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Liu F, Deroy C, Herr AE. Microfluidics for macrofluidics: addressing marine-ecosystem challenges in an era of climate change. LAB ON A CHIP 2024; 24:4007-4027. [PMID: 39093009 DOI: 10.1039/d4lc00468j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/04/2024]
Abstract
Climate change presents a mounting challenge with profound impacts on ocean and marine ecosystems, leading to significant environmental, health, and economic consequences. Microfluidic technologies, with their unique capabilities, play a crucial role in understanding and addressing the marine aspects of the climate crisis. These technologies leverage quantitative, precise, and miniaturized formats that enhance the capabilities of sensing, imaging, and molecular tools. Such advancements are critical for monitoring marine systems under the stress of climate change and elucidating their response mechanisms. This review explores microfluidic technologies employed both in laboratory settings for testing and in the field for monitoring purposes. We delve into the application of miniaturized tools in evaluating ocean-based solutions to climate change, thus offering fresh perspectives from the solution-oriented end of the spectrum. We further aim to synthesize recent developments in technology around critical questions concerning the ocean environment and marine ecosystems, while discussing the potential for future innovations in microfluidic technology. The purpose of this review is to enhance understanding of current capabilities and assist researchers interested in mitigating the effects of climate change to identify new avenues for tackling the pressing issues posed by climate change in marine ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fangchen Liu
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley, California 94158, USA.
| | - Cyril Deroy
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley, California 94158, USA.
| | - Amy E Herr
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley, California 94158, USA.
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, California 94158, USA
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2
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Chille EE, Stephens TG, Misri D, Strand EL, Putnam HM, Bhattacharya D. Gene expression response under thermal stress in two Hawaiian corals is dominated by ploidy and genotype. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e70037. [PMID: 39050655 PMCID: PMC11268936 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.70037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2024] [Revised: 06/03/2024] [Accepted: 07/09/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Transcriptome data are frequently used to investigate coral bleaching; however, the factors controlling gene expression in natural populations of these species are poorly understood. We studied two corals, Montipora capitata and Pocillopora acuta, that inhabit the sheltered Kāne'ohe Bay, Hawai'i. M. capitata colonies in the bay are outbreeding diploids, whereas P. acuta is a mixture of clonal diploids and triploids. Populations were sampled from six reefs and subjected to either control (no stress), thermal stress, pH stress, or combined pH and thermal stress treatments. RNA-seq data were generated to test two competing hypotheses: (1) gene expression is largely independent of genotype, reflecting a shared treatment-driven response (TDE) or, (2) genotype dominates gene expression, regardless of treatment (GDE). Our results strongly support the GDE model, even under severe stress. We suggest that post-transcriptional processes (e.g., control of translation, protein turnover) modify the signal from the transcriptome, and may underlie the observed differences in coral bleaching sensitivity via the downstream proteome and metabolome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin E. Chille
- Department of Biochemistry and MicrobiologyRutgers UniversityNew BrunswickNew JerseyUSA
| | - Timothy G. Stephens
- Department of Biochemistry and MicrobiologyRutgers UniversityNew BrunswickNew JerseyUSA
| | - Deeksha Misri
- Department of GeneticsRutgers UniversityNew BrunswickNew JerseyUSA
| | - Emma L. Strand
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of Rhode IslandKingstonRhode IslandUSA
- Gloucester Marine Genomics InstituteGloucesterMassachusettsUSA
| | - Hollie M. Putnam
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of Rhode IslandKingstonRhode IslandUSA
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3
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Huang S, Luo L, Wen B, Liu X, Yu K, Zhang M. Metabolic signatures of two scleractinian corals from the northern South China sea in response to extreme high temperature events. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 198:106490. [PMID: 38636276 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2024.106490] [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: 11/28/2023] [Revised: 03/27/2024] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024]
Abstract
Coral bleaching events are becoming increasingly common worldwide, causing widespread coral mortality. However, not all colonies within the same coral taxa show sensitivity to bleaching events, and the current understanding of the metabolic mechanisms underlying thermal bleaching in corals remains limited. We used untargeted metabolomics to analyze the biochemical processes involved in the survival of two bleaching phenotypes of the common corals Pavona decussata and Acropora pruinosa, during a severe bleaching event in the northern South China Sea in 2020. During thermal bleaching, P. decussata and A. pruinosa significantly accumulated energy products such as succinate and EPA, antioxidants and inflammatory markers, and reduced energy storage substances like glutamate and thymidine. KEGG analysis revealed enrichment of energy production pathways such as ABC transporters, nucleotide metabolism and lipid metabolism, suggesting the occurrence of oxidative stress and energy metabolism disorders in bleached corals. Notably, heat stress exerted distinct effects on metabolic pathways in the two coral species, e.g., P. decussata activating carbohydrate metabolism pathways like glycolysis and the TCA cycle, along with amino acid metabolism pathways, whereas A. pruinosa significantly altered the content of multiple small peptides affected amino acid metabolism. Furthermore, the osmoregulatory potential of corals correlates with their ability to survive in heat-stress environments in the wild. This study provides valuable insights into the metabolic mechanisms linked to thermal tolerance in reef-building corals, contributes to the understanding of corals' adaptive potential to heat stress induced by global warming and lays the foundation for developing targeted conservation strategies in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shan Huang
- Guangxi Laboratory on the Study of Coral Reefs in the South China Sea, Coral Reef Research Center of China, School of Marine Sciences, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China
| | - Li Luo
- Guangxi Laboratory on the Study of Coral Reefs in the South China Sea, Coral Reef Research Center of China, School of Marine Sciences, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China
| | - Beihua Wen
- School of Resources, Environment and Materials, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China
| | - Xurui Liu
- School of Animal Science and Technology, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China
| | - Kefu Yu
- Guangxi Laboratory on the Study of Coral Reefs in the South China Sea, Coral Reef Research Center of China, School of Marine Sciences, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China; Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou 511458, China.
| | - Man Zhang
- Guangxi Laboratory on the Study of Coral Reefs in the South China Sea, Coral Reef Research Center of China, School of Marine Sciences, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China.
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4
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Williams A. Multiomics data integration, limitations, and prospects to reveal the metabolic activity of the coral holobiont. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2024; 100:fiae058. [PMID: 38653719 PMCID: PMC11067971 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiae058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2023] [Revised: 03/25/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Since their radiation in the Middle Triassic period ∼240 million years ago, stony corals have survived past climate fluctuations and five mass extinctions. Their long-term survival underscores the inherent resilience of corals, particularly when considering the nutrient-poor marine environments in which they have thrived. However, coral bleaching has emerged as a global threat to coral survival, requiring rapid advancements in coral research to understand holobiont stress responses and allow for interventions before extensive bleaching occurs. This review encompasses the potential, as well as the limits, of multiomics data applications when applied to the coral holobiont. Synopses for how different omics tools have been applied to date and their current restrictions are discussed, in addition to ways these restrictions may be overcome, such as recruiting new technology to studies, utilizing novel bioinformatics approaches, and generally integrating omics data. Lastly, this review presents considerations for the design of holobiont multiomics studies to support lab-to-field advancements of coral stress marker monitoring systems. Although much of the bleaching mechanism has eluded investigation to date, multiomic studies have already produced key findings regarding the holobiont's stress response, and have the potential to advance the field further.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda Williams
- Microbial Biology Graduate Program, Rutgers University, 76 Lipman Drive, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, United States
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rutgers University, 76 Lipman Drive, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, United States
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5
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Yang X, Wang J, Chang CY, Zhou F, Liu J, Xu H, Ibrahim M, Gomez M, Guo GL, Liu H, Zong WX, Wondisford FE, Su X, White E, Feng Z, Hu W. Leukemia inhibitory factor suppresses hepatic de novo lipogenesis and induces cachexia in mice. Nat Commun 2024; 15:627. [PMID: 38245529 PMCID: PMC10799847 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-44924-w] [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: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 01/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Cancer cachexia is a systemic metabolic syndrome characterized by involuntary weight loss, and muscle and adipose tissue wasting. Mechanisms underlying cachexia remain poorly understood. Leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), a multi-functional cytokine, has been suggested as a cachexia-inducing factor. In a transgenic mouse model with conditional LIF expression, systemic elevation of LIF induces cachexia. LIF overexpression decreases de novo lipogenesis and disrupts lipid homeostasis in the liver. Liver-specific LIF receptor knockout attenuates LIF-induced cachexia, suggesting that LIF-induced functional changes in the liver contribute to cachexia. Mechanistically, LIF overexpression activates STAT3 to downregulate PPARα, a master regulator of lipid metabolism, leading to the downregulation of a group of PPARα target genes involved in lipogenesis and decreased lipogenesis in the liver. Activating PPARα by fenofibrate, a PPARα agonist, restores lipid homeostasis in the liver and inhibits LIF-induced cachexia. These results provide valuable insights into cachexia, which may help develop strategies to treat cancer cachexia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue Yang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
| | - Jianming Wang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
| | - Chun-Yuan Chang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
| | - Fan Zhou
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
| | - Juan Liu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
| | - Huiting Xu
- Department of Medicine, Rutgers-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
| | - Maria Ibrahim
- Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
| | - Maria Gomez
- Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
| | - Grace L Guo
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
- Environmental and Occupational Health Science Institute, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
- Department of Veterans Affairs New Jersey Health Care System, East Orange, NJ, USA
| | - Hao Liu
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Rutgers School of Public Health, Piscataway, NJ, USA
- Biostatistics Shared Resource, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
| | - Wei-Xing Zong
- Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
- Department of Chemical Biology, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - Fredric E Wondisford
- Department of Medicine, Rutgers-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
| | - Xiaoyang Su
- Department of Medicine, Rutgers-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
- Metabolomics Core Facility, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
| | - Eileen White
- Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
- Ludwig Princeton Branch, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Zhaohui Feng
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA.
| | - Wenwei Hu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA.
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6
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Ishida H, John U, Murray SA, Bhattacharya D, Chan CX. Developing model systems for dinoflagellates in the post-genomic era. JOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY 2023; 59:799-808. [PMID: 37657822 DOI: 10.1111/jpy.13386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 09/03/2023]
Abstract
Dinoflagellates are a diverse group of eukaryotic microbes that are ubiquitous in aquatic environments. Largely photosynthetic, they encompass symbiotic, parasitic, and free-living lineages with a broad spectrum of trophism. Many free-living taxa can produce bioactive secondary metabolites such as biotoxins, some of which cause harmful algal blooms. In contrast, most symbiotic species are crucial for sustaining coral reef health. The year 2023 marked a decade since the first genome data of dinoflagellates became available. The growing genome-scale resources for these taxa are highlighting their remarkable evolutionary and genomic complexities. Here, we discuss the prospect of developing dinoflagellate models using the criteria of accessibility, tractability, resources, research support, and promise. Moving forward in the post-genomic era, we argue for the development of fit-to-purpose models that tailor to specific biological contexts, and that a one-size-fits-all model is inadequate for encapsulating the complex biology, ecology, and evolutionary history of dinoflagellates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hisatake Ishida
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, Australian Centre for Ecogenomics, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Uwe John
- Alfred-Wegener-Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Bremerhaven, Germany
- Helmholtz Institute for Functional Marine Biodiversity, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Shauna A Murray
- School of Life Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Debashish Bhattacharya
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA
| | - Cheong Xin Chan
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, Australian Centre for Ecogenomics, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
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7
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Minen RI, Thirumalaikumar VP, Skirycz A. Proteinogenic dipeptides, an emerging class of small-molecule regulators. CURRENT OPINION IN PLANT BIOLOGY 2023; 75:102395. [PMID: 37311365 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbi.2023.102395] [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: 01/10/2023] [Revised: 05/07/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Proteinogenic dipeptides, with few known exceptions, are products of protein degradation. Dipeptide levels respond to the changes in the environment, often in a dipeptide-specific manner. What drives this specificity is currently unknown; what likely contributes is the activity of the different peptidases that cleave off the terminal dipeptide from the longer peptides. Dipeptidases that degrade dipeptides to amino acids, and the turnover rates of the "substrate" proteins/peptides. Plants can both uptake dipeptides from the soil, but dipeptides are also found in root exudates. Dipeptide transporters, members of the proton-coupled peptide transporters NTR1/PTR family, contribute to nitrogen reallocation between the sink and source tissues. Besides their role in nitrogen distribution, it becomes increasingly clear that dipeptides may also serve regulatory, dipeptide-specific functions. Dipeptides are found in protein complexes affecting the activity of their protein partners. Moreover, dipeptide supplementation leads to cellular phenotypes reflected in changes in plant growth and stress tolerance. Herein we will review the current understanding of dipeptides' metabolism, transport, and functions and discuss significant challenges and future directions for the comprehensive characterization of this fascinating but underrated group of small-molecule compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Aleksandra Skirycz
- Boyce Thompson Institute, 14853, Ithaca, NY, USA; Cornell University, 14853, Ithaca, NY, USA.
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8
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Wang C, Zheng X, Kvitt H, Sheng H, Sun D, Niu G, Tchernov D, Shi T. Lineage-specific symbionts mediate differential coral responses to thermal stress. MICROBIOME 2023; 11:211. [PMID: 37752514 PMCID: PMC10521517 DOI: 10.1186/s40168-023-01653-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ocean warming is a leading cause of increasing episodes of coral bleaching, the dissociation between coral hosts and their dinoflagellate algal symbionts in the family Symbiodiniaceae. While the diversity and flexibility of Symbiodiniaceae is presumably responsible for variations in coral response to physical stressors such as elevated temperature, there is little data directly comparing physiological performance that accounts for symbiont identity associated with the same coral host species. Here, using Pocillopora damicornis harboring genotypically distinct Symbiodiniaceae strains, we examined the physiological responses of the coral holobiont and the dynamics of symbiont community change under thermal stress in a laboratory-controlled experiment. RESULTS We found that P. damicornis dominated with symbionts of metahaplotype D1-D4-D6 in the genus Durusdinium (i.e., PdD holobiont) was more robust to thermal stress than its counterpart with symbionts of metahaplotype C42-C1-C1b-C1c in the genus Cladocopium (i.e., PdC holobiont). Under ambient temperature, however, the thermally sensitive Cladocopium spp. exhibited higher photosynthetic efficiency and translocated more fixed carbon to the host, likely facilitating faster coral growth and calcification. Moreover, we observed a thermally induced increase in Durusdinium proportion in the PdC holobiont; however, this "symbiont shuffling" in the background was overwhelmed by the overall Cladocopium dominance, which coincided with faster coral bleaching and reduced calcification. CONCLUSIONS These findings support that lineage-specific symbiont dominance is a driver of distinct coral responses to thermal stress. In addition, we found that "symbiont shuffling" may begin with stress-forced, subtle changes in the rare biosphere to eventually trade off growth for increased resilience. Furthermore, the flexibility in corals' association with thermally tolerant symbiont lineages to adapt or acclimatize to future warming oceans should be viewed with conservative optimism as the current rate of environmental changes may outpace the evolutionary capabilities of corals. Video Abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenying Wang
- Key Laboratory of Marine Ecology Conservation and Restoration, Third Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Xiamen, 361005, China
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China
| | - Xinqing Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Marine Ecology Conservation and Restoration, Third Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Xiamen, 361005, China.
- Observation and Research Station of Wetland Ecosystem in the Beibu Gulf, Ministry of Natural Resources, Beihai, 536015, China.
| | - Hagit Kvitt
- Marine Biology Department, The Leon H. Charney School of Marine Sciences, University of Haifa, 31905, Haifa, Israel
- Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research, National Center for Mariculture, 88112, Eilat, Israel
| | - Huaxia Sheng
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China
| | - Danye Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China
| | - Gaofeng Niu
- Marine Genomics and Biotechnology Program, Institute of Marine Science and Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266237, China
| | - Dan Tchernov
- Marine Biology Department, The Leon H. Charney School of Marine Sciences, University of Haifa, 31905, Haifa, Israel.
| | - Tuo Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China.
- Marine Genomics and Biotechnology Program, Institute of Marine Science and Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266237, China.
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Guangzhou, 510000, China.
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9
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Williams A, Stephens TG, Shumaker A, Bhattacharya D. Peeling back the layers of coral holobiont multi-omics data. iScience 2023; 26:107623. [PMID: 37694134 PMCID: PMC10482995 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.107623] [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: 04/20/2023] [Revised: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 08/10/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The integration of multiple 'omics' datasets is a promising avenue for answering many important and challenging questions in biology, particularly those relating to complex ecological systems. Although multi-omics was developed using data from model organisms with significant prior knowledge and resources, its application to non-model organisms, such as coral holobionts, is less clear-cut. We explore, in the emerging rice coral model Montipora capitata, the intersection of holobiont transcriptomic, proteomic, metabolomic, and microbiome amplicon data and investigate how well they correlate under high temperature treatment. Using a typical thermal stress regime, we show that transcriptomic and proteomic data broadly capture the stress response of the coral, whereas the metabolome and microbiome datasets show patterns that likely reflect stochastic and homeostatic processes associated with each sample. These results provide a framework for interpreting multi-omics data generated from non-model systems, particularly those with complex biotic interactions among microbial partners.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda Williams
- Microbial Biology Graduate Program, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
| | - Timothy G. Stephens
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
| | - Alexander Shumaker
- Microbial Biology Graduate Program, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
| | - Debashish Bhattacharya
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
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10
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Chan WY, Rudd D, van Oppen MJ. Spatial metabolomics for symbiotic marine invertebrates. Life Sci Alliance 2023; 6:e202301900. [PMID: 37202120 PMCID: PMC10200813 DOI: 10.26508/lsa.202301900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2023] [Revised: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Microbial symbionts frequently localize within specific body structures or cell types of their multicellular hosts. This spatiotemporal niche is critical to host health, nutrient exchange, and fitness. Measuring host-microbe metabolite exchange has conventionally relied on tissue homogenates, eliminating dimensionality and dampening analytical sensitivity. We have developed a mass spectrometry imaging workflow for a soft- and hard-bodied cnidarian animal capable of revealing the host and symbiont metabolome in situ, without the need for a priori isotopic labelling or skeleton decalcification. The mass spectrometry imaging method provides critical functional insights that cannot be gleaned from bulk tissue analyses or other presently available spatial methods. We show that cnidarian hosts may regulate microalgal symbiont acquisition and rejection through specific ceramides distributed throughout the tissue lining the gastrovascular cavity. The distribution pattern of betaine lipids showed that once resident, symbionts primarily reside in light-exposed tentacles to generate photosynthate. Spatial patterns of these metabolites also revealed that symbiont identity can drive host metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wing Yan Chan
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, Australia
| | - David Rudd
- Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Parkville, Australia
- Melbourne Centre for Nanofabrication, Clayton, Australia
| | - Madeleine Jh van Oppen
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, Australia
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11
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Apprill A, Girdhar Y, Mooney TA, Hansel CM, Long MH, Liu Y, Zhang WG, Kapit J, Hughen K, Coogan J, Greene A. Toward a New Era of Coral Reef Monitoring. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023; 57:5117-5124. [PMID: 36930700 PMCID: PMC10077584 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c05369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2022] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Coral reefs host some of the highest concentrations of biodiversity and economic value in the oceans, yet these ecosystems are under threat due to climate change and other human impacts. Reef monitoring is routinely used to help prioritize reefs for conservation and evaluate the success of intervention efforts. Reef status and health are most frequently characterized using diver-based surveys, but the inherent limitations of these methods mean there is a growing need for advanced, standardized, and automated reef techniques that capture the complex nature of the ecosystem. Here we draw on experiences from our own interdisciplinary research programs to describe advances in in situ diver-based and autonomous reef monitoring. We present our vision for integrating interdisciplinary measurements for select "case-study" reefs worldwide and for learning patterns within the biological, physical, and chemical reef components and their interactions. Ultimately, these efforts could support the development of a scalable and standardized suite of sensors that capture and relay key data to assist in categorizing reef health. This framework has the potential to provide stakeholders with the information necessary to assess reef health during an unprecedented time of reef change as well as restoration and intervention activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy Apprill
- Department
of Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry, Woods
Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543, United States
| | - Yogesh Girdhar
- Department
of Applied Ocean Sciences and Engineering, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543, United States
| | - T. Aran Mooney
- Biology
Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543, United States
| | - Colleen M. Hansel
- Department
of Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry, Woods
Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543, United States
| | - Matthew H. Long
- Department
of Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry, Woods
Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543, United States
| | - Yaqin Liu
- Marine
Policy Center, Woods Hole Oceanographic
Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543, United States
| | - W. Gordon Zhang
- Department
of Applied Ocean Sciences and Engineering, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543, United States
| | - Jason Kapit
- Department
of Applied Ocean Sciences and Engineering, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543, United States
| | - Konrad Hughen
- Department
of Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry, Woods
Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543, United States
| | - Jeff Coogan
- Department
of Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry, Woods
Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543, United States
| | - Austin Greene
- Department
of Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry, Woods
Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543, United States
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12
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Mohamed AR, Ochsenkühn MA, Kazlak AM, Moustafa A, Amin SA. The coral microbiome: towards an understanding of the molecular mechanisms of coral-microbiota interactions. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2023; 47:fuad005. [PMID: 36882224 PMCID: PMC10045912 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuad005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2022] [Revised: 02/10/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Corals live in a complex, multipartite symbiosis with diverse microbes across kingdoms, some of which are implicated in vital functions, such as those related to resilience against climate change. However, knowledge gaps and technical challenges limit our understanding of the nature and functional significance of complex symbiotic relationships within corals. Here, we provide an overview of the complexity of the coral microbiome focusing on taxonomic diversity and functions of well-studied and cryptic microbes. Mining the coral literature indicate that while corals collectively harbour a third of all marine bacterial phyla, known bacterial symbionts and antagonists of corals represent a minute fraction of this diversity and that these taxa cluster into select genera, suggesting selective evolutionary mechanisms enabled these bacteria to gain a niche within the holobiont. Recent advances in coral microbiome research aimed at leveraging microbiome manipulation to increase coral's fitness to help mitigate heat stress-related mortality are discussed. Then, insights into the potential mechanisms through which microbiota can communicate with and modify host responses are examined by describing known recognition patterns, potential microbially derived coral epigenome effector proteins and coral gene regulation. Finally, the power of omics tools used to study corals are highlighted with emphasis on an integrated host-microbiota multiomics framework to understand the underlying mechanisms during symbiosis and climate change-driven dysbiosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amin R Mohamed
- Biology Program, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi 129188, United Arab Emirates
| | - Michael A Ochsenkühn
- Biology Program, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi 129188, United Arab Emirates
| | - Ahmed M Kazlak
- Systems Genomics Laboratory, American University in Cairo, New Cairo 11835, Egypt
- Biotechnology Graduate Program, American University in Cairo, New Cairo 11835, Egypt
| | - Ahmed Moustafa
- Systems Genomics Laboratory, American University in Cairo, New Cairo 11835, Egypt
- Biotechnology Graduate Program, American University in Cairo, New Cairo 11835, Egypt
- Department of Biology, American University in Cairo, New Cairo 11835, Egypt
| | - Shady A Amin
- Biology Program, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi 129188, United Arab Emirates
- Center for Genomics and Systems Biology (CGSB), New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi 129188, United Arab Emirates
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13
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Impact of Marine Chemical Ecology Research on the Discovery and Development of New Pharmaceuticals. Mar Drugs 2023; 21:md21030174. [PMID: 36976223 PMCID: PMC10055925 DOI: 10.3390/md21030174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Revised: 03/04/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 03/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Diverse ecologically important metabolites, such as allelochemicals, infochemicals and volatile organic chemicals, are involved in marine organismal interactions. Chemically mediated interactions between intra- and interspecific organisms can have a significant impact on community organization, population structure and ecosystem functioning. Advances in analytical techniques, microscopy and genomics are providing insights on the chemistry and functional roles of the metabolites involved in such interactions. This review highlights the targeted translational value of several marine chemical ecology-driven research studies and their impact on the sustainable discovery of novel therapeutic agents. These chemical ecology-based approaches include activated defense, allelochemicals arising from organismal interactions, spatio-temporal variations of allelochemicals and phylogeny-based approaches. In addition, innovative analytical techniques used in the mapping of surface metabolites as well as in metabolite translocation within marine holobionts are summarized. Chemical information related to the maintenance of the marine symbioses and biosyntheses of specialized compounds can be harnessed for biomedical applications, particularly in microbial fermentation and compound production. Furthermore, the impact of climate change on the chemical ecology of marine organisms—especially on the production, functionality and perception of allelochemicals—and its implications on drug discovery efforts will be presented.
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14
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Travesso M, Missionário M, Cruz S, Calado R, Madeira D. Combined effect of marine heatwaves and light intensity on the cellular stress response and photophysiology of the leather coral Sarcophyton cf. glaucum. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 861:160460. [PMID: 36435249 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.160460] [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: 07/29/2022] [Revised: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 11/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Marine heatwaves (MHW) are threatening tropical coral reef ecosystems, leading to mass bleaching events worldwide. The combination of heat stress with high irradiance is known to shape the health and redox status of corals, but research is biased toward scleractinian corals, while much less is known on tropical symbiotic soft corals. Here, we evaluated the cellular stress response and the photophysiological performance of the soft coral Sarcophyton cf. glaucum, popularly termed as leather coral, under different global change scenarios. Corals were exposed to different light intensities (high light, low light, ∼662 and 253 μmol photons m-2 s-1) for 30 days (time-point 1) and a subsequent MHW simulation was carried out for 10 days (control 26 vs 32 °C) (time-point 2). Subsequently, corals were returned to control temperature and allowed to recover for 30 days (time-point 3). Photophysiological performance (maximum quantum yield of photosystem II (Fv/Fm), a measure of photosynthetic activity; dark-level fluorescence (F0), as a proxy of chlorophyll a content (Chl a); and zooxanthellae density) and stress biomarkers (total protein, antioxidants, lipid peroxidation, ubiquitin, and heat shock protein 70) were assessed in corals at these three time-points. Corals were especially sensitive to the combination of heat and high light stress, experiencing a decrease in their photosynthetic efficiency under these conditions. Heat stress resulted in bleaching via zooxanthellae loss while high light stress led to pigment (Chl a) loss. This species' antioxidant defenses, and protein degradation were particularly enhanced under heat stress. A recovery was clear for molecular parameters after 30 days of recovery, whereby photophysiological performance required more time to return to basal levels. We conclude that soft corals distributed along intertidal areas, where the light intensity is high, could be especially vulnerable to marine heatwave events, highlighting the need to direct conservation efforts toward these organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margarida Travesso
- ECOMARE-Laboratory for Innovation and Sustainability of Marine Biological Resources, CESAM-Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, Estrada do Porto de Pesca Costeira, 3830-565 Gafanha da Nazaré, Portugal
| | - Madalena Missionário
- ECOMARE-Laboratory for Innovation and Sustainability of Marine Biological Resources, CESAM-Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, Estrada do Porto de Pesca Costeira, 3830-565 Gafanha da Nazaré, Portugal
| | - Sónia Cruz
- ECOMARE-Laboratory for Innovation and Sustainability of Marine Biological Resources, CESAM-Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, Estrada do Porto de Pesca Costeira, 3830-565 Gafanha da Nazaré, Portugal
| | - Ricardo Calado
- ECOMARE-Laboratory for Innovation and Sustainability of Marine Biological Resources, CESAM-Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, Estrada do Porto de Pesca Costeira, 3830-565 Gafanha da Nazaré, Portugal
| | - Diana Madeira
- ECOMARE-Laboratory for Innovation and Sustainability of Marine Biological Resources, CESAM-Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, Estrada do Porto de Pesca Costeira, 3830-565 Gafanha da Nazaré, Portugal.
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15
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Haydon TD, Matthews JL, Seymour JR, Raina JB, Seymour JE, Chartrand K, Camp EF, Suggett DJ. Metabolomic signatures of corals thriving across extreme reef habitats reveal strategies of heat stress tolerance. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20221877. [PMID: 36750192 PMCID: PMC9904954 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.1877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Anthropogenic stressors continue to escalate worldwide, driving unprecedented declines in reef environmental conditions and coral health. One approach to better understand how corals can function in the future is to examine coral populations that thrive within present day naturally extreme habitats. We applied untargeted metabolomics (gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS)) to contrast metabolite profiles of Pocillopora acuta colonies from hot, acidic and deoxygenated mangrove environments versus those from adjacent reefs. Under ambient temperatures, P. acuta predominantly associated with endosymbionts of the genera Cladocopium (reef) or Durusdinium (mangrove), exhibiting elevated metabolism in mangrove through energy-generating and biosynthesis pathways compared to reef populations. Under transient heat stress, P. acuta endosymbiont associations were unchanged. Reef corals bleached and exhibited extensive shifts in symbiont metabolic profiles (whereas host metabolite profiles were unchanged). By contrast, mangrove populations did not bleach and solely the host metabolite profiles were altered, including cellular responses in inter-partner signalling, antioxidant capacity and energy storage. Thus mangrove P. acuta populations resist periodically high-temperature exposure via association with thermally tolerant endosymbionts coupled with host metabolic plasticity. Our findings highlight specific metabolites that may be biomarkers of heat tolerance, providing novel insight into adaptive coral resilience to elevated temperatures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trent D. Haydon
- Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, New York University Abu Dhabi, PO Box 129188, Abu Dhabi, UAE
- Faculty of Science, Climate Change Cluster, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, New South Wales 2007, Australia
| | - Jennifer L. Matthews
- Faculty of Science, Climate Change Cluster, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, New South Wales 2007, Australia
| | - Justin R. Seymour
- Faculty of Science, Climate Change Cluster, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, New South Wales 2007, Australia
| | - Jean-Baptiste Raina
- Faculty of Science, Climate Change Cluster, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, New South Wales 2007, Australia
| | - Jamie E. Seymour
- Division of Tropical Health and Medicine, Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine, James Cook University, Cairns, QLD 4811, Australia
| | - Kathryn Chartrand
- Centre for tropical Water and Aquatic Ecosystem Research, James Cook University, Cairns, QLD 4811, Australia
| | - Emma F. Camp
- Faculty of Science, Climate Change Cluster, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, New South Wales 2007, Australia
| | - David J. Suggett
- Faculty of Science, Climate Change Cluster, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, New South Wales 2007, Australia
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16
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Walker NS, Nestor V, Golbuu Y, Palumbi SR. Coral bleaching resistance variation is linked to differential mortality and skeletal growth during recovery. Evol Appl 2023; 16:504-517. [PMID: 36793702 PMCID: PMC9923480 DOI: 10.1111/eva.13500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2022] [Revised: 09/19/2022] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The prevalence of global coral bleaching has focused much attention on the possibility of interventions to increase heat resistance. However, if high heat resistance is linked to fitness tradeoffs that may disadvantage corals in other areas, then a more holistic view of heat resilience may be beneficial. In particular, overall resilience of a species to heat stress is likely to be the product of both resistance to heat and recovery from heat stress. Here, we investigate heat resistance and recovery among individual Acropora hyacinthus colonies in Palau. We divided corals into low, moderate, and high heat resistance categories based on the number of days (4-9) needed to reach significant pigmentation loss due to experimental heat stress. Afterward, we deployed corals back onto a reef in a common garden 6-month recovery experiment that monitored chlorophyll a, mortality, and skeletal growth. Heat resistance was negatively correlated with mortality during early recovery (0-1 month) but not late recovery (4-6 months), and chlorophyll a concentration recovered in heat-stressed corals by 1-month postbleaching. However, moderate-resistance corals had significantly greater skeletal growth than high-resistance corals by 4 months of recovery. High- and low-resistance corals on average did not exhibit skeletal growth within the observed recovery period. These data suggest complex tradeoffs may exist between coral heat resistance and recovery and highlight the importance of incorporating multiple aspects of resilience into future reef management programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nia S Walker
- Department of Biology Hopkins Marine Station of Stanford University Pacific Grove California USA.,Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology University of Hawai'i at Mānoa Kāne'ohe Hawaii USA
| | | | | | - Stephen R Palumbi
- Department of Biology Hopkins Marine Station of Stanford University Pacific Grove California USA
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17
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Bove CB, Ingersoll MV, Davies SW. Help Me, Symbionts, You're My Only Hope: Approaches to Accelerate our Understanding of Coral Holobiont Interactions. Integr Comp Biol 2022; 62:1756-1769. [PMID: 36099871 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icac141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2022] [Revised: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 09/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Tropical corals construct the three-dimensional framework for one of the most diverse ecosystems on the planet, providing habitat to a plethora of species across taxa. However, these ecosystem engineers are facing unprecedented challenges, such as increasing disease prevalence and marine heatwaves associated with anthropogenic global change. As a result, major declines in coral cover and health are being observed across the world's oceans, often due to the breakdown of coral-associated symbioses. Here, we review the interactions between the major symbiotic partners of the coral holobiont-the cnidarian host, algae in the family Symbiodiniaceae, and the microbiome-that influence trait variation, including the molecular mechanisms that underlie symbiosis and the resulting physiological benefits of different microbial partnerships. In doing so, we highlight the current framework for the formation and maintenance of cnidarian-Symbiodiniaceae symbiosis, and the role that immunity pathways play in this relationship. We emphasize that understanding these complex interactions is challenging when you consider the vast genetic variation of the cnidarian host and algal symbiont, as well as their highly diverse microbiome, which is also an important player in coral holobiont health. Given the complex interactions between and among symbiotic partners, we propose several research directions and approaches focused on symbiosis model systems and emerging technologies that will broaden our understanding of how these partner interactions may facilitate the prediction of coral holobiont phenotype, especially under rapid environmental change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colleen B Bove
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | | | - Sarah W Davies
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
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18
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Shaffer JP, Nothias LF, Thompson LR, Sanders JG, Salido RA, Couvillion SP, Brejnrod AD, Lejzerowicz F, Haiminen N, Huang S, Lutz HL, Zhu Q, Martino C, Morton JT, Karthikeyan S, Nothias-Esposito M, Dührkop K, Böcker S, Kim HW, Aksenov AA, Bittremieux W, Minich JJ, Marotz C, Bryant MM, Sanders K, Schwartz T, Humphrey G, Vásquez-Baeza Y, Tripathi A, Parida L, Carrieri AP, Beck KL, Das P, González A, McDonald D, Ladau J, Karst SM, Albertsen M, Ackermann G, DeReus J, Thomas T, Petras D, Shade A, Stegen J, Song SJ, Metz TO, Swafford AD, Dorrestein PC, Jansson JK, Gilbert JA, Knight R. Standardized multi-omics of Earth's microbiomes reveals microbial and metabolite diversity. Nat Microbiol 2022; 7:2128-2150. [PMID: 36443458 PMCID: PMC9712116 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-022-01266-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2021] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Despite advances in sequencing, lack of standardization makes comparisons across studies challenging and hampers insights into the structure and function of microbial communities across multiple habitats on a planetary scale. Here we present a multi-omics analysis of a diverse set of 880 microbial community samples collected for the Earth Microbiome Project. We include amplicon (16S, 18S, ITS) and shotgun metagenomic sequence data, and untargeted metabolomics data (liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry and gas chromatography mass spectrometry). We used standardized protocols and analytical methods to characterize microbial communities, focusing on relationships and co-occurrences of microbially related metabolites and microbial taxa across environments, thus allowing us to explore diversity at extraordinary scale. In addition to a reference database for metagenomic and metabolomic data, we provide a framework for incorporating additional studies, enabling the expansion of existing knowledge in the form of an evolving community resource. We demonstrate the utility of this database by testing the hypothesis that every microbe and metabolite is everywhere but the environment selects. Our results show that metabolite diversity exhibits turnover and nestedness related to both microbial communities and the environment, whereas the relative abundances of microbially related metabolites vary and co-occur with specific microbial consortia in a habitat-specific manner. We additionally show the power of certain chemistry, in particular terpenoids, in distinguishing Earth's environments (for example, terrestrial plant surfaces and soils, freshwater and marine animal stool), as well as that of certain microbes including Conexibacter woesei (terrestrial soils), Haloquadratum walsbyi (marine deposits) and Pantoea dispersa (terrestrial plant detritus). This Resource provides insight into the taxa and metabolites within microbial communities from diverse habitats across Earth, informing both microbial and chemical ecology, and provides a foundation and methods for multi-omics microbiome studies of hosts and the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin P Shaffer
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Louis-Félix Nothias
- Collaborative Mass Spectrometry Innovation Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Luke R Thompson
- Northern Gulf Institute, Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS, USA
- Ocean Chemistry and Ecosystems Division, Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Jon G Sanders
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Rodolfo A Salido
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Sneha P Couvillion
- Earth and Biological Sciences Directorate, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, USA
| | - Asker D Brejnrod
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Franck Lejzerowicz
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Center for Microbiome Innovation, Jacobs School of Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Niina Haiminen
- IBM Research, T.J. Watson Research Center, Yorktown Heights, NY, USA
| | - Shi Huang
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Center for Microbiome Innovation, Jacobs School of Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Holly L Lutz
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Qiyun Zhu
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
- Biodesign Center for Fundamental and Applied Microbiomics, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Cameron Martino
- Center for Microbiome Innovation, Jacobs School of Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Bioinformatics and Systems Biology Program, Jacobs School of Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - James T Morton
- Center for Computational Biology, Flatiron Institute, Simons Foundation, New York, NY, USA
| | - Smruthi Karthikeyan
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Mélissa Nothias-Esposito
- Collaborative Mass Spectrometry Innovation Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Kai Dührkop
- Chair for Bioinformatics, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
| | - Sebastian Böcker
- Chair for Bioinformatics, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
| | - Hyun Woo Kim
- College of Pharmacy and Integrated Research Institute for Drug Development, Dongguk University, Gyeonggi-do, Korea
| | - Alexander A Aksenov
- Collaborative Mass Spectrometry Innovation Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Department of Chemistry, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA
| | - Wout Bittremieux
- Collaborative Mass Spectrometry Innovation Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Department of Computer Science, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Jeremiah J Minich
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Clarisse Marotz
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - MacKenzie M Bryant
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Karenina Sanders
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Tara Schwartz
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Greg Humphrey
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Yoshiki Vásquez-Baeza
- Center for Microbiome Innovation, Jacobs School of Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Anupriya Tripathi
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Laxmi Parida
- IBM Research, T.J. Watson Research Center, Yorktown Heights, NY, USA
| | | | - Kristen L Beck
- IBM Research, Almaden Research Center, San Jose, CA, USA
| | - Promi Das
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Antonio González
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Daniel McDonald
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Joshua Ladau
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Søren M Karst
- Department of Virus and Microbiological Special Diagnostics, Statens Serum Institute, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Mads Albertsen
- Department of Chemistry and Bioscience, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Gail Ackermann
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Jeff DeReus
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Torsten Thomas
- Centre for Marine Science and Innovation, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Science, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Daniel Petras
- Collaborative Mass Spectrometry Innovation Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Interfaculty Institute of Microbiology and Infection Medicine, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
| | - Ashley Shade
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - James Stegen
- Earth and Biological Sciences Directorate, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, USA
| | - Se Jin Song
- Center for Microbiome Innovation, Jacobs School of Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Thomas O Metz
- Earth and Biological Sciences Directorate, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, USA
| | - Austin D Swafford
- Center for Microbiome Innovation, Jacobs School of Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Pieter C Dorrestein
- Collaborative Mass Spectrometry Innovation Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Janet K Jansson
- Earth and Biological Sciences Directorate, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, USA
| | - Jack A Gilbert
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Rob Knight
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
- Center for Microbiome Innovation, Jacobs School of Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Jacobs School of Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
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19
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Pei J, Chen S, Yu K, Hu J, Wang Y, Zhang J, Qin Z, Zhang R, Kuo TH, Chung HH, Hsu CC. Metabolomics Characterization of Scleractinia Corals with Different Life-History Strategies: A Case Study about Pocillopora meandrina and Seriatopora hystrix in the South China Sea. Metabolites 2022; 12:metabo12111079. [PMID: 36355162 PMCID: PMC9693324 DOI: 10.3390/metabo12111079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2022] [Revised: 11/05/2022] [Accepted: 11/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Life-history strategies play a critical role in susceptibility to environmental stresses for Scleractinia coral. Metabolomics, which is capable of determining the metabolic responses of biological systems to genetic and environmental changes, is competent for the characterization of species’ biological traits. In this study, two coral species (Pocillopora meandrina and Seriatopora hystrix in the South China Sea) with different life-history strategies (“competitive” and “weedy”) were targeted, and untargeted mass spectrometry metabolomics combined with molecular networking was applied to characterize their differential metabolic pathways. The results show that lyso-platelet activating factors (lyso-PAFs), diacylglyceryl carboxyhydroxymethylcholine (DGCC), aromatic amino acids, and sulfhydryl compounds were more enriched in P. meandrina, whereas new phospholipids, dehydrated phosphoglycerol dihydroceramide (de-PG DHC), monoacylglycerol (MAG), fatty acids (FA) (C < 18), short peptides, and guanidine compounds were more enriched in S. hystrix. The metabolic pathways involved immune response, energy metabolism, cellular membrane structure regulation, oxidative stress system, secondary metabolite synthesis, etc. While the immune system (lysoPAF) and secondary metabolite synthesis (aromatic amino acids and sulfhydryl compounds) facilitates fast growth and resistance to environmental stressors of P. meandrina, the cell membrane structure (structural lipids), energy storage (storage lipids), oxidative stress system (short peptides), and secondary metabolite synthesis (guanidine compounds) are beneficial to the survival of S. hystrix in harsh conditions. This study contributes to the understanding of the potential molecular traits underlying life-history strategies of different coral species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiying Pei
- Coral Reef Research Center of China, Guangxi Laboratory on the Study of Coral Reefs in the South China Sea, School of Marine Sciences, Guangxi University, Nanning 530000, China
| | - Shiguo Chen
- Coral Reef Research Center of China, Guangxi Laboratory on the Study of Coral Reefs in the South China Sea, School of Marine Sciences, Guangxi University, Nanning 530000, China
| | - Kefu Yu
- Coral Reef Research Center of China, Guangxi Laboratory on the Study of Coral Reefs in the South China Sea, School of Marine Sciences, Guangxi University, Nanning 530000, China
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory, Zhuhai 519080, China
- Correspondence:
| | - Junjie Hu
- Coral Reef Research Center of China, Guangxi Laboratory on the Study of Coral Reefs in the South China Sea, School of Marine Sciences, Guangxi University, Nanning 530000, China
| | - Yitong Wang
- Coral Reef Research Center of China, Guangxi Laboratory on the Study of Coral Reefs in the South China Sea, School of Marine Sciences, Guangxi University, Nanning 530000, China
| | - Jingjing Zhang
- Coral Reef Research Center of China, Guangxi Laboratory on the Study of Coral Reefs in the South China Sea, School of Marine Sciences, Guangxi University, Nanning 530000, China
| | - Zhenjun Qin
- Coral Reef Research Center of China, Guangxi Laboratory on the Study of Coral Reefs in the South China Sea, School of Marine Sciences, Guangxi University, Nanning 530000, China
| | - Ruijie Zhang
- Coral Reef Research Center of China, Guangxi Laboratory on the Study of Coral Reefs in the South China Sea, School of Marine Sciences, Guangxi University, Nanning 530000, China
| | - Ting-Hao Kuo
- Department of Chemistry, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
| | - Hsin-Hsiang Chung
- Department of Chemistry, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
| | - Cheng-Chih Hsu
- Department of Chemistry, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
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20
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Pei JY, Yu WF, Zhang JJ, Kuo TH, Chung HH, Hu JJ, Hsu CC, Yu KF. Mass spectrometry-based metabolomic signatures of coral bleaching under thermal stress. Anal Bioanal Chem 2022; 414:7635-7646. [PMID: 36059041 DOI: 10.1007/s00216-022-04294-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2022] [Revised: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Coral bleaching caused by climate change has resulted in large-scale coral reef decline worldwide. However, the knowledge of physiological response mechanisms of scleractinian corals under high-temperature stress is still challenging. Here, untargeted mass spectrometry-based metabolomics combining with Global Natural Product Social Molecular Networking (GNPS) was utilized to investigate the physiological response of the coral species Pavona decussata under thermal stress. A wide variety of metabolites (including lipids, fatty acids, amino acids, peptides, osmolytes) were identified as the potential biomarkers and subjected to metabolic pathway enrichment analysis. We discovered that, in the thermal-stressed P. decussata coral holobiont, (1) numerous metabolites in classes of lipids and amino acids significantly decreased, indicating an enhanced lipid hydrolysis and aminolysis that contributed to up-regulation in gluconeogenesis to meet energy demand for basic survival; (2) pantothenate and panthenol, two essential intermediates in tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, were up-regulated, implying enhanced efficiency in energy production; (3) small peptides (e.g., Glu-Leu and Glu-Glu-Glu-Glu) and lyso-platelet-activating factor (lysoPAF) possibly implicated a strengthened coral immune response; (4) the down-regulation of betaine and trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), known as osmolyte compounds for maintaining holobiont homeostasis, might be the result of disruption of coral holobiont.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ji-Ying Pei
- Coral Reef Research Center of China, Guangxi Laboratory On the Study of Coral Reefs in the South China Sea, School of Marine Sciences, Guangxi University, Nanning, Guangxi, 530000, People's Republic of China
| | - Wen-Feng Yu
- Coral Reef Research Center of China, Guangxi Laboratory On the Study of Coral Reefs in the South China Sea, School of Marine Sciences, Guangxi University, Nanning, Guangxi, 530000, People's Republic of China
| | - Jing-Jing Zhang
- Coral Reef Research Center of China, Guangxi Laboratory On the Study of Coral Reefs in the South China Sea, School of Marine Sciences, Guangxi University, Nanning, Guangxi, 530000, People's Republic of China
| | - Ting-Hao Kuo
- Department of Chemistry, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan
| | - Hsin-Hsiang Chung
- Department of Chemistry, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan
| | - Jun-Jie Hu
- Coral Reef Research Center of China, Guangxi Laboratory On the Study of Coral Reefs in the South China Sea, School of Marine Sciences, Guangxi University, Nanning, Guangxi, 530000, People's Republic of China
| | - Cheng-Chih Hsu
- Department of Chemistry, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan
| | - Ke-Fu Yu
- Coral Reef Research Center of China, Guangxi Laboratory On the Study of Coral Reefs in the South China Sea, School of Marine Sciences, Guangxi University, Nanning, Guangxi, 530000, People's Republic of China.
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory, Zhuhai, Guangdong, 519080, People's Republic of China.
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21
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Adaptive Responses of the Sea Anemone Heteractis crispa to the Interaction of Acidification and Global Warming. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12172259. [PMID: 36077978 PMCID: PMC9454579 DOI: 10.3390/ani12172259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2022] [Revised: 08/26/2022] [Accepted: 08/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Ocean acidification and warming are two of the most important threats to the existence of marine organisms and are predicted to co-occur in oceans. The present work evaluated the effects of acidification (AC: 24 ± 0.1 °C and 900 μatm CO2), warming (WC: 30 ± 0.1 °C and 450 μatm CO2), and their combination (CC: 30 ± 0.1 °C and 900 μatm CO2) on the sea anemone, Heteractis crispa, from the aspects of photosynthetic apparatus (maximum quantum yield of photosystem II (PS II), chlorophyll level, and Symbiodiniaceae density) and sterol metabolism (cholesterol content and total sterol content). In a 15-day experiment, acidification alone had no apparent effect on the photosynthetic apparatus, but did affect sterol levels. Upregulation of their chlorophyll level is an important strategy for symbionts to adapt to high partial pressure of CO2 (pCO2). However, after warming stress, the benefits of high pCO2 had little effect on stress tolerance in H. crispa. Indeed, thermal stress was the dominant driver of the deteriorating health of H. crispa. Cholesterol and total sterol contents were significantly affected by all three stress conditions, although there was no significant change in the AC group on day 3. Thus, cholesterol or sterol levels could be used as important indicators to evaluate the impact of climate change on cnidarians. Our findings suggest that H. crispa might be relatively insensitive to the impact of ocean acidification, whereas increased temperature in the future ocean might impair viability of H. crispa.
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22
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Meng Z, Williams A, Liau P, Stephens TG, Drury C, Chiles EN, Su X, Javanmard M, Bhattacharya D. Development of a portable toolkit to diagnose coral thermal stress. Sci Rep 2022; 12:14398. [PMID: 36002502 PMCID: PMC9402530 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-18653-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Coral bleaching, precipitated by the expulsion of the algal symbionts that provide colonies with fixed carbon is a global threat to reef survival. To protect corals from anthropogenic stress, portable tools are needed to detect and diagnose stress syndromes and assess population health prior to extensive bleaching. Here, medical grade Urinalysis strips, used to detect an array of disease markers in humans, were tested on the lab stressed Hawaiian coral species, Montipora capitata (stress resistant) and Pocillopora acuta (stress sensitive), as well as samples from nature that also included Porites compressa. Of the 10 diagnostic reagent tests on these strips, two appear most applicable to corals: ketone and leukocytes. The test strip results from M. capitata were explored using existing transcriptomic data from the same samples and provided evidence of the stress syndromes detected by the strips. We designed a 3D printed smartphone holder and image processing software for field analysis of test strips (TestStripDX) and devised a simple strategy to generate color scores for corals (reflecting extent of bleaching) using a smartphone camera (CoralDX). Our approaches provide field deployable methods, that can be improved in the future (e.g., coral-specific stress test strips) to assess reef health using inexpensive tools and freely available software.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhuolun Meng
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA
| | - Amanda Williams
- Microbial Biology Graduate Program, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, USA
| | - Pinky Liau
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, USA
| | - Timothy G Stephens
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, USA
| | - Crawford Drury
- Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Kaneohe, HI, 96744, USA
| | - Eric N Chiles
- Metabolomics Shared Resource, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, USA
| | - Xiaoyang Su
- Metabolomics Shared Resource, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, USA
| | - Mehdi Javanmard
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA.
| | - Debashish Bhattacharya
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, USA.
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23
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Cowen LJ, Putnam HM. Bioinformatics of Corals: Investigating Heterogeneous Omics Data from Coral Holobionts for Insight into Reef Health and Resilience. Annu Rev Biomed Data Sci 2022; 5:205-231. [PMID: 35537462 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-biodatasci-122120-030732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Coral reefs are home to over two million species and provide habitat for roughly 25% of all marine animals, but they are being severely threatened by pollution and climate change. A large amount of genomic, transcriptomic, and other omics data is becoming increasingly available from different species of reef-building corals, the unicellular dinoflagellates, and the coral microbiome (bacteria, archaea, viruses, fungi, etc.). Such new data present an opportunity for bioinformatics researchers and computational biologists to contribute to a timely, compelling, and urgent investigation of critical factors that influence reef health and resilience. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Biomedical Data Science, Volume 5 is August 2022. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lenore J Cowen
- Department of Computer Science, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts, USA;
| | - Hollie M Putnam
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, Rhode Island, USA;
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24
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Shoguchi E. Gene clusters for biosynthesis of mycosporine-like amino acids in dinoflagellate nuclear genomes: Possible recent horizontal gene transfer between species of Symbiodiniaceae (Dinophyceae). JOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY 2022; 58:1-11. [PMID: 34699617 PMCID: PMC9298759 DOI: 10.1111/jpy.13219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2021] [Revised: 10/01/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2021] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Global warming increases the temperature of the ocean surface, which can disrupt dinoflagellate-coral symbioses and result in coral bleaching. Photosynthetic dinoflagellates of the family Symbiodiniaceae include bleaching-tolerant and bleaching-sensitive coral symbionts. Therefore, understanding the molecular mechanisms for changing symbiont diversity is potentially useful to assist recovery of coral holobionts (corals and their associated microbes, including multiple species of Symbiodiniaceae), although sexual reproduction has not been observed in the Symbiodiniaceae. Recent molecular phylogenetic analyses estimate that the Symbiodiniaceae appeared 160 million years ago and diversified into 15 groups, five genera of which now have available draft genomes (i.e., Symbiodinium, Durusdinium, Breviolum, Fugacium, and Cladocopium). Comparative genomic analyses have suggested that crown groups have fewer gene families than early-diverging groups, although many genes that were probably acquired via gene duplications and horizontal gene transfers (HGTs) have been found in each decoded genome. Because UV stress is likely a contributor to coral bleaching, and because the highly conserved gene cluster for mycosporine-like amino acid (MAA) biosynthesis has been found in thermal-tolerant symbiont genomes, I reviewed genomic features of the Symbiodiniaceae, focusing on possible acquisition of a biosynthetic gene cluster for MAAs, which absorb UV radiation. On the basis of highly conserved noncoding sequences, I hypothesized that HGTs have occurred among members of the Symbiodiniaceae and have contributed to the diversification of Symbiodiniaceae-host relationships. Finally, I proposed that bleaching tolerance may be strengthened by multiple MAAs from both symbiotic dinoflagellates and corals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eiichi Shoguchi
- Marine Genomics UnitOkinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate UniversityOnnaOkinawa904‐0495Japan
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25
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Williams A, Pathmanathan JS, Stephens TG, Su X, Chiles EN, Conetta D, Putnam HM, Bhattacharya D. Multi-omic characterization of the thermal stress phenome in the stony coral Montipora capitata. PeerJ 2021; 9:e12335. [PMID: 34824906 PMCID: PMC8590396 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.12335] [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: 05/31/2021] [Accepted: 09/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Corals, which form the foundation of biodiverse reef ecosystems, are under threat from warming oceans. Reefs provide essential ecological services, including food, income from tourism, nutrient cycling, waste removal, and the absorption of wave energy to mitigate erosion. Here, we studied the coral thermal stress response using network methods to analyze transcriptomic and polar metabolomic data generated from the Hawaiian rice coral Montipora capitata. Coral nubbins were exposed to ambient or thermal stress conditions over a 5-week period, coinciding with a mass spawning event of this species. The major goal of our study was to expand the inventory of thermal stress-related genes and metabolites present in M. capitata and to study gene-metabolite interactions. These interactions provide the foundation for functional or genetic analysis of key coral genes as well as provide potentially diagnostic markers of pre-bleaching stress. A secondary goal of our study was to analyze the accumulation of sex hormones prior to and during mass spawning to understand how thermal stress may impact reproductive success in M. capitata. Methods M. capitata was exposed to thermal stress during its spawning cycle over the course of 5 weeks, during which time transcriptomic and polar metabolomic data were collected. We analyzed these data streams individually, and then integrated both data sets using MAGI (Metabolite Annotation and Gene Integration) to investigate molecular transitions and biochemical reactions. Results Our results reveal the complexity of the thermal stress phenome in M. capitata, which includes many genes involved in redox regulation, biomineralization, and reproduction. The size and number of modules in the gene co-expression networks expanded from the initial stress response to the onset of bleaching. The later stages involved the suppression of metabolite transport by the coral host, including a variety of sodium-coupled transporters and a putative ammonium transporter, possibly as a response to reduction in algal productivity. The gene-metabolite integration data suggest that thermal treatment results in the activation of animal redox stress pathways involved in quenching molecular oxygen to prevent an overabundance of reactive oxygen species. Lastly, evidence that thermal stress affects reproductive activity was provided by the downregulation of CYP-like genes and the irregular production of sex hormones during the mass spawning cycle. Overall, redox regulation and metabolite transport are key components of the coral animal thermal stress phenome. Mass spawning was highly attenuated under thermal stress, suggesting that global climate change may negatively impact reproductive behavior in this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda Williams
- Microbial Biology Graduate Program, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, United States
| | - Jananan S Pathmanathan
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, United States
| | - Timothy G Stephens
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, United States
| | - Xiaoyang Su
- Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, United States.,Metabolomics Shared Resource, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers University,New Brunswick, United States
| | - Eric N Chiles
- Metabolomics Shared Resource, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers University,New Brunswick, United States
| | - Dennis Conetta
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, United States
| | - Hollie M Putnam
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, United States
| | - Debashish Bhattacharya
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, United States
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26
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Abstract
Dissolved exometabolites mediate algal interactions in aquatic ecosystems, but microalgal exometabolomes remain understudied. We conducted an untargeted metabolomic analysis of nonpolar exometabolites exuded from four phylogenetically and ecologically diverse eukaryotic microalgal strains grown in the laboratory, freshwater Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, brackish Desmodesmus sp., marine Phaeodactylum tricornutum, and marine Microchloropsis salina, to identify released metabolites based on relative enrichment in the exometabolomes compared to cell pellet metabolomes. Exudates from the different taxa were distinct, but we did not observe clear phylogenetic patterns. We used feature-based molecular networking to explore the identities of these metabolites, revealing several distinct di- and tripeptides secreted by each of the algae, lumichrome, a compound that is known to be involved in plant growth and bacterial quorum sensing, and novel prostaglandin-like compounds. We further investigated the impacts of exogenous additions of eight compounds selected based on exometabolome enrichment on algal growth. Of these compounds, five (lumichrome, 5′-S-methyl-5′-thioadenosine, 17-phenyl trinor prostaglandin A2, dodecanedioic acid, and aleuritic acid) impacted growth in at least one of the algal cultures. Two of these compounds (dodecanedioic acid and aleuritic acid) produced contrasting results, increasing growth in some algae and decreasing growth in others. Together, our results reveal new groups of microalgal exometabolites, some of which could alter algal growth when provided exogenously, suggesting potential roles in allelopathy and algal interactions. IMPORTANCE Microalgae are responsible for nearly half of primary production on earth and play an important role in global biogeochemical cycling as well as in a range of industrial applications. Algal exometabolites are important mediators of algal-algal and algal-bacterial interactions that ultimately affect algal growth and physiology. In this study, we characterize exometabolomes across marine and freshwater algae to gain insights into the diverse metabolites they release into their environments (“exudates”). We observe that while phylogeny can play a role in exometabolome content, environmental conditions or habitat origin (freshwater versus marine) are also important. We also find that several of these compounds can influence algal growth (as measured by chlorophyll production) when provided exogenously, highlighting the importance of characterization of these novel compounds and their role in microalgal ecophysiology.
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27
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Metabolomic signatures of coral bleaching history. Nat Ecol Evol 2021; 5:495-503. [PMID: 33558733 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-020-01388-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2020] [Accepted: 12/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Coral bleaching has a profound impact on the health and function of reef ecosystems, but the metabolomic effects of coral bleaching are largely uncharacterized. Here, untargeted metabolomics was used to analyse pairs of adjacent Montipora capitata corals that had contrasting bleaching phenotypes during a severe bleaching event in 2015. When these same corals were sampled four years later while visually healthy, there was a strong metabolomic signature of bleaching history. This was primarily driven by betaine lipids from the symbiont, where corals that did not bleach were enriched in saturated lyso-betaine lipids. Immune modulator molecules were also altered by bleaching history in both the coral host and the algal symbiont, suggesting a shared role in partner choice and bleaching response. Metabolomics from a separate set of validation corals was able to predict the bleaching phenotype with 100% accuracy. Experimental temperature stress induced phenotype-specific responses, which magnified differences between historical bleaching phenotypes. These findings indicate that natural bleaching susceptibility is manifested in the biochemistry of both the coral animal and its algal symbiont. This metabolome difference is stable through time and results in different physiological responses to temperature stress. This work provides insight into the biochemical mechanisms of coral bleaching and presents a valuable new tool for resilience-based reef restoration.
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28
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Putnam HM. Avenues of reef-building coral acclimatization in response to rapid environmental change. J Exp Biol 2021; 224:224/Suppl_1/jeb239319. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.239319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
ABSTRACT
The swiftly changing climate presents a challenge to organismal fitness by creating a mismatch between the current environment and phenotypes adapted to historic conditions. Acclimatory mechanisms may be especially crucial for sessile benthic marine taxa, such as reef-building corals, where climate change factors including ocean acidification and increasing temperature elicit strong negative physiological responses such as bleaching, disease and mortality. Here, within the context of multiple stressors threatening marine organisms, I describe the wealth of metaorganism response mechanisms to rapid ocean change and the ontogenetic shifts in organism interactions with the environment that can generate plasticity. I then highlight the need to consider the interactions of rapid and evolutionary responses in an adaptive (epi)genetic continuum. Building on the definitions of these mechanisms and continuum, I also present how the interplay of the microbiome, epigenetics and parental effects creates additional avenues for rapid acclimatization. To consider under what conditions epigenetic inheritance has a more substantial role, I propose investigation into the offset of timing of gametogenesis leading to different environmental integration times between eggs and sperm and the consequences of this for gamete epigenetic compatibility. Collectively, non-genetic, yet heritable phenotypic plasticity will have significant ecological and evolutionary implications for sessile marine organism persistence under rapid climate change. As such, reef-building corals present ideal and time-sensitive models for further development of our understanding of adaptive feedback loops in a multi-player (epi)genetic continuum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hollie M. Putnam
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI 02881, USA
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