1
|
Ng MS, Soon N, Afiq-Rosli L, Kunning I, Mana RR, Chang Y, Wainwright BJ. Highly Diverse Symbiodiniaceae Types Hosted by Corals in a Global Hotspot of Marine Biodiversity. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2024; 87:92. [PMID: 38987492 PMCID: PMC11236936 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-024-02407-x] [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: 02/21/2024] [Accepted: 06/27/2024] [Indexed: 07/12/2024]
Abstract
Symbiotic dinoflagellates in the genus Symbiodiniaceae play vital roles in promoting resilience and increasing stress tolerance in their coral hosts. While much of the world's coral succumb to the stresses associated with increasingly severe and frequent thermal bleaching events, live coral cover in Papua New Guinea (PNG) remains some of the highest reported globally despite the historically warm waters surrounding the country. Yet, in spite of the high coral cover in PNG and the acknowledged roles Symbiodiniaceae play within their hosts, these communities have not been characterized in this global biodiversity hotspot. Using high-throughput sequencing of the ITS2 rDNA gene, we profiled the endosymbionts of four coral species, Diploastrea heliopora, Pachyseris speciosa, Pocillopora acuta, and Porites lutea, across six sites in PNG. Our findings reveal patterns of Cladocopium and Durusdinium dominance similar to other reefs in the Coral Triangle, albeit with much greater intra- and intergenomic variation. Host- and site-specific variations in Symbiodiniaceae type profiles were observed across collection sites, appearing to be driven by environmental conditions. Notably, the extensive intra- and intergenomic variation, coupled with many previously unreported sequences, highlight PNG as a potential hotspot of symbiont diversity. This work represents the first characterization of the coral-symbiont community structure in the PNG marine biodiversity hotspot, serving as a baseline for future studies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ming Sheng Ng
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Nathaniel Soon
- Yale-NUS College, National University of Singapore, 16 College Avenue West, Singapore, 138527, Singapore
- Thrive Conservation, Jl. Subak Sari No. 13, Kuta Utara, Badung, Bali, 80361, Indonesia
| | - Lutfi Afiq-Rosli
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- Tropical Marine Science Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- Red Sea Research Center, Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ismael Kunning
- School of Natural and Physical Sciences, University of Papua New Guinea, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea
| | - Ralph R Mana
- School of Natural and Physical Sciences, University of Papua New Guinea, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea
| | - Ying Chang
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- Yale-NUS College, National University of Singapore, 16 College Avenue West, Singapore, 138527, Singapore
| | - Benjamin J Wainwright
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
- Yale-NUS College, National University of Singapore, 16 College Avenue West, Singapore, 138527, Singapore.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Bove CB, Ingersoll MV, Davies SW. Help Me, Symbionts, You're My Only Hope: Approaches to Accelerate our Understanding of Coral Holobiont Interactions. Integr Comp Biol 2022; 62:1756-1769. [PMID: 36099871 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icac141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2022] [Revised: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 09/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Tropical corals construct the three-dimensional framework for one of the most diverse ecosystems on the planet, providing habitat to a plethora of species across taxa. However, these ecosystem engineers are facing unprecedented challenges, such as increasing disease prevalence and marine heatwaves associated with anthropogenic global change. As a result, major declines in coral cover and health are being observed across the world's oceans, often due to the breakdown of coral-associated symbioses. Here, we review the interactions between the major symbiotic partners of the coral holobiont-the cnidarian host, algae in the family Symbiodiniaceae, and the microbiome-that influence trait variation, including the molecular mechanisms that underlie symbiosis and the resulting physiological benefits of different microbial partnerships. In doing so, we highlight the current framework for the formation and maintenance of cnidarian-Symbiodiniaceae symbiosis, and the role that immunity pathways play in this relationship. We emphasize that understanding these complex interactions is challenging when you consider the vast genetic variation of the cnidarian host and algal symbiont, as well as their highly diverse microbiome, which is also an important player in coral holobiont health. Given the complex interactions between and among symbiotic partners, we propose several research directions and approaches focused on symbiosis model systems and emerging technologies that will broaden our understanding of how these partner interactions may facilitate the prediction of coral holobiont phenotype, especially under rapid environmental change.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Colleen B Bove
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | | | - Sarah W Davies
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| |
Collapse
|