety should be considered within this perspective, and it should be examined that how different organisms interact with engineered nanomaterials (NM) by either mounting a defensive response or by physiologically adapting to them. Herein, the interaction of NM with one of the major biological systems deputed to recognition of and response to foreign challenges, i.e., the immune system, is specifically addressed. The main focus is innate immunity, the only type of immunity in plants, invertebrates, and lower vertebrates, and that coexists with adaptive immunity in higher vertebrates. Because of their presence in the majority of eukaryotic living organisms, innate immune responses can be viewed in a comparative context. In the majority of cases, the interaction of NM with living organisms results in innate immune reactions that eliminate the possible danger with mechanisms that do not lead to damage. While in some cases such interaction may lead to pathological consequences, in some other cases beneficial effects can be identified.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana Boraschi
- Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, National Research Council, Napoli, 80131, Italy
| | - Andi Alijagic
- Institute for Biomedical Research and Innovation, National Research Council, Palermo, 90146, Italy
| | - Manon Auguste
- Department of Earth, Environment and Life Sciences, University of Genova, Genova, 16126, Italy
| | - Francesco Barbero
- Institut Català de Nanosciència i Nanotecnologia (ICN2), Bellaterra, Barcelona, 08193, Spain
| | - Eleonora Ferrari
- Center for Plant Molecular Biology - ZMBP, Eberhard-Karls University Tübingen, Tübingen, 72076, Germany
| | - Szabolcs Hernadi
- School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF10 3AX, UK
| | - Craig Mayall
- Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Liubljana, Ljubljana, 1000, Slovenia
| | - Sara Michelini
- Department of Biosciences, Paris-Lodron University Salzburg, Salzburg, 5020, Austria
| | | | | | - Elmer Swart
- UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Wallingford, OX10 8BB, UK
| | | | - Neus G Bastús
- Institut Català de Nanosciència i Nanotecnologia (ICN2), Bellaterra, Barcelona, 08193, Spain
| | - Laura Canesi
- Department of Earth, Environment and Life Sciences, University of Genova, Genova, 16126, Italy
| | - Damjana Drobne
- Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Liubljana, Ljubljana, 1000, Slovenia
| | - Albert Duschl
- Department of Biosciences, Paris-Lodron University Salzburg, Salzburg, 5020, Austria
| | | | - Jutta Horejs-Hoeck
- Department of Biosciences, Paris-Lodron University Salzburg, Salzburg, 5020, Austria
| | - Paola Italiani
- Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, National Research Council, Napoli, 80131, Italy
| | - Birgit Kemmerling
- Center for Plant Molecular Biology - ZMBP, Eberhard-Karls University Tübingen, Tübingen, 72076, Germany
| | - Peter Kille
- School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF10 3AX, UK
| | - Petra Prochazkova
- Institute of Microbiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, 142 20, Czech Republic
| | - Victor F Puntes
- Institut Català de Nanosciència i Nanotecnologia (ICN2), Bellaterra, Barcelona, 08193, Spain
- Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Barcelona, 08010, Spain
- Vall d Hebron, Institut de Recerca (VHIR), Barcelona, 08035, Spain
| | | | - Claus Svendsen
- UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Wallingford, OX10 8BB, UK
| | | | - Annalisa Pinsino
- Institute for Biomedical Research and Innovation, National Research Council, Palermo, 90146, Italy
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14
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Luter HM, Kenkel CD, Terzin M, Peirce T, Laffy PW, Gibb K, Webster NS. Gene correlation networks reveal the transcriptomic response to elevated nitrogen in a photosynthetic sponge. Mol Ecol 2020; 29:1452-1462. [PMID: 32223031 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2018] [Revised: 03/18/2020] [Accepted: 03/19/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Nutrient levels in coastal environments have been increasing globally due to elevated inputs of sewage and terrigenous sediments carrying fertilizers. Yet, despite their immense filtering capacities, marine sponges appear to be less affected by elevated nutrients than sympatric benthic organisms, such as corals. While the molecular-level stress response of sponges to elevated seawater temperatures and other toxicants has been defined, this study represents the first global gene expression analysis of how sponges respond to elevated nitrogen. Gene correlation network analysis revealed that sponge gene modules, coded by colours, became either highly upregulated (Blue) or downregulated (Turquoise, Black, Brown) as nitrogen treatment levels increased. Gene Ontology enrichment analysis of the different modules revealed genes involved in cell signalling, immune response and flagella motility were affected by increasing nitrogen levels. Notably, a decrease in the regulation of NF-kappaB signalling and an increase in protein degradation was identified, which is comparable to metabolic pathways associated with the sponge thermal stress response. These results highlight that Cymbastela stipitata can rapidly respond to changes in the external environment and identifies pathways that probably contribute to the ability of C. stipitata to tolerate short-term nutrient pulses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heidi M Luter
- NAMRA and the Research Institute for the Environment & Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT, Australia.,Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, QLD, Australia
| | - Carly D Kenkel
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, QLD, Australia.,Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Marko Terzin
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, QLD, Australia.,Marine Biology Research Group, Faculty of Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Tyler Peirce
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, QLD, Australia.,AIMS@JCU, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia
| | - Patrick W Laffy
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, QLD, Australia
| | - Karen Gibb
- Research Institute for the Environment & Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT, Australia
| | - Nicole S Webster
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, QLD, Australia.,Australian Centre for Ecogenomics, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
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15
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Williams LM, Inge MM, Mansfield KM, Rasmussen A, Afghani J, Agrba M, Albert C, Andersson C, Babaei M, Babaei M, Bagdasaryants A, Bonilla A, Browne A, Carpenter S, Chen T, Christie B, Cyr A, Dam K, Dulock N, Erdene G, Esau L, Esonwune S, Hanchate A, Huang X, Jennings T, Kasabwala A, Kehoe L, Kobayashi R, Lee M, LeVan A, Liu Y, Murphy E, Nambiar A, Olive M, Patel D, Pavesi F, Petty CA, Samofalova Y, Sanchez S, Stejskal C, Tang Y, Yapo A, Cleary JP, Yunes SA, Siggers T, Gilmore TD. Transcription factor NF-κB in a basal metazoan, the sponge, has conserved and unique sequences, activities, and regulation. DEVELOPMENTAL AND COMPARATIVE IMMUNOLOGY 2020; 104:103559. [PMID: 31751628 DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2019.103559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2019] [Revised: 11/15/2019] [Accepted: 11/17/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Herein, we characterize transcription factor NF-κB from the demosponge Amphimedon queenslandica (Aq). Aq-NF-κB is most similar to NF-κB p100/p105 among vertebrate proteins, with an N-terminal DNA-binding domain, a C-terminal Ankyrin (ANK) repeat domain, and a DNA binding-site profile akin to human NF-κB proteins. Like mammalian NF-κB p100, C-terminal truncation allows nuclear translocation of Aq-NF-κB and increases its transcriptional activation activity. Expression of IκB kinases (IKKs) induces proteasome-dependent C-terminal processing of Aq-NF-κB in human cells, and processing requires C-terminal serines in Aq-NF-κB. Unlike NF-κB p100, C-terminal sequences of Aq-NF-κB do not inhibit its DNA-binding activity. Tissue of a black encrusting demosponge contains NF-κB site DNA-binding activity, as well as nuclear and processed NF-κB. Treatment of sponge tissue with LPS increases both DNA-binding activity and processing of NF-κB. A. queenslandica transcriptomes contain homologs to upstream NF-κB pathway components. This is first functional characterization of NF-κB in sponge, the most basal multicellular animal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leah M Williams
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Melissa M Inge
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA; Molecular Biology Laboratory (BB522), Program in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | | | - Anna Rasmussen
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Jamie Afghani
- Molecular Biology Laboratory (BB522), Program in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Mikhail Agrba
- Molecular Biology Laboratory (BB522), Program in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Colleen Albert
- Molecular Biology Laboratory (BB522), Program in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Cecilia Andersson
- Molecular Biology Laboratory (BB522), Program in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Milad Babaei
- Molecular Biology Laboratory (BB522), Program in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Mohammad Babaei
- Molecular Biology Laboratory (BB522), Program in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Abigail Bagdasaryants
- Molecular Biology Laboratory (BB522), Program in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Arianna Bonilla
- Molecular Biology Laboratory (BB522), Program in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Amanda Browne
- Molecular Biology Laboratory (BB522), Program in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Sheldon Carpenter
- Molecular Biology Laboratory (BB522), Program in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Tiffany Chen
- Molecular Biology Laboratory (BB522), Program in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Blake Christie
- Molecular Biology Laboratory (BB522), Program in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Andrew Cyr
- Molecular Biology Laboratory (BB522), Program in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Katie Dam
- Molecular Biology Laboratory (BB522), Program in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Nicholas Dulock
- Molecular Biology Laboratory (BB522), Program in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Galbadrakh Erdene
- Molecular Biology Laboratory (BB522), Program in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Lindsie Esau
- Molecular Biology Laboratory (BB522), Program in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Stephanie Esonwune
- Molecular Biology Laboratory (BB522), Program in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Anvita Hanchate
- Molecular Biology Laboratory (BB522), Program in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Xinli Huang
- Molecular Biology Laboratory (BB522), Program in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Timothy Jennings
- Molecular Biology Laboratory (BB522), Program in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Aarti Kasabwala
- Molecular Biology Laboratory (BB522), Program in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Leanne Kehoe
- Molecular Biology Laboratory (BB522), Program in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Ryan Kobayashi
- Molecular Biology Laboratory (BB522), Program in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Migi Lee
- Molecular Biology Laboratory (BB522), Program in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Andre LeVan
- Molecular Biology Laboratory (BB522), Program in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Yuekun Liu
- Molecular Biology Laboratory (BB522), Program in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Emily Murphy
- Molecular Biology Laboratory (BB522), Program in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Avanti Nambiar
- Molecular Biology Laboratory (BB522), Program in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Meagan Olive
- Molecular Biology Laboratory (BB522), Program in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Devansh Patel
- Molecular Biology Laboratory (BB522), Program in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Flaminio Pavesi
- Molecular Biology Laboratory (BB522), Program in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Christopher A Petty
- Molecular Biology Laboratory (BB522), Program in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Yelena Samofalova
- Molecular Biology Laboratory (BB522), Program in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Selma Sanchez
- Molecular Biology Laboratory (BB522), Program in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Camilla Stejskal
- Molecular Biology Laboratory (BB522), Program in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Yinian Tang
- Molecular Biology Laboratory (BB522), Program in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Alia Yapo
- Molecular Biology Laboratory (BB522), Program in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - John P Cleary
- Molecular Biology Laboratory (BB522), Program in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Sarah A Yunes
- Molecular Biology Laboratory (BB522), Program in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Trevor Siggers
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Thomas D Gilmore
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.
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16
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Griffiths SM, Antwis RE, Lenzi L, Lucaci A, Behringer DC, Butler MJ, Preziosi RF. Host genetics and geography influence microbiome composition in the sponge Ircinia campana. J Anim Ecol 2019; 88:1684-1695. [PMID: 31325164 PMCID: PMC6899969 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2019] [Accepted: 07/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Marine sponges are hosts to large, diverse communities of microorganisms. These microbiomes are distinct among sponge species and from seawater bacterial communities, indicating a key role of host identity in shaping its resident microbial community. However, the factors governing intraspecific microbiome variability are underexplored and may shed light on the evolutionary and ecological relationships between host and microbiome. Here, we examined the influence of genetic variation and geographic location on the composition of the Ircinia campana microbiome. We developed new microsatellite markers to genotype I. campana from two locations in the Florida Keys, USA, and characterized their microbiomes using V4 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. We show that microbial community composition and diversity is influenced by host genotype, with more genetically similar sponges hosting more similar microbial communities. We also found that although I. campana was not genetically differentiated between sites, microbiome composition differed by location. Our results demonstrate that both host genetics and geography influence the composition of the sponge microbiome. Host genotypic influence on microbiome composition may be due to stable vertical transmission of the microbial community from parent to offspring, making microbiomes more similar by descent. Alternatively, sponge genotypic variation may reflect variation in functional traits that influence the acquisition of environmental microbes. This study reveals drivers of microbiome variation within and among locations, and shows the importance of intraspecific variability in mediating eco-evolutionary dynamics of host-associated microbiomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah M. Griffiths
- Ecology and Environment Research CentreManchester Metropolitan UniversityManchesterUK
| | - Rachael E. Antwis
- School of Environment and Life SciencesUniversity of SalfordSalfordUK
| | - Luca Lenzi
- Centre for Genomic Research, Institute of Integrative BiologyUniversity of LiverpoolLiverpoolUK
| | - Anita Lucaci
- Centre for Genomic Research, Institute of Integrative BiologyUniversity of LiverpoolLiverpoolUK
| | - Donald C. Behringer
- Fisheries and Aquatic SciencesUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFLUSA
- Emerging Pathogens InstituteUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFLUSA
| | - Mark J. Butler
- Department of Biological SciencesOld Dominion UniversityNorfolkVAUSA
| | - Richard F. Preziosi
- Ecology and Environment Research CentreManchester Metropolitan UniversityManchesterUK
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17
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven A. Frank
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, California, United States of America
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18
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Vertical transmission of sponge microbiota is inconsistent and unfaithful. Nat Ecol Evol 2019; 3:1172-1183. [PMID: 31285574 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-019-0935-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2018] [Accepted: 05/29/2019] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Co-evolutionary theory predicts that if beneficial microbial symbionts improve host fitness, they should be faithfully transmitted to offspring. More recently, the hologenome theory of evolution predicts resemblance between parent and offspring microbiomes and high partner fidelity between host species and their vertically transmitted microbes. Here, we test these ideas in multiple coexisting host species with highly diverse microbiota, leveraging known parent-offspring pairs sampled from eight species of wild marine sponges (Porifera). We found that the processes governing vertical transmission were both neutral and selective. A neutral model was a better fit to larval (R2 = 0.66) than to the adult microbiota (R2 = 0.27), suggesting that the importance of non-neutral processes increases as the sponge host matures. Microbes that are enriched above neutral expectations in adults were disproportionately transferred to offspring. Patterns of vertical transmission were, however, incomplete: larval sponges shared, on average, 44.8% of microbes with their parents, which was not higher than the fraction they shared with nearby non-parental adults. Vertical transmission was also inconsistent across siblings, as larval sponges from the same parent shared only 17% of microbes. Finally, we found no evidence that vertically transmitted microbes are faithful to a single sponge host species. Surprisingly, larvae were as likely to share vertically transmitted microbes with larvae from other sponge species as they were with their own species. Our study demonstrates that common predictions of vertical transmission that stem from species-poor systems are not necessarily true when scaling up to diverse and complex microbiomes.
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19
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Pita L, Hoeppner MP, Ribes M, Hentschel U. Differential expression of immune receptors in two marine sponges upon exposure to microbial-associated molecular patterns. Sci Rep 2018; 8:16081. [PMID: 30382170 PMCID: PMC6208332 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-34330-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2018] [Accepted: 10/12/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The innate immune system helps animals to navigate the microbial world. The response to microbes relies on the specific recognition of microbial-associated molecular patterns (MAMPs) by immune receptors. Sponges (phylum Porifera), as early-diverging animals, provide insights into conserved mechanisms for animal-microbe crosstalk. However, experimental data is limited. We adopted an experimental approach followed by RNA-Seq and differential gene expression analysis in order to characterise the sponge immune response. Two Mediterranean species, Aplysina aerophoba and Dysidea avara, were exposed to a “cocktail” of MAMPs (lipopolysaccharide and peptidoglycan) or to sterile artificial seawater (control) and sampled 1 h, 3 h, and 5 h post-treatment for RNA-Seq. The response involved, first and foremost, a higher number of differentially-expressed genes in A. aerophoba than D. avara. Secondly, while both species constitutively express a diverse repertoire of immune receptors, they differed in their expression profiles upon MAMP challenge. The response in D. avara was mediated by increased expression of two NLR genes, whereas the response in A. aerophoba involved SRCR and GPCR genes. From the set of annotated genes we infer that both species activated apoptosis in response to MAMPs while in A. aerophoba phagocytosis was additionally stimulated. Our study assessed for the first time the transcriptomic responses of sponges to MAMPs and revealed conserved and species-specific features of poriferan immunity as well as genes potentially relevant to animal-microbe interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucía Pita
- RD3 Marine Microbiology, GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Kiel, Germany.
| | - Marc P Hoeppner
- Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology, Christian-Albrechts University of Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Marta Ribes
- Institute of Marine Science, CSIC, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ute Hentschel
- RD3 Marine Microbiology, GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Kiel, Germany.,Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel (CAU), Kiel, Germany
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20
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Pita L, Rix L, Slaby BM, Franke A, Hentschel U. The sponge holobiont in a changing ocean: from microbes to ecosystems. MICROBIOME 2018; 6:46. [PMID: 29523192 PMCID: PMC5845141 DOI: 10.1186/s40168-018-0428-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 254] [Impact Index Per Article: 42.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2017] [Accepted: 02/20/2018] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
The recognition that all macroorganisms live in symbiotic association with microbial communities has opened up a new field in biology. Animals, plants, and algae are now considered holobionts, complex ecosystems consisting of the host, the microbiota, and the interactions among them. Accordingly, ecological concepts can be applied to understand the host-derived and microbial processes that govern the dynamics of the interactive networks within the holobiont. In marine systems, holobionts are further integrated into larger and more complex communities and ecosystems, a concept referred to as "nested ecosystems." In this review, we discuss the concept of holobionts as dynamic ecosystems that interact at multiple scales and respond to environmental change. We focus on the symbiosis of sponges with their microbial communities-a symbiosis that has resulted in one of the most diverse and complex holobionts in the marine environment. In recent years, the field of sponge microbiology has remarkably advanced in terms of curated databases, standardized protocols, and information on the functions of the microbiota. Like a Russian doll, these microbial processes are translated into sponge holobiont functions that impact the surrounding ecosystem. For example, the sponge-associated microbial metabolisms, fueled by the high filtering capacity of the sponge host, substantially affect the biogeochemical cycling of key nutrients like carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorous. Since sponge holobionts are increasingly threatened by anthropogenic stressors that jeopardize the stability of the holobiont ecosystem, we discuss the link between environmental perturbations, dysbiosis, and sponge diseases. Experimental studies suggest that the microbial community composition is tightly linked to holobiont health, but whether dysbiosis is a cause or a consequence of holobiont collapse remains unresolved. Moreover, the potential role of the microbiome in mediating the capacity for holobionts to acclimate and adapt to environmental change is unknown. Future studies should aim to identify the mechanisms underlying holobiont dynamics at multiple scales, from the microbiome to the ecosystem, and develop management strategies to preserve the key functions provided by the sponge holobiont in our present and future oceans.
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Affiliation(s)
- L. Pita
- RD3 Marine Microbiology, GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research, Kiel, Germany
| | - L. Rix
- RD3 Marine Microbiology, GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research, Kiel, Germany
| | - B. M. Slaby
- RD3 Marine Microbiology, GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research, Kiel, Germany
| | - A. Franke
- RD3 Marine Microbiology, GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research, Kiel, Germany
| | - U. Hentschel
- RD3 Marine Microbiology, GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research, Kiel, Germany
- Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel (CAU), Kiel, Germany
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21
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Gaiti F, Hatleberg WL, Tanurdžić M, Degnan BM. Sponge Long Non-Coding RNAs Are Expressed in Specific Cell Types and Conserved Networks. Noncoding RNA 2018; 4:ncrna4010006. [PMID: 29657303 PMCID: PMC5890393 DOI: 10.3390/ncrna4010006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2017] [Revised: 02/05/2018] [Accepted: 02/27/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Although developmental regulation by long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) appears to be a widespread feature amongst animals, the origin and level of evolutionary conservation of this mode of regulation remain unclear. We have previously demonstrated that the sponge Amphimedon queenslandica—a morphologically-simple animal—developmentally expresses an array of lncRNAs in manner akin to more complex bilaterians (insects + vertebrates). Here, we first show that Amphimedon lncRNAs are expressed in specific cell types in larvae, juveniles and adults. Thus, as in bilaterians, sponge developmental regulation involves the dynamic, cell type- and context-specific regulation of specific lncRNAs. Second, by comparing gene co-expression networks between Amphimedon queenslandica and Sycon ciliatum—a distantly-related calcisponge—we identify several putative co-expression modules that appear to be shared in sponges; these network-embedded sponge lncRNAs have no discernable sequence similarity. Together, these results suggest sponge lncRNAs are developmentally regulated and operate in conserved gene regulatory networks, as appears to be the case in more complex bilaterians.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federico Gaiti
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia.
- Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, and New York Genome Center, New York, NY 10021, USA.
| | - William L Hatleberg
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia.
- Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA.
| | - Miloš Tanurdžić
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia.
| | - Bernard M Degnan
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia.
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22
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Müller V, de Boer RJ, Bonhoeffer S, Szathmáry E. An evolutionary perspective on the systems of adaptive immunity. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2017; 93:505-528. [PMID: 28745003 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2016] [Revised: 06/28/2017] [Accepted: 06/30/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
We propose an evolutionary perspective to classify and characterize the diverse systems of adaptive immunity that have been discovered across all major domains of life. We put forward a new function-based classification according to the way information is acquired by the immune systems: Darwinian immunity (currently known from, but not necessarily limited to, vertebrates) relies on the Darwinian process of clonal selection to 'learn' by cumulative trial-and-error feedback; Lamarckian immunity uses templated targeting (guided adaptation) to internalize heritable information on potential threats; finally, shotgun immunity operates through somatic mechanisms of variable targeting without feedback. We argue that the origin of Darwinian (but not Lamarckian or shotgun) immunity represents a radical innovation in the evolution of individuality and complexity, and propose to add it to the list of major evolutionary transitions. While transitions to higher-level units entail the suppression of selection at lower levels, Darwinian immunity re-opens cell-level selection within the multicellular organism, under the control of mechanisms that direct, rather than suppress, cell-level evolution for the benefit of the individual. From a conceptual point of view, the origin of Darwinian immunity can be regarded as the most radical transition in the history of life, in which evolution by natural selection has literally re-invented itself. Furthermore, the combination of clonal selection and somatic receptor diversity enabled a transition from limited to practically unlimited capacity to store information about the antigenic environment. The origin of Darwinian immunity therefore comprises both a transition in individuality and the emergence of a new information system - the two hallmarks of major evolutionary transitions. Finally, we present an evolutionary scenario for the origin of Darwinian immunity in vertebrates. We propose a revival of the concept of the 'Big Bang' of vertebrate immunity, arguing that its origin involved a 'difficult' (i.e. low-probability) evolutionary transition that might have occurred only once, in a common ancestor of all vertebrates. In contrast to the original concept, we argue that the limiting innovation was not the generation of somatic diversity, but the regulatory circuitry needed for the safe operation of amplifiable immune responses with somatically acquired targeting. Regulatory complexity increased abruptly by genomic duplications at the root of the vertebrate lineage, creating a rare opportunity to establish such circuitry. We discuss the selection forces that might have acted at the origin of the transition, and in the subsequent stepwise evolution leading to the modern immune systems of extant vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viktor Müller
- Parmenides Center for the Conceptual Foundations of Science, 82049 Pullach/Munich, Germany.,Department of Plant Systematics, Ecology and Theoretical Biology, Institute of Biology, Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Hungary.,Evolutionary Systems Research Group, MTA Centre for Ecological Research, 8237 Tihany, Hungary
| | - Rob J de Boer
- Theoretical Biology, Department of Biology, Utrecht University, 3584 CH Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Sebastian Bonhoeffer
- Institute of Integrative Biology, Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Eörs Szathmáry
- Parmenides Center for the Conceptual Foundations of Science, 82049 Pullach/Munich, Germany.,Department of Plant Systematics, Ecology and Theoretical Biology, Institute of Biology, Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Hungary.,Evolutionary Systems Research Group, MTA Centre for Ecological Research, 8237 Tihany, Hungary
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Pita L, Fraune S, Hentschel U. Emerging Sponge Models of Animal-Microbe Symbioses. Front Microbiol 2016; 7:2102. [PMID: 28066403 PMCID: PMC5179597 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2016.02102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2016] [Accepted: 12/12/2016] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Sponges have a significant impact on marine benthic communities, they are of biotechnological interest owing to their production of bioactive natural compounds, and they promise to provide insights into conserved mechanisms of host–microbe interactions in basal metazoans. The natural variability of sponge-microbe associations across species and environments provides a meaningful ecological and evolutionary framework to investigate animal-microbial symbiosis through experimentation in the field and also in aquaria. In addition, next-generation sequencing technologies have shed light on the genomic repertoire of the sponge host and revealed metabolic capacities and symbiotic lifestyle features of their microbiota. However, our understanding of symbiotic mechanisms is still in its infancy. Here, we discuss the potential and limitations of the sponge-microbe symbiosis as emerging models for animal-associated microbiota.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia Pita
- RD3 Marine Microbiology, GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Germany
| | - Sebastian Fraune
- Zoological Institute, Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel (CAU), Kiel Germany
| | - Ute Hentschel
- RD3 Marine Microbiology, GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean ResearchKiel, Germany; Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel (CAU), KielGermany
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Milutinović B, Kurtz J. Immune memory in invertebrates. Semin Immunol 2016; 28:328-42. [PMID: 27402055 DOI: 10.1016/j.smim.2016.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 168] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2016] [Revised: 05/11/2016] [Accepted: 05/17/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Evidence for innate immune memory (or 'priming') in invertebrates has been accumulating over the last years. We here provide an in-depth review of the current state of evidence for immune memory in invertebrates, and in particular take a phylogenetic viewpoint. Invertebrates are a very heterogeneous group of animals and accordingly, evidence for the phenomenon of immune memory as well as the hypothesized molecular underpinnings differ largely for the diverse invertebrate taxa. The majority of research currently focuses on Arthropods, while evidence from many other groups of invertebrates is fragmentary or even lacking. We here concentrate on immune memory that is induced by pathogenic challenges, but also extent our view to a non-pathogenic context, i.e. allograft rejection, which can also show forms of memory and can inform us about general principles of specific self-nonself recognition. We discuss definitions of immune memory and a number of relevant aspects such as the type of antigens used, the route of exposure, and the kinetics of reactions following priming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Milutinović
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Am Campus 1, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria.
| | - Joachim Kurtz
- Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, University of Münster, Hüfferstrasse 1, 48149 Münster, Germany.
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Wang K, Pales Espinosa E, Tanguy A, Allam B. Alterations of the immune transcriptome in resistant and susceptible hard clams (Mercenaria mercenaria) in response to Quahog Parasite Unknown (QPX) and temperature. FISH & SHELLFISH IMMUNOLOGY 2016; 49:163-176. [PMID: 26690665 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsi.2015.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2015] [Revised: 12/03/2015] [Accepted: 12/06/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Quahog Parasite Unknown (QPX) is a fatal protistan parasite that causes severe losses in the hard clam (Mercenaria mercenaria) fisheries along the northeastern coast of the US. Field and laboratory studies of QPX disease have demonstrated a major role for water temperature and M. mercenaria genetic origin in disease development. Infections are more likely to occur at cold temperatures, with clam stocks originating from southern states being more susceptible than clams from northern origin where disease is enzootic. Even though the influence of temperature on QPX infection have been examined in susceptible and resistant M. mercenaria at physiological and cellular scales, the underlying molecular mechanisms associated with host-pathogen interactions remain largely unknown. This study was carried out to explore the molecular changes in M. mercenaria in response to temperature and QPX infection on the transcriptomic level, and also to compare molecular responses between susceptible and resistant clam stocks. A M. mercenaria oligoarray (15 K Agilent) platform was produced based on our previously generated transcriptomic data and was used to compare gene expression profiles in naive and QPX-infected susceptible (Florida stock) and resistant (Massachusetts) clams maintained at temperatures favoring disease development (13 °C) or clam healing (21 °C). In addition, transcriptomic changes reflecting focal (the site of infection, mantle) and systemic (circulating hemocytes) responses were also assessed using the oligoarray platform. Results revealed significant regulation of multiple biological pathways by temperature and QPX infection, mainly associated with immune recognition, microbial killing, protein synthesis, oxidative protection and metabolism. Alterations were widely systemic with most changes in gene expression revealed in hemocytes, highlighting the role of circulating hemocytes as the first line of defense against pathogenic stress. A large number of complement-related recognition molecules with fibrinogen or C1q domains were shown to be specially induced following QPX challenge, and the expression of these molecules was significantly higher in resistant clams as compared to susceptible ones. These highly variable immune proteins may be potent candidate molecular markers for future study of M. mercenaria resistance against QPX. Beyond the specific case of clam response to QPX, this study also provides insights into the primitive complement-like system in the hard clam.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kailai Wang
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA
| | | | - Arnaud Tanguy
- UPMC Université Paris 6, Station Biologique de Roscoff, 29682, Roscoff, France
| | - Bassem Allam
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA.
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van Niekerk G, Davis T, Engelbrecht AM. Was the evolutionary road towards adaptive immunity paved with endothelium? Biol Direct 2015; 10:47. [PMID: 26341882 PMCID: PMC4560925 DOI: 10.1186/s13062-015-0079-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2015] [Accepted: 09/02/2015] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The characterization of a completely novel adaptive immune system (AIS) in jawless vertebrates (hagfish and lampreys) presents an excellent opportunity for exploring similarities and differences in design principles. It also highlights a somewhat neglected question: Why did vertebrates, representing only 5 % of all animals, evolve a system as complex as an AIS twice, whereas invertebrates failed to do so? A number of theories have been presented in answer to this question. However, these theories either fail to explain why invertebrates would not similarly develop an AIS and are confounded by issues of causality, or have been challenged by more recent findings. PRESENTATION OF THE HYPOTHESIS Instead of identifying a selective pressure that would drive the development of an AIS, we hypothesise that invertebrates failed to develop an AIS because of the evolutionary constraints imposed by these animals' physiological context. In particular, we argue that a number of vascular innovations in vertebrates allowed the effective implementation of an AIS. A lower blood volume allowed for a higher antibody titer (i.e., less 'diluted' antibody concentration), rendering these immune effectors more cost-effective. In addition, both a high circulatory velocity and the ability of endothelium to coordinate immune cell trafficking promote 'epitope sampling'. Collectively, these innovations allowed the effective implementation of AIS in vertebrates. TESTING THE HYPOTHESIS The hypothesis posits that a number of innovations to the vascular system provided the release from constraints which allowed the implementation of an AIS. However, this hypothesis would be refuted by phylogenetic analysis demonstrating that the AIS preceded these vascular innovations. The hypothesis also suggests that vascular performance would have an impact on the efficacy of an AIS, thus predicting a correlation between the vascular parameters of a species and its relative investment in AIS. The contribution of certain vascular innovations in augmenting immune functionality of an AIS can be tested by modelling the effect of different vascular parameters on AIS efficacy. IMPLICATIONS OF THE HYPOTHESIS The hypothesis not only explains the immunological dimorphism between vertebrates and invertebrates but also brings to attention the fact that immunity is dependent on more than just an immune system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gustav van Niekerk
- Department of Physiological Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Private Bag X1, Matieland, Stellenbosch, 7600, South Africa.
| | - Tanja Davis
- Department of Physiological Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Private Bag X1, Matieland, Stellenbosch, 7600, South Africa.
| | - Anna-Mart Engelbrecht
- Department of Physiological Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Private Bag X1, Matieland, Stellenbosch, 7600, South Africa.
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van Niekerk G, Engelbrecht AM. Commentary on: "A common origin for immunity and digestion". Front Microbiol 2015; 6:531. [PMID: 26074909 PMCID: PMC4445048 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2015.00531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2015] [Accepted: 05/14/2015] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Gustav van Niekerk
- Department of Physiological Sciences, Stellenbosch University Stellenbosch, South Africa
| | - Anna-Mart Engelbrecht
- Department of Physiological Sciences, Stellenbosch University Stellenbosch, South Africa
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van Niekerk G, Engelbrecht AM. On the evolutionary origin of the adaptive immune system—The adipocyte hypothesis. Immunol Lett 2015; 164:81-7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.imlet.2015.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2015] [Revised: 02/03/2015] [Accepted: 02/09/2015] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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Degnan SM. Think laterally: horizontal gene transfer from symbiotic microbes may extend the phenotype of marine sessile hosts. Front Microbiol 2014; 5:638. [PMID: 25477875 PMCID: PMC4237138 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2014.00638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2014] [Accepted: 11/06/2014] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Since the origin of the animal kingdom, marine animals have lived in association with viruses, prokaryotes and unicellular eukaryotes, often as symbionts. This long and continuous interaction has provided ample opportunity not only for the evolution of intimate interactions such as sharing of metabolic pathways, but also for horizontal gene transfer (HGT) of non-metazoan genes into metazoan genomes. The number of demonstrated cases of inter-kingdom HGT is currently small, such that it is not yet widely appreciated as a significant player in animal evolution. Sessile marine invertebrates that vertically inherit bacterial symbionts, that have no dedicated germ line, or that bud or excise pluripotent somatic cells during their life history may be particularly receptive to HGT from their symbionts. Closer scrutiny of the growing number of genomes being accrued for these animals may thus reveal HGT as a regular source of novel variation that can function to extend the host phenotype metabolically, morphologically, or even behaviorally. Taxonomic identification of symbionts will help to address the intriguing question of whether past HGT events may constrain contemporary symbioses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandie M Degnan
- Marine Genomics Lab, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland Brisbane, QLD, Australia
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