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He X, Zou J, Chen Q, Qin X, Liu Y, Zeng L, Su H. Microbial and transcriptional response of Acropora valida and Turbinaria peltata to Vibrio coralliilyticus challenge: insights into corals disease resistance. BMC Microbiol 2024; 24:288. [PMID: 39095694 PMCID: PMC11295391 DOI: 10.1186/s12866-024-03438-7] [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: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 07/23/2024] [Indexed: 08/04/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Coral diseases are significant drivers of global coral reef degradation, with pathogens dominated by Vibrio coralliilyticus playing a prominent role in the development of coral diseases. Coral phenotype, symbiotic microbial communities, and host transcriptional regulation have been well-established as factors involved in determining coral disease resistance, but the underlying mechanisms remain incompletely understood. METHODS This study employs high-throughput sequencing to analyse the symbiotic microbial and transcriptional response of the hosts in order to evaluate the disease resistance of Acropora valida and Turbinaria peltata exposed to Vibrio coralliilyticus. RESULTS A. valida exhibited pronounced bleaching and tissue loss within 7 h of pathogen infection, whereas T. peltata showed no signs of disease throughout the experiment. Microbial diversity analyses revealed that T. peltata had a more flexible microbial community and a higher relative abundance of potential beneficial bacteria compared to A. valida. Although Vibrio inoculation resulted in a more significant decrease in the Symbiodiniaceae density of A. valida compared to that of T. peltata, it did not lead to recombination of the coral host and Symbiodiniaceae in either coral species. RNA-seq analysis revealed that the interspecific differences in the transcriptional regulation of hosts after Vibrio inoculation. Differentially expressed genes in A. valida were mainly enriched in the pathways associated with energy supply and immune response, such as G protein-coupled receptor signaling, toll-like receptor signaling, regulation of TOR signaling, while these genes in T. peltata were mainly involved in the pathway related to immune homeostasis and ion transport, such as JAK-STAT signaling pathway and regulation of ion transport. CONCLUSIONS Pathogenic challenges elicit different microbial and transcriptional shifts across coral species. This study offers novel insights into molecular mechanisms of coral resistance to disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xucong He
- 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, 530004, China
| | - Jie Zou
- 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, 530004, China
- School of Resources, Environment and Materials, Guangxi University, Nanning, 530004, China
| | - Qiqi 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, 530004, China
- School of Resources, Environment and Materials, Guangxi University, Nanning, 530004, China
| | - Xiao 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, 530004, China
| | - Yuan Liu
- 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, 530004, China
| | - Lujia Zeng
- 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, 530004, China
| | - Hongfei Su
- 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, 530004, China.
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Boas Lichty KE, Loughran RM, Ushijima B, Richards GP, Boyd EF. Osmotic stress response of the coral and oyster pathogen Vibrio coralliilyticus: acquisition of catabolism gene clusters for the compatible solute and signaling molecule myo-inositol. Appl Environ Microbiol 2024; 90:e0092024. [PMID: 38874337 PMCID: PMC11267925 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00920-24] [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: 05/10/2024] [Accepted: 05/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Marine bacteria experience fluctuations in osmolarity that they must adapt to, and most bacteria respond to high osmolarity by accumulating compatible solutes also known as osmolytes. The osmotic stress response and compatible solutes used by the coral and oyster pathogen Vibrio coralliilyticus were unknown. In this study, we showed that to alleviate osmotic stress V. coralliilyticus biosynthesized glycine betaine (GB) and transported into the cell choline, GB, ectoine, dimethylglycine, and dimethylsulfoniopropionate, but not myo-inositol. Myo-inositol is a stress protectant and a signaling molecule that is biosynthesized and used by algae. Bioinformatics identified myo-inositol (iol) catabolism clusters in V. coralliilyticus and other Vibrio, Photobacterium, Grimontia, and Enterovibrio species. Growth pattern analysis demonstrated that V. coralliilyticus utilized myo-inositol as a sole carbon source, with a short lag time of 3 h. An iolG deletion mutant, which encodes an inositol dehydrogenase, was unable to grow on myo-inositol. Within the iol clusters were an MFS-type (iolT1) and an ABC-type (iolXYZ) transporter and analyses showed that both transported myo-inositol. IolG and IolA phylogeny among Vibrionaceae species showed different evolutionary histories indicating multiple acquisition events. Outside of Vibrionaceae, IolG was most closely related to IolG from a small group of Aeromonas fish and human pathogens and Providencia species. However, IolG from hypervirulent A. hydrophila strains clustered with IolG from Enterobacter, and divergently from Pectobacterium, Brenneria, and Dickeya plant pathogens. The iol cluster was also present within Aliiroseovarius, Burkholderia, Endozoicomonas, Halomonas, Labrenzia, Marinomonas, Marinobacterium, Cobetia, Pantoea, and Pseudomonas, of which many species were associated with marine flora and fauna.IMPORTANCEHost associated bacteria such as Vibrio coralliilyticus encounter competition for nutrients and have evolved metabolic strategies to better compete for food. Emerging studies show that myo-inositol is exchanged in the coral-algae symbiosis, is likely involved in signaling, but is also an osmolyte in algae. The bacterial consumption of myo-inositol could contribute to a breakdown of the coral-algae symbiosis during thermal stress or disrupt the coral microbiome. Phylogenetic analyses showed that the evolutionary history of myo-inositol metabolism is complex, acquired multiple times in Vibrio, but acquired once in many bacterial plant pathogens. Further analysis also showed that a conserved iol cluster is prevalent among many marine species (commensals, mutualists, and pathogens) associated with marine flora and fauna, algae, sponges, corals, molluscs, crustaceans, and fish.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rachel M. Loughran
- Microbiology Graduate Program, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, USA
| | - Blake Ushijima
- Department of Biology and Marine Biology, University of North Carolina Wilmington, Wilmington, North Carolina, USA
| | - Gary P. Richards
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Dover, Delaware, USA
| | - E. Fidelma Boyd
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, USA
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Boas Lichty KE, Loughran RM, Ushijima B, Richards GP, Boyd EF. Osmotic stress response of the coral and oyster pathogen Vibrio coralliilyticus : acquisition of catabolism gene clusters for the compatible solute and signaling molecule myo -inositol. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.16.575920. [PMID: 38766061 PMCID: PMC11100586 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.16.575920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
Marine bacteria experience fluctuations in osmolarity that they must adapt to, and most bacteria respond to high osmolarity by accumulating compatible solutes also known as osmolytes. The osmotic stress response and compatible solutes used by the coral and oyster pathogen Vibrio coralliilyticus were unknown. In this study, we showed that to alleviate osmotic stress V. coralliilyticus biosynthesized glycine betaine (GB) and transported into the cell choline, GB, ectoine, dimethylglycine, and dimethylsulfoniopropionate, but not myo -inositol. Myo -inositol is a stress protectant and a signaling molecule that is biosynthesized and used by algae. Bioinformatics identified myo -inositol ( iol ) catabolism clusters in V. coralliilyticus and other Vibrio, Photobacterium, Grimontia, and Enterovibrio species. Growth pattern analysis demonstrated that V. coralliilyticus utilized myo -inositol as a sole carbon source, with a short lag time of 3 h. An iolG deletion mutant, which encodes an inositol dehydrogenase, was unable to grow on myo -inositol. Within the iol clusters were an MFS-type ( iolT1) and an ABC-type ( iolXYZ) transporter and analyses showed that both transported myo -inositol. IolG and IolA phylogeny among Vibrionaceae species showed different evolutionary histories indicating multiple acquisition events. Outside of Vibrionaceae , IolG was most closely related to IolG from a small group of Aeromonas fish and human pathogens and Providencia species. However, IolG from hypervirulent A. hydrophila strains clustered with IolG from Enterobacter, and divergently from Pectobacterium, Brenneria, and Dickeya plant pathogens. The iol cluster was also present within Aliiroseovarius, Burkholderia, Endozoicomonas, Halomonas, Labrenzia, Marinomonas, Marinobacterium, Cobetia, Pantoea, and Pseudomonas, of which many species were associated with marine flora and fauna. IMPORTANCE Host associated bacteria such as V. coralliilyticus encounter competition for nutrients and have evolved metabolic strategies to better compete for food. Emerging studies show that myo -inositol is exchanged in the coral-algae symbiosis, is likely involved in signaling, but is also an osmolyte in algae. The bacterial consumption of myo -inositol could contribute to a breakdown of the coral-algae symbiosis during thermal stress or disrupt the coral microbiome. Phylogenetic analyses showed that the evolutionary history of myo -inositol metabolism is complex, acquired multiple times in Vibrio, but acquired once in many bacterial plant pathogens. Further analysis also showed that a conserved iol cluster is prevalent among many marine species (commensals, mutualists, and pathogens) associated with marine flora and fauna, algae, sponges, corals, molluscs, crustaceans, and fish.
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Wang S, Lu C, Zhang Q, He X, Wang W, Li J, Su H. Microbial community and transcriptional responses to V. coralliilyticus stress in coral Favites halicora and Pocillopora damicornis holobiont. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 196:106394. [PMID: 38340371 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2024.106394] [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: 11/07/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 02/04/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
Variability in coral hosts susceptibility to Vibrio coralliilyticus is well-documented; however, the comprehensive understanding of tolerance of response to pathogen among coral species is lacked. Herein, we investigated the microbial communities and transcriptome dynamics of two corals in response to Vibrio coralliilyticus. Favites halicora displayed greater resistance to Vibrio coralliilyticus challenge than Pocillopora damicornis. Furthermore, the relative abundances of Flavobacteriaceae, Vibrionacea, Rhodobacteraceae, and Roseobacteraceae increased significantly in Favites halicora following pathogen stress, whereas that of Akkermansiaceae increased significantly in Pocillopora damicornis, leading to bacterial community imbalance. In contrast to the previous results, pathogen infection did not have much effect on the community structures of Symbiodiniaceae and fungi, but led to a decrease in the density of Symbiodiniaceae. Transcriptome analysis indicated that Vibrio infection triggered a coral immune response, resulting in higher expression of immune-related genes, which appeared to have higher transcriptional plasticity in Favites halicora than in Pocillopora damicornis. Specifically, the upregulated genes of Favites halicora were predominantly involved in the apoptosis pathway, whereas Pocillopora damicornis were significantly enriched in the nucleotide excision repair and base excision repair pathways. These findings suggest that coral holobionts activate different mechanisms across species in response to pathogens through shifts in microbial communities and transcriptomes, which provides novel insight into assessing the future coral assemblages suffering from disease outbreaks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuying 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, 530004, China; School of Resources, Environment and Materials, Guangxi University, Nanning, 530004, China
| | - Chunrong Lu
- 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, 530004, China
| | - Qi 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, 530004, China
| | - Xucong He
- 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, 530004, China
| | - Weihui 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, 530004, China
| | - Jiani Li
- 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, 530004, China
| | - Hongfei Su
- 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, 530004, China.
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Billaud M, Larbret F, Czerucka D. Impact of rising seawater temperature on a phagocytic cell population during V. parahaemolyticus infection in the sea anemone E. pallida. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1292410. [PMID: 38077367 PMCID: PMC10703433 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1292410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Climate change is increasing ocean temperatures and consequently impacts marine life (e.g., bacterial communities). In this context, studying host-pathogen interactions in marine organisms is becoming increasingly important, not only for ecological conservation, but also to reduce economic loss due to mass mortalities in cultured species. In this study, we used Exaiptasia pallida (E. pallida), an anemone, as an emerging marine model to better understand the effect of rising temperatures on the infection induced by the pathogenic marine bacterium Vibrio parahaemolyticus. The effect of temperature on E. pallida was examined at 6, 24, or 30 h after bath inoculation with 108 CFU of V. parahaemolyticus expressing GFP (Vp-GFP) at 27°C (husbandry temperature) or 31°C (heat stress). Morphological observations of E. pallida and their Hsps expression demonstrated heat stress induced increasing damage to anemones. The kinetics of the infections revealed that Vp-GFP were localized on the surface of the ectoderm and in the mucus during the first hours of infection and in the mesenterial filaments thereafter. To better identify the E. pallida cells targeted by Vp-GFP infection, we used spectral flow cytometry. E. pallida cell types were identified based on their autofluorescent properties. corresponding to different cell types (algae and cnidocytes). We identified an AF10 population whose autofluorescent spectrum was identical to that of human monocytes/macrophage, suggesting that this spectral print could be the hallmark of phagocytic cells called "amebocytes''. AF10 autofluorescent cells had a high capacity to phagocytize Vp-GFP, suggesting their possible role in fighting infection. This was confirmed by microscopy using sorted AF10 and GFP-positive cells (AF10+/GFP+). The number of AF10+/GFP+ cells were reduced at 31°C, demonstrating that increased temperature not only damages tissue but also affects the immune response of E. pallida. In conclusion, our study provides a springboard for more comprehensive studies of immune defense in marine organisms and paves the way for future studies of the dynamics, activation patterns, and functional responses of immune cells when encountering pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mélanie Billaud
- Biomedical Department, Scientific Center of Monaco, Monaco, Monaco
- LIA ROPSE, Laboratoire International Associé, Centre Scientifique de Monaco, Université Côte d’Azur, Nice, France
| | - Frédéric Larbret
- LIA ROPSE, Laboratoire International Associé, Centre Scientifique de Monaco, Université Côte d’Azur, Nice, France
- Université Côte d’Azur, L’Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale (INSERM), Centre Méditerranéen de Médecine Moléculaire (C3M), Nice, France
| | - Dorota Czerucka
- Biomedical Department, Scientific Center of Monaco, Monaco, Monaco
- LIA ROPSE, Laboratoire International Associé, Centre Scientifique de Monaco, Université Côte d’Azur, Nice, France
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Ashraf N, Anas A, Sukumaran V, Gopinath G, Idrees Babu KK, Dinesh Kumar PK. Recent advancements in coral health, microbiome interactions and climate change. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 878:163085. [PMID: 36996987 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.163085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2022] [Revised: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Corals are the visible indicators of the disasters induced by global climate change and anthropogenic activities and have become a highly vulnerable ecosystem on the verge of extinction. Multiple stressors could act individually or synergistically which results in small to large scale tissue degradation, reduced coral covers, and makes the corals vulnerable to various diseases. The coralline diseases are like the Chicken pox in humans because they spread hastily throughout the coral ecosystem and can devastate the coral cover formed over centuries in an abbreviated time. The extinction of the entire reef ecosystem will alter the ocean and earth's amalgam of biogeochemical cycles causing a threat to the entire planet. The current manuscript provides an overview of the recent advancement in coral health, microbiome interactions and climate change. Culture dependent and independent approaches in studying the microbiome of corals, the diseases caused by microorganisms, and the reservoirs of coral pathogens are also discussed. Finally, we discuss the possibilities of protecting the coral reefs from diseases through microbiome transplantation and the capabilities of remote sensing in monitoring their health status.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nizam Ashraf
- CSIR - National Institute of Oceanography, Regional Centre, Kochi 682018, India
| | - Abdulaziz Anas
- CSIR - National Institute of Oceanography, Regional Centre, Kochi 682018, India.
| | - Vrinda Sukumaran
- CSIR - National Institute of Oceanography, Regional Centre, Kochi 682018, India
| | - Girish Gopinath
- Department of Climate Variability and Aquatic Ecosystems, Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (KUFOS), Puduvypu Campus, Kochi 682 508, India
| | - K K Idrees Babu
- Department of Science and Technology, Kavaratti, Lakshadweep 682555, India
| | - P K Dinesh Kumar
- CSIR - National Institute of Oceanography, Regional Centre, Kochi 682018, India
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Kumar L, Brenner N, Sledzieski S, Olaosebikan M, Roger LM, Lynn-Goin M, Klein-Seetharaman R, Berger B, Putnam H, Yang J, Lewinski NA, Singh R, Daniels NM, Cowen L, Klein-Seetharaman J. Transfer of knowledge from model organisms to evolutionarily distant non-model organisms: The coral Pocillopora damicornis membrane signaling receptome. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0270965. [PMID: 36735673 PMCID: PMC9897584 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0270965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
With the ease of gene sequencing and the technology available to study and manipulate non-model organisms, the extension of the methodological toolbox required to translate our understanding of model organisms to non-model organisms has become an urgent problem. For example, mining of large coral and their symbiont sequence data is a challenge, but also provides an opportunity for understanding functionality and evolution of these and other non-model organisms. Much more information than for any other eukaryotic species is available for humans, especially related to signal transduction and diseases. However, the coral cnidarian host and human have diverged over 700 million years ago and homologies between proteins in the two species are therefore often in the gray zone, or at least often undetectable with traditional BLAST searches. We introduce a two-stage approach to identifying putative coral homologues of human proteins. First, through remote homology detection using Hidden Markov Models, we identify candidate human homologues in the cnidarian genome. However, for many proteins, the human genome alone contains multiple family members with similar or even more divergence in sequence. In the second stage, therefore, we filter the remote homology results based on the functional and structural plausibility of each coral candidate, shortlisting the coral proteins likely to have conserved some of the functions of the human proteins. We demonstrate our approach with a pipeline for mapping membrane receptors in humans to membrane receptors in corals, with specific focus on the stony coral, P. damicornis. More than 1000 human membrane receptors mapped to 335 coral receptors, including 151 G protein coupled receptors (GPCRs). To validate specific sub-families, we chose opsin proteins, representative GPCRs that confer light sensitivity, and Toll-like receptors, representative non-GPCRs, which function in the immune response, and their ability to communicate with microorganisms. Through detailed structure-function analysis of their ligand-binding pockets and downstream signaling cascades, we selected those candidate remote homologues likely to carry out related functions in the corals. This pipeline may prove generally useful for other non-model organisms, such as to support the growing field of synthetic biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lokender Kumar
- Department of Chemistry, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO, United States of America
| | - Nathanael Brenner
- Department of Chemistry, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO, United States of America
| | - Samuel Sledzieski
- MIT Computer Science & Artificial Intelligence Lab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States of America
| | - Monsurat Olaosebikan
- Department of Computer Science, Tufts University, Medford, MA, United States of America
| | - Liza M. Roger
- Department of Chemical and Life Science Engineering, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States of America
| | - Matthew Lynn-Goin
- Department of Chemistry, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO, United States of America
| | | | - Bonnie Berger
- MIT Computer Science & Artificial Intelligence Lab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States of America
| | - Hollie Putnam
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Rhode Island, South Kingstown, RI, United States of America
| | - Jinkyu Yang
- Department of Department of Aeronautics & Astronautics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States of America
| | - Nastassja A. Lewinski
- Department of Chemical and Life Science Engineering, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States of America
| | - Rohit Singh
- MIT Computer Science & Artificial Intelligence Lab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States of America
| | - Noah M. Daniels
- Department of Computer Science and Statistics, University of Rhode Island, South Kingstown, RI, United States of America
| | - Lenore Cowen
- Department of Computer Science, Tufts University, Medford, MA, United States of America
| | - Judith Klein-Seetharaman
- Department of Chemistry, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Xu Y, Dong X, Ma S, Luo C, Xu J. Massive expansion of P-selectin genes in two Venerida species, Sinonovacula constricta and Mercenaria mercenaria: evidence from comparative genomics of Bivalvia. BMC Genomics 2022; 23:662. [PMID: 36123645 PMCID: PMC9484242 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-022-08861-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2022] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Background P-selectin is a molecule participating in the inflammatory response through mediating cellular adhesion and essential for wound repair. However, studies regarding P-selectin in Bivalvia are rare. This study identified 90 P-selectin genes among nine bivalve genomes and classified them into 4 subfamilies according to phylogenetic analysis. Results Notable P-selectin gene expansion was observed in two Venerida species, Sinonovacula constricta and Mercenaria mercenaria. The synteny analysis revealed that P-selectin gene expansion was mostly caused by tandem duplication. In addition, the expression profiles of P-selectin genes in S. constricta showed that many P-selectins were specifically highly expressed in the gills, and the P-selectin expression patterns changed dramatically under low salt stress and ammonia nitrogen stress. Conclusions The massive expansion of P-selectins may facilitate the tolerance to environmental stresses. This study sheds light on the characterizations and expression profiles of P-selectin genes in Bivalvia and provides an integrated framework for further investigation of the role of P-selectins in the environmental tolerance of bivalves. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12864-022-08861-6.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanfeng Xu
- School of Marine Sciences, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315020, China
| | - Xumeng Dong
- School of Marine Sciences, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315020, China
| | - Shuonan Ma
- School of Marine Sciences, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315020, China.
| | - Cheng Luo
- School of Marine Sciences, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315020, China
| | - Jilin Xu
- School of Marine Sciences, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315020, China.
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Appah JKM, Lynch SA, Lim A, O' Riordan R, O'Reilly L, de Oliveira L, Wheeler AJ. A health survey of the reef forming scleractinian cold-water corals Lophelia pertusa and Madrepora oculata in a remote submarine canyon on the European continental margin, NE Atlantic. J Invertebr Pathol 2022; 192:107782. [PMID: 35667398 DOI: 10.1016/j.jip.2022.107782] [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: 11/29/2021] [Revised: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 05/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Monitoring of cold-water corals (CWCs) for pathogens and diseases is limited due to the environment, protected nature of the corals and their habitat and as well as the challenging and sampling effort required. It is recognised that environmental factors such as temperature and pH can expedite the ability of pathogens to cause diseases in cold-water corals therefore the characterisation of pathogen diversity, prevalence and associated pathologies is essential. The present study combined histology and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) diagnostic techniques to screen for two significant pathogen groups (bacteria of the genus Vibrio and the protozoan Haplosporidia) in the dominant NE Atlantic deep-water framework corals Lophelia pertusa (13 colonies) and Madrepora oculata (2 colonies) at three sampling locations (canyon head, south branch and the flank) in the Porcupine Bank Canyon (PBC), NE Atlantic. One M. oculata colony and four L. pertusa colonies were collected from both the canyon flank and the south branch whilst five L. pertusa colonies were collected from the canyon head. No pathogens were detected in the M. oculata samples. Neither histology nor PCR detected Vibrio spp. in L. pertusa, although Illumina technology used in this study to profile the CWCs microbiome, detected V. shilonii (0.03%) in a single L. pertusa individual, from the canyon head, that had also been screened in this study. A macroborer was observed at a prevalence of 0.07% at the canyon head only. Rickettsiales-like organisms (RLOs) were visualised with an overall prevalence of 40% and with a low intensity of 1 to 4 (RLO) colonies per individual polyp by histology. L. pertusa from the PBC canyon head had an RLO prevalence of 13.3% with the highest detection of 26.7% recorded in the south branch corals. Similarly, unidentified cells observed in L. pertusa from the south branch (20%) were more common than those observed in L. pertusa from the canyon head (6.7%). No RLOs or unidentified cells were observed in corals from the flank. Mean particulate organic matter concentration is highest in the south branch (2,612 μg l-1) followed by the canyon head (1,065 μg l-1) and lowest at the canyon flank (494 μg l-1). Although the route of pathogen entry and the impact of RLO infection on L. pertusa is unclear, particulate availability and the feeding strategies employed by the scleractinian corals may be influencing their exposure to pathogens. The absence of a pathogen in M. oculata may be attributed to the smaller number of colonies screened or the narrower diet in M. oculata compared to the unrestricted diet exhibited in L. pertusa, if ingestion is a route of entry for pathogen groups. The findings of this study also shed some light on how environmental conditions experienced by deep sea organisms and their life strategies may be limiting pathogen diversity and prevalence.
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Affiliation(s)
- J K M Appah
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences / Environmental Research Institute, University College Cork, Distillery Fields, North Mall, Cork, Ireland.
| | - S A Lynch
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences / Environmental Research Institute, University College Cork, Distillery Fields, North Mall, Cork, Ireland
| | - A Lim
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences / Environmental Research Institute, University College Cork, Distillery Fields, North Mall, Cork, Ireland; Green Rebel Marine, Crosshaven Boatyard, Crosshaven, Co Cork, Ireland
| | - R O' Riordan
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences / Environmental Research Institute, University College Cork, Distillery Fields, North Mall, Cork, Ireland
| | - L O'Reilly
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences / Environmental Research Institute, University College Cork, Distillery Fields, North Mall, Cork, Ireland
| | - L de Oliveira
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences / Environmental Research Institute, University College Cork, Distillery Fields, North Mall, Cork, Ireland
| | - A J Wheeler
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences / Environmental Research Institute, University College Cork, Distillery Fields, North Mall, Cork, Ireland; Irish Centre for Research in Applied Geosciences / Marine & Renewable Energy Institute (MaREI), University College, Cork
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10
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Machine-Learning-Based Proteomic Predictive Modeling with Thermally-Challenged Caribbean Reef Corals. DIVERSITY 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/d14010033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Coral health is currently diagnosed retroactively; colonies are deemed “stressed” upon succumbing to bleaching or disease. Ideally, health inferences would instead be made on a pre-death timescale that would enable, for instance, environmental mitigation that could promote coral resilience. To this end, diverse Caribbean coral (Orbicella faveolata) genotypes of varying resilience to high temperatures along the Florida Reef Tract were exposed herein to elevated temperatures in the laboratory, and a proteomic analysis was taken with a subset of 20 samples via iTRAQ labeling followed by nano-liquid chromatography + mass spectrometry; 46 host coral and 40 Symbiodiniaceae dinoflagellate proteins passed all stringent quality control criteria, and the partial proteomes of biopsies of (1) healthy controls, (2) sub-lethally stressed samples, and (3) actively bleaching corals differed significantly from one another. The proteomic data were then used to train predictive models of coral colony bleaching susceptibility, and both generalized regression and machine-learning-based neural networks were capable of accurately forecasting the bleaching susceptibility of coral samples based on their protein signatures. Successful future testing of the predictive power of these models in situ could establish the capacity to proactively monitor coral health.
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11
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Traylor-Knowles N, Emery M. Analysis of Spatial Gene Expression at the Cellular Level in Stony Corals. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2450:359-371. [PMID: 35359318 PMCID: PMC9761507 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2172-1_19] [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] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Scleractinians, or stony corals, are colonial animals that possess a high regenerative capacity and a highly diverse innate immune system. As such they present the opportunity to investigate the interconnection between regeneration and immunity in a colonial animal. Understanding the relationship between regeneration and immunity in stony corals is of further interest as it has major implications for coral reef health. One method for understanding the role of innate immunity in scleractinian regeneration is in situ hybridization using RNA probes. Here we describe a protocol for in situ hybridization in adult stony corals using a digoxigenin (DIG)-labeled RNA antisense probe which can be utilized to investigate the spatial expression of immune factors during regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikki Traylor-Knowles
- Department of Marine Biology and Ecology, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA.
| | - Madison Emery
- Department of Marine Biology and Ecology, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX, USA
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12
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Maire J, Blackall LL, van Oppen MJH. Intracellular Bacterial Symbionts in Corals: Challenges and Future Directions. Microorganisms 2021; 9:2209. [PMID: 34835335 PMCID: PMC8619543 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9112209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2021] [Revised: 10/21/2021] [Accepted: 10/21/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Corals are the main primary producers of coral reefs and build the three-dimensional reef structure that provides habitat to more than 25% of all marine eukaryotes. They harbor a complex consortium of microorganisms, including bacteria, archaea, fungi, viruses, and protists, which they rely on for their survival. The symbiosis between corals and bacteria is poorly studied, and their symbiotic relationships with intracellular bacteria are only just beginning to be acknowledged. In this review, we emphasize the importance of characterizing intracellular bacteria associated with corals and explore how successful approaches used to study such microorganisms in other systems could be adapted for research on corals. We propose a framework for the description, identification, and functional characterization of coral-associated intracellular bacterial symbionts. Finally, we highlight the possible value of intracellular bacteria in microbiome manipulation and mitigating coral bleaching.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin Maire
- School of Biosciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia; (L.L.B.); (M.J.H.v.O.)
| | - Linda L. Blackall
- School of Biosciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia; (L.L.B.); (M.J.H.v.O.)
| | - Madeleine J. H. van Oppen
- School of Biosciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia; (L.L.B.); (M.J.H.v.O.)
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, QLD 4810, Australia
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13
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Santoro EP, Borges RM, Espinoza JL, Freire M, Messias CSMA, Villela HDM, Pereira LM, Vilela CLS, Rosado JG, Cardoso PM, Rosado PM, Assis JM, Duarte GAS, Perna G, Rosado AS, Macrae A, Dupont CL, Nelson KE, Sweet MJ, Voolstra CR, Peixoto RS. Coral microbiome manipulation elicits metabolic and genetic restructuring to mitigate heat stress and evade mortality. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:7/33/eabg3088. [PMID: 34389536 PMCID: PMC8363143 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abg3088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2020] [Accepted: 06/24/2021] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Beneficial microorganisms for corals (BMCs) ameliorate environmental stress, but whether they can prevent mortality and the underlying host response mechanisms remains elusive. Here, we conducted omics analyses on the coral Mussismilia hispida exposed to bleaching conditions in a long-term mesocosm experiment and inoculated with a selected BMC consortium or a saline solution placebo. All corals were affected by heat stress, but the observed "post-heat stress disorder" was mitigated by BMCs, signified by patterns of dimethylsulfoniopropionate degradation, lipid maintenance, and coral host transcriptional reprogramming of cellular restructuration, repair, stress protection, and immune genes, concomitant with a 40% survival rate increase and stable photosynthetic performance by the endosymbiotic algae. This study provides insights into the responses that underlie probiotic host manipulation. We demonstrate that BMCs trigger a dynamic microbiome restructuring process that instigates genetic and metabolic alterations in the coral host that eventually mitigate coral bleaching and mortality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erika P Santoro
- Institute of Microbiology, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Ricardo M Borges
- Walter Mors Institute of Research on Natural Products, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Josh L Espinoza
- Department of Genomic Medicine and Infectious Diseases, J. Craig Venter Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Applied Sciences, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa
| | - Marcelo Freire
- Department of Genomic Medicine and Infectious Diseases, J. Craig Venter Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Global Health, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Camila S M A Messias
- Institute of Microbiology, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Helena D M Villela
- Institute of Microbiology, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Leandro M Pereira
- Institute of Microbiology, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Caren L S Vilela
- Institute of Microbiology, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - João G Rosado
- Institute of Microbiology, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Red Sea Research Center (RSRC), Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Pedro M Cardoso
- Institute of Microbiology, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Phillipe M Rosado
- Institute of Microbiology, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Juliana M Assis
- Institute of Microbiology, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Gustavo A S Duarte
- Institute of Microbiology, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Gabriela Perna
- Red Sea Research Center (RSRC), Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz 78457, Germany
| | - Alexandre S Rosado
- Institute of Microbiology, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Andrew Macrae
- Institute of Microbiology, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Christopher L Dupont
- Department of Genomic Medicine and Infectious Diseases, J. Craig Venter Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Karen E Nelson
- Department of Genomic Medicine and Infectious Diseases, J. Craig Venter Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Michael J Sweet
- Aquatic Research Facility, Environmental Sustainability Research Centre, University of Derby, Derby, UK
| | - Christian R Voolstra
- Red Sea Research Center (RSRC), Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz 78457, Germany
| | - Raquel S Peixoto
- Institute of Microbiology, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
- Red Sea Research Center (RSRC), Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
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14
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Schweinsberg M, Gösser F, Tollrian R. The history, biological relevance, and potential applications for polyp bailout in corals. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:8424-8440. [PMID: 34257908 PMCID: PMC8258201 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2021] [Revised: 05/09/2021] [Accepted: 05/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Corals have evolved a variety of stress responses to changing conditions, many of which have been the subject of scientific research. However, polyp bailout has not received widespread scientific attention, despite being described more than 80 years ago. Polyp bailout is a drastic response to acute stress in which coral colonies break down, with individual and patches of polyps detaching from the colony and the calcareous skeleton Polyps retain their symbiotic partners, have dispersal ability, and may undergo secondary settlement and calcification. Polyp bailout has been described worldwide in a variety of anthozoan species, especially in Scleractinia. It can be induced by multiple natural stressors, but also artificially. Little is known about the evolutionary and ecological potential and consequences of breaking down modularity, the dispersal ability, and reattachment of polyps resulting from polyp bailout. It has been shown that polyp bailout can be used as a model system, with promise for implementation in various research topics. To date, there has been no compilation of knowledge on polyp bailout, which prompted us to review this interesting stress response and provide a basis to discuss research topics and priorities for the future.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Fabian Gösser
- Department of Animal Ecology, Evolution and BiodiversityUniversity of BochumBochumGermany
| | - Ralph Tollrian
- Department of Animal Ecology, Evolution and BiodiversityUniversity of BochumBochumGermany
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15
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Sweet M, Villela H, Keller-Costa T, Costa R, Romano S, Bourne DG, Cárdenas A, Huggett MJ, Kerwin AH, Kuek F, Medina M, Meyer JL, Müller M, Pollock FJ, Rappé MS, Sere M, Sharp KH, Voolstra CR, Zaccardi N, Ziegler M, Peixoto R. Insights into the Cultured Bacterial Fraction of Corals. mSystems 2021; 6:e0124920. [PMID: 34156291 PMCID: PMC8269258 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.01249-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2020] [Accepted: 05/13/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacteria associated with coral hosts are diverse and abundant, with recent studies suggesting involvement of these symbionts in host resilience to anthropogenic stress. Despite their putative importance, the work dedicated to culturing coral-associated bacteria has received little attention. Combining published and unpublished data, here we report a comprehensive overview of the diversity and function of culturable bacteria isolated from corals originating from tropical, temperate, and cold-water habitats. A total of 3,055 isolates from 52 studies were considered by our metasurvey. Of these, 1,045 had full-length 16S rRNA gene sequences, spanning 138 formally described and 12 putatively novel bacterial genera across the Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, and Actinobacteria phyla. We performed comparative genomic analysis using the available genomes of 74 strains and identified potential signatures of beneficial bacterium-coral symbioses among the strains. Our analysis revealed >400 biosynthetic gene clusters that underlie the biosynthesis of antioxidant, antimicrobial, cytotoxic, and other secondary metabolites. Moreover, we uncovered genomic features-not previously described for coral-bacterium symbioses-potentially involved in host colonization and host-symbiont recognition, antiviral defense mechanisms, and/or integrated metabolic interactions, which we suggest as novel targets for the screening of coral probiotics. Our results highlight the importance of bacterial cultures to elucidate coral holobiont functioning and guide the selection of probiotic candidates to promote coral resilience and improve holistic and customized reef restoration and rehabilitation efforts. IMPORTANCE Our paper is the first study to synthesize currently available but decentralized data of cultured microbes associated with corals. We were able to collate 3,055 isolates across a number of published studies and unpublished collections from various laboratories and researchers around the world. This equated to 1,045 individual isolates which had full-length 16S rRNA gene sequences, after filtering of the original 3,055. We also explored which of these had genomes available. Originally, only 36 were available, and as part of this study, we added a further 38-equating to 74 in total. From this, we investigated potential genetic signatures that may facilitate a host-associated lifestyle. Further, such a resource is an important step in the selection of probiotic candidates, which are being investigated for promoting coral resilience and potentially applied as a novel strategy in reef restoration and rehabilitation efforts. In the spirit of open access, we have ensured this collection is available to the wider research community through the web site http://isolates.reefgenomics.org/ with the hope many scientists across the globe will ask for access to these cultures for future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Sweet
- Aquatic Research Facility, Environmental Sustainability Research Centre, University of Derby, Derby, United Kingdom
| | - Helena Villela
- Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Tina Keller-Costa
- Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences (iBB), University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
- Instituto Superior Técnico (IST), University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Rodrigo Costa
- Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences (iBB), University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
- Instituto Superior Técnico (IST), University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
- Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Stefano Romano
- Gut Microbes and Health, Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | - David G. Bourne
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Australia
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, Australia
| | - Anny Cárdenas
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Megan J. Huggett
- School of Environmental and Life Sciences, The University of Newcastle, Ourimbah, NSW, Australia
- Centre for Marine Ecosystems Research, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, WA, Australia
| | | | - Felicity Kuek
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, Australia
- College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, Australia
| | - Mónica Medina
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Julie L. Meyer
- Soil and Water Sciences Department, Genetics Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Moritz Müller
- Faculty of Engineering, Computing and Science, Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus, Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia
| | - F. Joseph Pollock
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
- Hawaii and Palmyra Programs, The Nature Conservancy, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
| | - Michael S. Rappé
- Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawaii, Kaneohe, Hawaii, USA
| | - Mathieu Sere
- Aquatic Research Facility, Environmental Sustainability Research Centre, University of Derby, Derby, United Kingdom
| | - Koty H. Sharp
- Department of Biology and Marine Biology, Roger Williams University, Bristol, Rhode Island, USA
| | | | - Nathan Zaccardi
- Department of Biology and Marine Biology, Roger Williams University, Bristol, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Maren Ziegler
- Department of Animal Ecology and Systematics, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Raquel Peixoto
- Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Red Sea Research Center (RSRC), Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
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16
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Bacteriophages against Vibrio coralliilyticus and Vibrio tubiashii: Isolation, Characterization, and Remediation of Larval Oyster Mortalities. Appl Environ Microbiol 2021; 87:AEM.00008-21. [PMID: 33674441 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00008-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2021] [Accepted: 02/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Vibrio coralliilyticus and Vibrio tubiashii are pathogens responsible for high larval oyster mortality rates in shellfish hatcheries. Bacteriophage therapy was evaluated to determine its potential to remediate these mortalities. Sixteen phages against V. coralliilyticus and V. tubiashii were isolated and characterized from Hawaiian seawater. Fourteen isolates were members of the Myoviridae family, and two were members of the Siphoviridae In proof-of-principle trials, a cocktail of five phages reduced mortalities of larval Eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica) and Pacific oysters (Crassostrea gigas) by up to 91% 6 days after challenge with lethal doses of V. coralliilyticus Larval survival depended on the oyster species, the quantities of phages and vibrios applied, and the species and strain of Vibrio A later-generation cocktail, designated VCP300, was formulated with three lytic phages subsequently named Vibrio phages vB_VcorM-GR7B, vB_VcorM-GR11A, and vB_VcorM-GR28A (abbreviated 7B, 11A, and 28A, respectively). Together, these three phages displayed host specificity toward eight V. coralliilyticus strains and a V. tubiashii strain. Larval C. gigas mortalities from V. coralliilyticus strains RE98 and OCN008 were significantly reduced by >90% (P < 0.0001) over 6 days with phage treatment compared to those of untreated controls. Genomic sequencing of phages 7B, 11A, and 28A revealed 207,758-, 194,800-, and 154,046-bp linear DNA genomes, respectively, with the latter showing 92% similarity to V. coralliilyticus phage YC, a strain from the Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Phage 7B and 11A genomes showed little similarity to phages in the NCBI database. This study demonstrates the promising potential for phage therapy to reduce larval oyster mortalities in oyster hatcheries.IMPORTANCE Shellfish hatcheries encounter episodic outbreaks of larval oyster mortalities, jeopardizing the economic stability of hatcheries and the commercial shellfish industry. Shellfish pathogens like Vibrio coralliilyticus and Vibrio tubiashii have been recognized as major contributors of larval oyster mortalities in U.S. East and West Coast hatcheries for many years. This study isolated, identified, and characterized bacteriophages against these Vibrio species and demonstrated their ability to reduce mortalities from V. coralliilyticus in larval Pacific oysters and from both V. coralliilyticus and V. tubiashii in larval Eastern oysters. Phage therapy offers a promising approach for stimulating hatchery production to ensure the well-being of hatcheries and the commercial oyster trade.
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17
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Kelley ER, Sleith RS, Matz MV, Wright RM. Gene expression associated with disease resistance and long-term growth in a reef-building coral. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2021; 8:210113. [PMID: 33996131 PMCID: PMC8059587 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.210113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Rampant coral disease, exacerbated by climate change and other anthropogenic stressors, threatens reefs worldwide, especially in the Caribbean. Physically isolated yet genetically connected reefs such as Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary (FGBNMS) may serve as potential refugia for degraded Caribbean reefs. However, little is known about the mechanisms and trade-offs of pathogen resistance in reef-building corals. Here, we measure pathogen resistance in Montastraea cavernosa from FGBNMS. We identified individual colonies that demonstrated resistance or susceptibility to Vibrio spp. in a controlled laboratory environment. Long-term growth patterns suggest no trade-off between disease resistance and calcification. Predictive (pre-exposure) gene expression highlights subtle differences between resistant and susceptible genets, encouraging future coral disease studies to investigate associations between resistance and replicative age and immune cell populations. Predictive gene expression associated with long-term growth underscores the role of transmembrane proteins involved in cell adhesion and cell-cell interactions, contributing to the growing body of knowledge surrounding genes that influence calcification in reef-building corals. Together these results demonstrate that coral genets from isolated sanctuaries such as FGBNMS can withstand pathogen challenges and potentially aid restoration efforts in degraded reefs. Furthermore, gene expression signatures associated with resistance and long-term growth help inform strategic assessment of coral health parameters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma R. Kelley
- Department of Biological Sciences, Smith College, Northampton, MA, USA
| | - Robin S. Sleith
- Department of Biological Sciences, Smith College, Northampton, MA, USA
| | - Mikhail V. Matz
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Rachel M. Wright
- Department of Biological Sciences, Smith College, Northampton, MA, USA
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
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18
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Silva-Lima AW, Froes AM, Garcia GD, Tonon LAC, Swings J, Cosenza CAN, Medina M, Penn K, Thompson JR, Thompson CC, Thompson FL. Mussismilia braziliensis White Plague Disease Is Characterized by an Affected Coral Immune System and Dysbiosis. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2021; 81:795-806. [PMID: 33000311 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-020-01588-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2019] [Accepted: 08/14/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Infectious diseases are one of the major drivers of coral reef decline worldwide. White plague-like disease (WPL) is a widespread disease with a complex etiology that infects several coral species, including the Brazilian endemic species Mussismilia braziliensis. Gene expression profiles of healthy and WPL-affected M. braziliensis were analyzed in winter and summer seasons. The de novo assembly of the M. braziliensis transcriptome from healthy and white plague samples produced a reference transcriptome containing 119,088 transcripts. WPL-diseased samples were characterized by repression of immune system and cellular defense processes. Autophagy and cellular adhesion transcripts were also repressed in WPL samples, suggesting exhaustion of the coral host defenses. Seasonal variation leads to plasticity in transcription with upregulation of intracellular signal transduction, apoptosis regulation, and oocyte development in the summer. Analysis of the active bacterial rRNA indicated that Pantoea bacteria were more abundant in WPL corals, while Tistlia, Fulvivirga, and Gammaproteobacteria Ga0077536 were more abundant in healthy samples. Cyanobacteria proliferation was also observed in WPL, mostly in the winter. These results indicate a scenario of dysbiosis in WPL-affected M. braziliensis, with the loss of potentially symbiotic bacteria and proliferation of opportunistic microbes after the start of the infection process.
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Affiliation(s)
- A W Silva-Lima
- Laboratório de Microbiologia, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Av. Carlos Chagas Fo. S/N-CCS-IB-Lab de Microbiologia-BLOCO A (Anexo) A3-sl 102, Cidade Universitária, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 21941-599, Brazil
| | - A M Froes
- Laboratório de Microbiologia, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Av. Carlos Chagas Fo. S/N-CCS-IB-Lab de Microbiologia-BLOCO A (Anexo) A3-sl 102, Cidade Universitária, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 21941-599, Brazil
| | - G D Garcia
- Laboratório de Microbiologia, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Av. Carlos Chagas Fo. S/N-CCS-IB-Lab de Microbiologia-BLOCO A (Anexo) A3-sl 102, Cidade Universitária, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 21941-599, Brazil
- Sage/Coppe, Centro de Gestão Tecnológica-CT2, Rua Moniz de Aragão, no. 360-Bloco 2, Ilha do Fundão-Cidade Universitária, Rio de Janeiro, 21941-972, Brazil
| | - L A C Tonon
- Laboratório de Microbiologia, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Av. Carlos Chagas Fo. S/N-CCS-IB-Lab de Microbiologia-BLOCO A (Anexo) A3-sl 102, Cidade Universitária, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 21941-599, Brazil
- Sage/Coppe, Centro de Gestão Tecnológica-CT2, Rua Moniz de Aragão, no. 360-Bloco 2, Ilha do Fundão-Cidade Universitária, Rio de Janeiro, 21941-972, Brazil
| | - J Swings
- Laboratório de Microbiologia, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Av. Carlos Chagas Fo. S/N-CCS-IB-Lab de Microbiologia-BLOCO A (Anexo) A3-sl 102, Cidade Universitária, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 21941-599, Brazil
- Sage/Coppe, Centro de Gestão Tecnológica-CT2, Rua Moniz de Aragão, no. 360-Bloco 2, Ilha do Fundão-Cidade Universitária, Rio de Janeiro, 21941-972, Brazil
| | - C A N Cosenza
- Sage/Coppe, Centro de Gestão Tecnológica-CT2, Rua Moniz de Aragão, no. 360-Bloco 2, Ilha do Fundão-Cidade Universitária, Rio de Janeiro, 21941-972, Brazil
| | - M Medina
- Pennsylvania State University, 324 Mueller Lab, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - K Penn
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - J R Thompson
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - C C Thompson
- Laboratório de Microbiologia, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Av. Carlos Chagas Fo. S/N-CCS-IB-Lab de Microbiologia-BLOCO A (Anexo) A3-sl 102, Cidade Universitária, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 21941-599, Brazil
- Sage/Coppe, Centro de Gestão Tecnológica-CT2, Rua Moniz de Aragão, no. 360-Bloco 2, Ilha do Fundão-Cidade Universitária, Rio de Janeiro, 21941-972, Brazil
| | - F L Thompson
- Laboratório de Microbiologia, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Av. Carlos Chagas Fo. S/N-CCS-IB-Lab de Microbiologia-BLOCO A (Anexo) A3-sl 102, Cidade Universitária, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 21941-599, Brazil.
- Sage/Coppe, Centro de Gestão Tecnológica-CT2, Rua Moniz de Aragão, no. 360-Bloco 2, Ilha do Fundão-Cidade Universitária, Rio de Janeiro, 21941-972, Brazil.
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19
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Sweet M, Burian A, Bulling M. Corals as canaries in the coalmine: Towards the incorporation of marine ecosystems into the 'One Health' concept. J Invertebr Pathol 2021; 186:107538. [PMID: 33545133 DOI: 10.1016/j.jip.2021.107538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2020] [Revised: 01/14/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
'One World - One Health' is a developing concept which aims to explicitly incorporate linkages between the environment and human society into wildlife and human health care. Past work in the field has concentrated on aspects of disease, particularly emerging zoonoses, and focused on terrestrial systems. Here, we argue that marine environments are crucial components of the 'One World - One Health' framework, and that coral reefs are the epitome of its underlying philosophy. That is, they provide vast contributions to a wide range of ecosystem services with strong and direct links to human well-being. Further, the sensitivity of corals to climate change, and the current emergence of a wide range of diseases, make coral reefs ideal study systems to assess links, impacts, and feedback mechanisms that can affect human and ecosystem health. There are well established protocols for monitoring corals, as well as global networks of coral researchers, but there remain substantial challenges to understanding these complex systems, their health and links to provisioning of ecosystem services. We explore these challenges and conclude with a look at how developing technology offers potential ways of addressing them. We argue that a greater integration of coral reef research into the 'One World - One Health' framework will enrich our understanding of the many links within, and between, ecosystems and human society. This will ultimately support the development of measures for improving the health of both humans and the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Sweet
- Aquatic Research Facility, Environmental Sustainability Research Centre, University of Derby, UK.
| | - Alfred Burian
- Aquatic Research Facility, Environmental Sustainability Research Centre, University of Derby, UK
| | - Mark Bulling
- Aquatic Research Facility, Environmental Sustainability Research Centre, University of Derby, UK
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20
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Energy depletion and opportunistic microbial colonisation in white syndrome lesions from corals across the Indo-Pacific. Sci Rep 2020; 10:19990. [PMID: 33203914 PMCID: PMC7672225 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-76792-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2020] [Accepted: 10/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Corals are dependent upon lipids as energy reserves to mount a metabolic response to biotic and abiotic challenges. This study profiled lipids, fatty acids, and microbial communities of healthy and white syndrome (WS) diseased colonies of Acropora hyacinthus sampled from reefs in Western Australia, the Great Barrier Reef, and Palmyra Atoll. Total lipid levels varied significantly among locations, though a consistent stepwise decrease from healthy tissues from healthy colonies (HH) to healthy tissue on WS-diseased colonies (HD; i.e. preceding the lesion boundary) to diseased tissue on diseased colonies (DD; i.e. lesion front) was observed, demonstrating a reduction in energy reserves. Lipids in HH tissues were comprised of high energy lipid classes, while HD and DD tissues contained greater proportions of structural lipids. Bacterial profiling through 16S rRNA gene sequencing and histology showed no bacterial taxa linked to WS causation. However, the relative abundance of Rhodobacteraceae-affiliated sequences increased in DD tissues, suggesting opportunistic proliferation of these taxa. While the cause of WS remains inconclusive, this study demonstrates that the lipid profiles of HD tissues was more similar to DD tissues than to HH tissues, reflecting a colony-wide systemic effect and provides insight into the metabolic immune response of WS-infected Indo-Pacific corals.
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21
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Seneca F, Davtian D, Boyer L, Czerucka D. Gene expression kinetics of Exaiptasia pallida innate immune response to Vibrio parahaemolyticus infection. BMC Genomics 2020; 21:768. [PMID: 33167855 PMCID: PMC7654579 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-020-07140-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2020] [Accepted: 10/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recent sequencing projects on early-diverging metazoans such as cnidarians, have unveiled a rich innate immunity gene repertoire; however, little is known about immunity gene regulation in the host's early response against marine bacterial pathogens over time. Here, we used RNA-seq on the sea anemone Exaiptasia pallida (Ep) strain CC7 as a model to depict the innate immune response during the onset of infection with the marine pathogenic bacteria Vibrio parahaemolyticus (Vp) clinical strain O3:K6, and lipopolysaccharides (LPS) exposure. Pairwise and time series analyses identified the genes responsive to infection as well as the kinetics of innate immune genes over time. Comparisons between the responses to live Vp and purified LPS was then performed. RESULTS Gene expression and functional analyses detected hundreds to thousands of genes responsive to the Vp infection after 1, 3, 6 and 12 h, including a few shared with the response to LPS. Our results bring to light the first indications that non-canonical cytoplasmic pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) such as NOD-like and RIG-I-like receptor homologs take part in the immune response of Ep. Over-expression of several members of the lectin-complement pathways in parallel with novel transmembrane and Ig containing ficolins (CniFLs) suggest an active defense against the pathogen. Although lacking typical Toll-like receptors (TLRs), Ep activates a TLR-like pathway including the up-regulation of MyD88, TRAF6, NF-κB and AP-1 genes, which are not induced under LPS treatment and therefore suggest an alternative ligand-to-PRR trigger. Two cytokine-dependent pathways involving Tumor necrosis factor receptors (TNFRs) and several other potential downstream signaling genes likely lead to inflammation and/or apoptosis. Finally, both the extrinsic and intrinsic apoptotic pathways were strongly supported by over-expression of effector and executioner genes. CONCLUSIONS To our knowledge, this pioneering study is first to follow the kinetics of the innate immune response in a cnidarian during the onset of infection with a bacterial pathogen. Overall, our findings reveal the involvement of both novel immune gene candidates such as NLRs, RLRs and CniFLs, and previously identified TLR-like and apoptotic pathways in anthozoan innate immunity with a large amount of transcript-level evidence.
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Affiliation(s)
- François Seneca
- Centre Scientifique de Monaco, 8 Quai Antoine 1er, 98000, Monaco, Monaco. .,LIA ROPSE, Laboratoire International Associé Université Côte d'Azur - Centre Scientifique de Monaco, Monaco, Monaco.
| | - David Davtian
- Centre Scientifique de Monaco, 8 Quai Antoine 1er, 98000, Monaco, Monaco.,Present Address: Division of Population Health & Genetics, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, Dundee, DD19SY, UK
| | - Laurent Boyer
- LIA ROPSE, Laboratoire International Associé Université Côte d'Azur - Centre Scientifique de Monaco, Monaco, Monaco.,Université Côte d'Azur, C3M Inserm, U1065, 06204, Nice Cedex 3, France
| | - Dorota Czerucka
- Centre Scientifique de Monaco, 8 Quai Antoine 1er, 98000, Monaco, Monaco.,LIA ROPSE, Laboratoire International Associé Université Côte d'Azur - Centre Scientifique de Monaco, Monaco, Monaco
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22
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Kehlet-Delgado H, Häse CC, Mueller RS. Comparative genomic analysis of Vibrios yields insights into genes associated with virulence towards C. gigas larvae. BMC Genomics 2020; 21:599. [PMID: 32867668 PMCID: PMC7457808 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-020-06980-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2020] [Accepted: 08/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Vibriosis has been implicated in major losses of larvae at shellfish hatcheries. However, the species of Vibrio responsible for disease in aquaculture settings and their associated virulence genes are often variable or undefined. Knowledge of the specific nature of these factors is essential to developing a better understanding of the environmental and biological conditions that lead to larvae mortality events in hatcheries. We tested the virulence of 51 Vibrio strains towards Pacific Oyster (Crassostreae gigas) larvae and sequenced draft genomes of 42 hatchery-associated vibrios to determine groups of orthologous genes associated with virulence and to determine the phylogenetic relationships among pathogens and non-pathogens of C. gigas larvae. RESULTS V. coralliilyticus strains were the most prevalent pathogenic isolates. A phylogenetic logistic regression model identified over 500 protein-coding genes correlated with pathogenicity. Many of these genes had straightforward links to disease mechanisms, including predicted hemolysins, proteases, and multiple Type 3 Secretion System genes, while others appear to have possible indirect roles in pathogenesis and may be more important for general survival in the host environment. Multiple metabolism and nutrient acquisition genes were also identified to correlate with pathogenicity, highlighting specific features that may enable pathogen survival within C. gigas larvae. CONCLUSIONS These findings have important implications on the range of pathogenic Vibrio spp. found in oyster-rearing environments and the genetic determinants of virulence in these populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanna Kehlet-Delgado
- Department of Microbiology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, 97331, USA.
| | - Claudia C Häse
- Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
| | - Ryan S Mueller
- Department of Microbiology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, 97331, USA
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23
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Abstract
Vibrio coralliilyticus and Vibrio mediterranei are important coral pathogens capable of inducing serious coral damage, which increases severely when they infect the host simultaneously. This has consequences related to the dispersion of these pathogens among different locations that could enhance deleterious effects on coral reefs. However, the mechanisms underlying this synergistic interaction are unknown. The work described here provides a new perspective on the complex interactions among these two Vibrio coral pathogens, suggesting that coral infection could be a collateral effect of interspecific competition. Major implications of this work are that (i) Vibrio virulence mechanisms are activated in the absence of the host as a response to interspecific competition and (ii) release of molecules by Vibrio coral pathogens produces changes in the coral microbiome that favor the pathogenic potential of the entire Vibrio community. Thus, our results highlight that social cues and competition sensing are crucial determinants of development of coral diseases. The increase in prevalence and severity of coral disease outbreaks produced by Vibrio pathogens, and related to global warming, has seriously impacted reef-building corals throughout the oceans. The coral Oculina patagonica has been used as a model system to study coral bleaching produced by Vibrio infection. Previous data demonstrated that when two coral pathogens (Vibrio coralliilyticus and Vibrio mediterranei) simultaneously infected the coral O. patagonica, their pathogenicity was greater than when each bacterium was infected separately. Here, to understand the mechanisms underlying this synergistic effect, transcriptomic analyses of monocultures and cocultures as well as experimental infection experiments were performed. Our results revealed that the interaction between the two vibrios under culture conditions overexpressed virulence factor genes (e.g., those encoding siderophores, the type VI secretion system, and toxins, among others). Moreover, under these conditions, vibrios were also more likely to form biofilms or become motile through induction of lateral flagella. All these changes that occur as a physiological response to the presence of a competing species could favor the colonization of the host when they are present in a mixed population. Additionally, during coral experimental infections, we showed that exposure of corals to molecules released during V. coralliilyticus and V. mediterranei coculture induced changes in the coral microbiome that favored damage to coral tissue and increased the production of lyso-platelet activating factor. Therefore, we propose that competition sensing, defined as the physiological response to detection of harm or to the presence of a competing Vibrio species, enhances the ability of Vibrio coral pathogens to invade their host and cause tissue necrosis.
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24
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Xu D, Zhao Z, Zhou Z, Lin Y, Zhang X, Zhang Y, Zhang Y, li J, Mao F, Xiao S, Ma H, Zhiming X, Yu Z. Mechanistic molecular responses of the giant clam Tridacna crocea to Vibrio coralliilyticus challenge. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0231399. [PMID: 32276269 PMCID: PMC7148125 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0231399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2019] [Accepted: 03/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Vibrio coralliilyticus is a pathogen of coral and mollusk, contributing to dramatic losses worldwide. In our study, we found that V. coralliilyticus challenge could directly affect adult Tridacna crocea survival; there were dead individuals appearing at 6 h post infection, and there were 45.56% and 56.78% mortality rates in challenged groups after 36 h of infection. The apoptosis rate of hemocytes was significantly increased by 1.8-fold at 6 h after V. coralliilyticus injection. To shed light on the mechanistic molecular responses of T. crocea to V. coralliilyticus infection, we used transcriptome sequencing analysis and other relevant techniques to analyze T. crocea hemocytes at 0 h, 6 h, 12 h and 24 h after V. coralliilyticus challenge. Our results revealed that the total numbers of unigenes and DEGs were 195651 and 3446, respectively. Additional details were found by KEGG pathway enrichment analysis, where DEGs were significantly enriched in immune-related signaling pathways, such as the TLR signaling pathway, and some were associated with signaling related to apoptosis. Quantitative validation results illustrated that with exposure to V. coralliilyticus, the expression of TLR pathway members, TLR, MyD88, IRAK4, TRAF6, and IкB-α, were significantly upregulated (by 22.9-, 9.6-, 4.0-, 3.6-, and 3.9-fold, respectively) at 6 h. The cytokine-related gene IL-17 exhibited an increase of 6.3-fold and 10.5-fold at 3 h and 6 h, respectively. The apoptosis-related gene IAP1 was dramatically increased by 2.99-fold at 6 h. These results indicate that adult T. crocea could initiate the TLR pathway to resist V. coralliilyticus, which promotes the release of inflammatory factors such as IL-17 and leads to the activation of a series of outcomes, such as apoptosis. The response mechanism is related to the T. crocea immunoreaction stimulated by V. coralliilyticus, providing a theoretical basis for understanding T. crocea immune response mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Duo Xu
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biology, Chinese Academy of Science, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Guangzhou, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zehui Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biology, Chinese Academy of Science, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Guangzhou, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zihua Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biology, Chinese Academy of Science, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Guangzhou, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yue Lin
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biology, Chinese Academy of Science, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Guangzhou, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xiangyu Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biology, Chinese Academy of Science, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Guangzhou, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yang Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biology, Chinese Academy of Science, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Guangzhou, China
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory, Guangzhou, China
- Innovation Academy of South China Sea Ecology and Environmental Engineering (ISEE), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yuehuan Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biology, Chinese Academy of Science, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Guangzhou, China
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory, Guangzhou, China
- Innovation Academy of South China Sea Ecology and Environmental Engineering (ISEE), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jun li
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biology, Chinese Academy of Science, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Guangzhou, China
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory, Guangzhou, China
- Innovation Academy of South China Sea Ecology and Environmental Engineering (ISEE), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Fan Mao
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biology, Chinese Academy of Science, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Guangzhou, China
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory, Guangzhou, China
- Innovation Academy of South China Sea Ecology and Environmental Engineering (ISEE), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shu Xiao
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biology, Chinese Academy of Science, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Guangzhou, China
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory, Guangzhou, China
- Innovation Academy of South China Sea Ecology and Environmental Engineering (ISEE), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Haitao Ma
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biology, Chinese Academy of Science, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Guangzhou, China
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory, Guangzhou, China
- Innovation Academy of South China Sea Ecology and Environmental Engineering (ISEE), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiang Zhiming
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biology, Chinese Academy of Science, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Guangzhou, China
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory, Guangzhou, China
- Innovation Academy of South China Sea Ecology and Environmental Engineering (ISEE), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- * E-mail: (ZNY); (ZMX)
| | - Ziniu Yu
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biology, Chinese Academy of Science, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Guangzhou, China
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory, Guangzhou, China
- Innovation Academy of South China Sea Ecology and Environmental Engineering (ISEE), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- * E-mail: (ZNY); (ZMX)
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25
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Robino E, Poirier AC, Amraoui H, Le Bissonnais S, Perret A, Lopez‐Joven C, Auguet J, Rubio TP, Cazevieille C, Rolland J, Héchard Y, Destoumieux‐Garzón D, Charrière GM. Resistance of the oyster pathogen
Vibrio tasmaniensis
LGP32 against grazing by
Vannella
sp. marine amoeba involves Vsm and CopA virulence factors. Environ Microbiol 2019; 22:4183-4197. [DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.14770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2019] [Accepted: 08/04/2019] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Etienne Robino
- IHPE UMR 5244, CNRS, Ifremer, University of Montpellier, University of Perpignan Via Domitia Montpellier France
| | - Aurore C. Poirier
- IHPE UMR 5244, CNRS, Ifremer, University of Montpellier, University of Perpignan Via Domitia Montpellier France
| | - Hajar Amraoui
- IHPE UMR 5244, CNRS, Ifremer, University of Montpellier, University of Perpignan Via Domitia Montpellier France
| | - Sandra Le Bissonnais
- IHPE UMR 5244, CNRS, Ifremer, University of Montpellier, University of Perpignan Via Domitia Montpellier France
| | - Angélique Perret
- IHPE UMR 5244, CNRS, Ifremer, University of Montpellier, University of Perpignan Via Domitia Montpellier France
| | - Carmen Lopez‐Joven
- IHPE UMR 5244, CNRS, Ifremer, University of Montpellier, University of Perpignan Via Domitia Montpellier France
| | | | - Tristan P. Rubio
- IHPE UMR 5244, CNRS, Ifremer, University of Montpellier, University of Perpignan Via Domitia Montpellier France
| | | | - Jean‐Luc Rolland
- IHPE UMR 5244, CNRS, Ifremer, University of Montpellier, University of Perpignan Via Domitia Montpellier France
| | - Yann Héchard
- EBI UMR CNRS 7267, University of Poitiers Poitiers France
| | - Delphine Destoumieux‐Garzón
- IHPE UMR 5244, CNRS, Ifremer, University of Montpellier, University of Perpignan Via Domitia Montpellier France
| | - Guillaume M. Charrière
- IHPE UMR 5244, CNRS, Ifremer, University of Montpellier, University of Perpignan Via Domitia Montpellier France
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26
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Roesel CL, Vollmer SV. Differential gene expression analysis of symbiotic and aposymbiotic Exaiptasia anemones under immune challenge with Vibrio coralliilyticus. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:8279-8293. [PMID: 31380089 PMCID: PMC6662555 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2018] [Revised: 05/28/2019] [Accepted: 06/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Anthozoans are a class of Cnidarians that includes scleractinian corals, anemones, and their relatives. Despite a global rise in disease epizootics impacting scleractinian corals, little is known about the immune response of this key group of invertebrates. To better characterize the anthozoan immune response, we used the model anemone Exaiptasia pallida to explore the genetic links between the anthozoan-algal symbioses and immunity in a two-factor RNA-Seq experiment using both symbiotic and aposymbiotic (menthol-bleached) Exaiptasia pallida exposed to the bacterial pathogen Vibrio coralliilyticus. Multivariate and univariate analyses of Exaiptasia gene expression demonstrated that exposure to live Vibrio coralliilyticus had strong and significant impacts on transcriptome-wide gene expression for both symbiotic and aposymbiotic anemones, but we did not observe strong interactions between symbiotic state and Vibrio exposure. There were 4,164 significantly differentially expressed (DE) genes for Vibrio exposure, 1,114 DE genes for aposymbiosis, and 472 DE genes for the additive combinations of Vibrio and aposymbiosis. KEGG enrichment analyses identified 11 pathways-involved in immunity (5), transport and catabolism (4), and cell growth and death (2)-that were enriched due to both Vibrio and/or aposymbiosis. Immune pathways showing strongest differential expression included complement, coagulation, nucleotide-binding, and oligomerization domain (NOD), and Toll for Vibrio exposure and coagulation and apoptosis for aposymbiosis.
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27
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Brennan JJ, Gilmore TD. Evolutionary Origins of Toll-like Receptor Signaling. Mol Biol Evol 2019; 35:1576-1587. [PMID: 29590394 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msy050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 113] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are transmembrane pattern recognition receptors that are best known for their roles in innate immunity for the detection of and defense against microbial pathogens. However, TLRs also have roles in many nonimmune processes, most notably development. TLRs direct both immune and developmental programs by activation of downstream signaling pathways, often by activation of the NF-κB pathway. There are two primary TLR subtypes: 1) TLRs with multiple cysteine clusters in their ectodomain (mccTLRs) and 2) TLRs with a single cysteine cluster in their ectodomain (sccTLRs). For some time, it has been known that TLRs and the biological processes that they control are conserved in organisms from insects to mammals. However, genome and transcriptome sequencing has revealed that many basal metazoans also have TLRs and downstream NF-κB signaling components. In this review, we discuss what is known about the structure, biological function, and downstream signaling pathways of TLRs found in phyla from Porifera through Annelida. From these analyses, we hypothesize that mccTLRs emerged in the phylum Cnidaria, that sccTLRs evolved in the phylum Mollusca, and that TLRs have dual immune and developmental biological functions in organisms as ancient as cnidarians.
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28
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Zhou Z, Zhao S, Tang J, Liu Z, Wu Y, Wang Y, Lin S. Altered Immune Landscape and Disrupted Coral- Symbiodinium Symbiosis in the Scleractinian Coral Pocillopora damicornis by Vibrio coralliilyticus Challenge. Front Physiol 2019; 10:366. [PMID: 31001143 PMCID: PMC6454040 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2019.00366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2018] [Accepted: 03/15/2019] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Vibrio coralliilyticus is known to cause coral diseases, especially under environmental perturbation, but its impact on coral physiology and underpinning mechanism is poorly understood. In the present study, we investigated cytological, immunological, and metatranscriptomic responses of the scleractinian coral Pocillopora damicornis to V. coralliilyticus infection. The density and chlorophyll content of symbiotic zooxanthellae decreased significantly at 12 and 24 h after Vibrio challenge. The activities of antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase and catalase, nitric oxide synthase, phenoloxidase (PO), and the activation level of caspase3 all rose significantly in P. damicornis after Vibrio challenge. In the metatranscriptomic analysis, we found 10 significantly upregulated genes in the symbionts at 24 h after the challenge, which were mostly involved in the metabolism of nucleic acid and polysaccharide, and 133 significantly down-regulated symbiont genes, which were mainly related to amino acid catabolism and transport. Meanwhile, 1432 significantly upregulated coral genes were revealed, highly overrepresented in GO terms that are mostly related to the regulation of immune response, the regulation of cytokine production, and innate immune response. Furthermore, at 24 h after Vibrio challenge, 890 coral genes were significantly downregulated, highly overrepresented in four GO terms implicated in defense response. These results in concert suggest that V. coralliilyticus infection triggered the innate immune response including the redox, PO, and apoptosis systems, but repressed the response of the complement system in the scleractinian coral P. damicornis, accompanied by symbiont density decrease and symbiosis collapse through disordering the metabolism of the symbionts. These findings shed light on the molecular regulatory processes underlying bleaching and degradation of P. damicornis resulting from the infection of V. coralliilyticus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhi Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Biological Resources of Ministry of Education, Hainan University, Haikou, China.,Liaoning Key Laboratory of Marine Animal Immunology and Disease Control, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian, China
| | - Shuimiao Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Biological Resources of Ministry of Education, Hainan University, Haikou, China
| | - Jia Tang
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Biological Resources of Ministry of Education, Hainan University, Haikou, China
| | - Zhaoqun Liu
- Liaoning Key Laboratory of Marine Animal Immunology and Disease Control, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian, China
| | - Yibo Wu
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Biological Resources of Ministry of Education, Hainan University, Haikou, China
| | - Yan Wang
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Biological Resources of Ministry of Education, Hainan University, Haikou, China
| | - Senjie Lin
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of Connecticut, Groton, CT, United States
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29
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Vibrio coralliilyticus infection triggers a behavioural response and perturbs nutritional exchange and tissue integrity in a symbiotic coral. ISME JOURNAL 2018; 13:989-1003. [PMID: 30542077 PMCID: PMC6462045 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-018-0327-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2018] [Revised: 10/22/2018] [Accepted: 11/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Under homoeostatic conditions, the relationship between the coral Pocillopora damicornis and Vibrio coralliilyticus is commensal. An increase in temperature, or in the abundance of V. coralliilyticus, can turn this association pathogenic, causing tissue lysis, expulsion of the corals’ symbiotic algae (genus Symbiodinium), and eventually coral death. Using a combination of microfluidics, fluorescence microscopy, stable isotopes, electron microscopy and NanoSIMS isotopic imaging, we provide insights into the onset and progression of V. coralliilyticus infection in the daytime and at night, at the tissue and (sub-)cellular level. The objective of our study was to connect the macro-scale behavioural response of the coral to the micro-scale nutritional interactions that occur between the host and its symbiont. In the daytime, polyps enhanced their mucus production, and actively spewed pathogens. Vibrio infection primarily resulted in the formation of tissue lesions in the coenosarc. NanoSIMS analysis revealed infection reduced 13C-assimilation in Symbiodinium, but increased 13C-assimilation in the host. In the night incubations, no mucus spewing was observed, and a mucus film was formed on the coral surface. Vibrio inoculation and infection at night showed reduced 13C-turnover in Symbiodinium, but did not impact host 13C-turnover. Our results show that both the nutritional interactions that occur between the two symbiotic partners and the behavioural response of the host organism play key roles in determining the progression and severity of host-pathogen interactions. More generally, our approach provides a new means of studying interactions (ranging from behavioural to metabolic scales) between partners involved in complex holobiont systems, under both homoeostatic and pathogenic conditions.
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Marine probiotics: increasing coral resistance to bleaching through microbiome manipulation. ISME JOURNAL 2018; 13:921-936. [PMID: 30518818 PMCID: PMC6461899 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-018-0323-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 180] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2018] [Revised: 11/03/2018] [Accepted: 11/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Although the early coral reef-bleaching warning system (NOAA/USA) is established, there is no feasible treatment that can minimize temperature bleaching and/or disease impacts on corals in the field. Here, we present the first attempts to extrapolate the widespread and well-established use of bacterial consortia to protect or improve health in other organisms (e.g., humans and plants) to corals. Manipulation of the coral-associated microbiome was facilitated through addition of a consortium of native (isolated from Pocillopora damicornis and surrounding seawater) putatively beneficial microorganisms for corals (pBMCs), including five Pseudoalteromonas sp., a Halomonas taeanensis and a Cobetia marina-related species strains. The results from a controlled aquarium experiment in two temperature regimes (26 °C and 30 °C) and four treatments (pBMC; pBMC with pathogen challenge - Vibrio coralliilyticus, VC; pathogen challenge, VC; and control) revealed the ability of the pBMC consortium to partially mitigate coral bleaching. Significantly reduced coral-bleaching metrics were observed in pBMC-inoculated corals, in contrast to controls without pBMC addition, especially challenged corals, which displayed strong bleaching signs as indicated by significantly lower photopigment contents and Fv/Fm ratios. The structure of the coral microbiome community also differed between treatments and specific bioindicators were correlated with corals inoculated with pBMC (e.g., Cobetia sp.) or VC (e.g., Ruegeria sp.). Our results indicate that the microbiome in corals can be manipulated to lessen the effect of bleaching, thus helping to alleviate pathogen and temperature stresses, with the addition of BMCs representing a promising novel approach for minimizing coral mortality in the face of increasing environmental impacts.
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Zhou Z, Zhao S, Ni J, Su Y, Wang L, Xu Y. Effects of environmental factors on C-type lectin recognition to zooxanthellae in the stony coral Pocillopora damicornis. FISH & SHELLFISH IMMUNOLOGY 2018; 79:228-233. [PMID: 29775739 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsi.2018.05.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2018] [Revised: 05/14/2018] [Accepted: 05/14/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
C-type lectin is a superfamily of Ca2+-dependent carbohydrate-recognition proteins that play significant roles in nonself-recognition and pathogen clearance. In the present study, a C-type lectin (PdC-Lectin) was chosen from stony coral Pocillopora damicornis to understand its recognition characteristics to zooxanthellae. PdC-Lectin protein contained a signal peptide and a carbohydrate-recognition domain with EPN motif in Ca2+-binding site 2. The PdC-Lectin recombinant protein was expressed and purified in vitro. The binding of PdC-Lectin protein to zooxanthellae was determined with western blotting method, and the bound protein to 10-105 cell mL-1 zooxanthellae was detectable in a concentration-dependent manner. Less PdC-Lectin protein binding to zooxanthellae was observed for the incubation at 36 °C than that at 26 °C. Furthermore, the PAMP recognition spectrum of PdC-Lectin protein was tested through surface plasmon resonance method, and it bound to LPS and Lipid A, but not to LTA, β-glucan, mannose or Poly (I:C). When PdC-Lectin protein was preincubated with LPS, there was less protein binding to zooxanthellae compared with that in non-preincubation group. These results collectively suggest that PdC-Lectin could recognize zooxanthellae, and the recognition could be repressed by high temperature and pathogenic bacteria, which would help to further understand the molecular mechanism of coral bleaching and the establishment of coral-zooxanthella symbiosis in the stony coral P. damicornis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhi Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Resource Utilization in South China Sea, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China; Key Laboratory of Tropical Biological Resources of Ministry of Education, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China.
| | - Shuimiao Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Biological Resources of Ministry of Education, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
| | - Junyi Ni
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Biological Resources of Ministry of Education, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
| | - Yilu Su
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Biological Resources of Ministry of Education, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
| | - Lingui Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Resource Utilization in South China Sea, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China; Key Laboratory of Tropical Biological Resources of Ministry of Education, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
| | - Yanlai Xu
- Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, The Qingdao First Sanitarium of Navy, Qingdao 266071, China
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Ushijima B, Richards GP, Watson MA, Schubiger CB, Häse CC. Factors affecting infection of corals and larval oysters by Vibrio coralliilyticus. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0199475. [PMID: 29920567 PMCID: PMC6007914 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0199475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2018] [Accepted: 06/07/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The bacterium Vibrio coralliilyticus can threaten vital reef ecosystems by causing disease in a variety of coral genera, and, for some strains, increases in virulence at elevated water temperatures. In addition, strains of V. coralliilyticus (formally identified as V. tubiashii) have been implicated in mass mortalities of shellfish larvae causing significant economic losses to the shellfish industry. Recently, strain BAA-450, a coral pathogen, was demonstrated to be virulent towards larval Pacific oysters (Crassostrea gigas). However, it is unclear whether other coral-associated V. coralliilyticus strains can cause shellfish mortalities and if infections are influenced by temperature. This study compared dose dependence, temperature impact, and gross pathology of four V. coralliilyticus strains (BAA-450, OCN008, OCN014 and RE98) on larval C. gigas raised at 23°C and 27°C, and evaluated whether select virulence factors are required for shellfish infections as they are for corals. All strains were infectious to larval oysters in a dose-dependent manner with OCN014 being the most pathogenic and BAA-450 being the least. At 27°C, higher larval mortalities (p < 0.05) were observed for all V. coralliilyticus strains, ranging from 38.8−93.7%. Gross pathological changes to the velum and cilia occurred in diseased larvae, but there were no distinguishable differences between oysters exposed to different V. coralliilyticus strains or temperatures. Additionally, in OCN008, the predicted transcriptional regulator ToxR and the outer membrane protein OmpU were important for coral and oyster disease, while mannose sensitive hemagglutinin type IV pili were required only for coral infection. This study demonstrated that multiple coral pathogens can infect oyster larvae in a temperature-dependent manner and identified virulence factors required for infection of both hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Blake Ushijima
- Oregon State University, Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine, Corvallis, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Gary P Richards
- United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Dover, Delaware, United States of America
| | - Michael A Watson
- United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Dover, Delaware, United States of America
| | - Carla B Schubiger
- Oregon State University, Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine, Corvallis, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Claudia C Häse
- Oregon State University, Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine, Corvallis, Oregon, United States of America
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Gibbin E, Gavish A, Domart-Coulon I, Kramarsky-Winter E, Shapiro O, Meibom A, Vardi A. Using NanoSIMS coupled with microfluidics to visualize the early stages of coral infection by Vibrio coralliilyticus. BMC Microbiol 2018; 18:39. [PMID: 29678140 PMCID: PMC5910561 DOI: 10.1186/s12866-018-1173-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2018] [Accepted: 04/01/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Global warming has triggered an increase in the prevalence and severity of coral disease, yet little is known about coral/pathogen interactions in the early stages of infection. The point of entry of the pathogen and the route that they take once inside the polyp is currently unknown, as is the coral’s capacity to respond to infection. To address these questions, we developed a novel method that combines stable isotope labelling and microfluidics with transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and nanoscale secondary ion mass spectrometry (NanoSIMS), to monitor the infection process between Pocillopora damicornis and Vibrio coralliilyticus under elevated temperature. Results Three coral fragments were inoculated with 15N-labeled V. coralliilyticus and then fixed at 2.5, 6 and 22 h post-inoculation (hpi) according to the virulence of the infection. Correlative TEM/NanoSIMS imaging was subsequently used to visualize the penetration and dispersal of V. coralliilyticus and their degradation or secretion products. Most of the V. coralliilyticus cells we observed were located in the oral epidermis of the fragment that experienced the most virulent infection (2.5 hpi). In some cases, these bacteria were enclosed within electron dense host-derived intracellular vesicles. 15N-enriched pathogen-derived breakdown products were visible in all tissue layers of the coral polyp (oral epidermis, oral gastrodermis, aboral gastrodermis), at all time points, although the relative 15N-enrichment depended on the time at which the corals were fixed. Tissues in the mesentery filaments had the highest density of 15N-enriched hotspots, suggesting these tissues act as a “collection and digestion” site for pathogenic bacteria. Closer examination of the sub-cellular structures associated with these 15N-hotspots revealed these to be host phagosomal and secretory cells/vesicles. Conclusions This study provides a novel method for tracking bacterial infection dynamics at the levels of the tissue and single cell and takes the first steps towards understanding the complexities of infection at the microscale, which is a crucial step towards understanding how corals will fare under global warming. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12866-018-1173-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Gibbin
- Laboratory for Biological Geochemistry, School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - A Gavish
- Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - I Domart-Coulon
- Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle, MCAM UMR7245CNRS-MNHN, Paris, France
| | | | - O Shapiro
- Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel.,Volcani Center for Agricultural Research, Rishon LeZion, Israel
| | - A Meibom
- Laboratory for Biological Geochemistry, School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland.,Center for Advanced Surface Analysis, Institute of Earth Sciences, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - A Vardi
- Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
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van de Water JAJM, Chaib De Mares M, Dixon GB, Raina JB, Willis BL, Bourne DG, van Oppen MJH. Antimicrobial and stress responses to increased temperature and bacterial pathogen challenge in the holobiont of a reef-building coral. Mol Ecol 2018; 27:1065-1080. [PMID: 29334418 DOI: 10.1111/mec.14489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2017] [Revised: 12/07/2017] [Accepted: 12/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Global increases in coral disease prevalence have been linked to ocean warming through changes in coral-associated bacterial communities, pathogen virulence and immune system function. However, the interactive effects of temperature and pathogens on the coral holobiont are poorly understood. Here, we assessed three compartments of the holobiont (host, Symbiodinium and bacterial community) of the coral Montipora aequituberculata challenged with the pathogen Vibrio coralliilyticus and the commensal bacterium Oceanospirillales sp. under ambient (27°C) and elevated (29.5 and 32°C) seawater temperatures. Few visual signs of bleaching and disease development were apparent in any of the treatments, but responses were detected in the holobiont compartments. V. coralliilyticus acted synergistically and negatively impacted the photochemical efficiency of Symbiodinium at 32°C, while Oceanospirillales had no significant effect on photosynthetic efficiency. The coral, however, exhibited a minor response to the bacterial challenges, with the response towards V. coralliilyticus being significantly more pronounced, and involving the prophenoloxidase-activating system and multiple immune system-related genes. Elevated seawater temperatures did not induce shifts in the coral-associated bacterial community, but caused significant gene expression modulation in both Symbiodinium and the coral host. While Symbiodinium exhibited an antiviral response and upregulated stress response genes, M. aequituberculata showed regulation of genes involved in stress and innate immune response processes, including immune and cytokine receptor signalling, the complement system, immune cell activation and phagocytosis, as well as molecular chaperones. These observations show that M. aequituberculata is capable of maintaining a stable bacterial community under elevated seawater temperatures and thereby contributes to preventing disease development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeroen A J M van de Water
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Qld, Australia.,College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Qld, Australia.,AIMS@JCU, James Cook University, Townsville, Qld, Australia.,Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, Qld, Australia.,Département de Biologie Marine, Centre Scientifique de Monaco, Monaco, Principauté de Monaco
| | - Maryam Chaib De Mares
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Qld, Australia.,AIMS@JCU, James Cook University, Townsville, Qld, Australia.,Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, Qld, Australia
| | - Groves B Dixon
- Section of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Jean-Baptiste Raina
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Qld, Australia.,College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Qld, Australia.,AIMS@JCU, James Cook University, Townsville, Qld, Australia.,Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, Qld, Australia.,Climate Change Cluster (C3), University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Bette L Willis
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Qld, Australia.,College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Qld, Australia.,AIMS@JCU, James Cook University, Townsville, Qld, Australia
| | - David G Bourne
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Qld, Australia.,AIMS@JCU, James Cook University, Townsville, Qld, Australia.,Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, Qld, Australia
| | - Madeleine J H van Oppen
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Qld, Australia.,AIMS@JCU, James Cook University, Townsville, Qld, Australia.,Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, Qld, Australia.,School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic., Australia
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Deciphering the nature of the coral-Chromera association. ISME JOURNAL 2018; 12:776-790. [PMID: 29321691 PMCID: PMC5864212 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-017-0005-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2017] [Revised: 08/22/2017] [Accepted: 10/10/2017] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Since the discovery of Chromera velia as a novel coral-associated microalga, this organism has attracted interest because of its unique evolutionary position between the photosynthetic dinoflagellates and the parasitic apicomplexans. The nature of the relationship between Chromera and its coral host is controversial. Is it a mutualism, from which both participants benefit, a parasitic relationship, or a chance association? To better understand the interaction, larvae of the common Indo-Pacific reef-building coral Acropora digitifera were experimentally infected with Chromera, and the impact on the host transcriptome was assessed at 4, 12, and 48 h post-infection using Illumina RNA-Seq technology. The transcriptomic response of the coral to Chromera was complex and implies that host immunity is strongly suppressed, and both phagosome maturation and the apoptotic machinery is modified. These responses differ markedly from those described for infection with a competent strain of the coral mutualist Symbiodinium, instead resembling those of vertebrate hosts to parasites and/or pathogens such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Consistent with ecological studies suggesting that the association may be accidental, the transcriptional response of A. digitifera larvae leads us to conclude that Chromera could be a coral parasite, commensal, or accidental bystander, but certainly not a beneficial mutualist.
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Destoumieux-Garzón D, Rosa RD, Schmitt P, Barreto C, Vidal-Dupiol J, Mitta G, Gueguen Y, Bachère E. Antimicrobial peptides in marine invertebrate health and disease. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2017; 371:rstb.2015.0300. [PMID: 27160602 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2015.0300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/10/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Aquaculture contributes more than one-third of the animal protein from marine sources worldwide. A significant proportion of aquaculture products are derived from marine protostomes that are commonly referred to as 'marine invertebrates'. Among them, penaeid shrimp (Ecdysozosoa, Arthropoda) and bivalve molluscs (Lophotrochozoa, Mollusca) are economically important. Mass rearing of arthropods and molluscs causes problems with pathogens in aquatic ecosystems that are exploited by humans. Remarkably, species of corals (Cnidaria) living in non-exploited ecosystems also suffer from devastating infectious diseases that display intriguing similarities with those affecting farmed animals. Infectious diseases affecting wild and farmed animals that are present in marine environments are predicted to increase in the future. This paper summarizes the role of the main pathogens and their interaction with host immunity, with a specific focus on antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) and pathogen resistance against AMPs. We provide a detailed review of penaeid shrimp AMPs and their role at the interface between the host and its resident/pathogenic microbiota. We also briefly describe the relevance of marine invertebrate AMPs in an applied context.This article is part of the themed issue 'Evolutionary ecology of arthropod antimicrobial peptides'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Delphine Destoumieux-Garzón
- CNRS, Université de Montpellier, Interactions Hôtes-Pathogènes-Environnements (IHPE, UMR5244), Place Eugène Bataillon, 34090 Montpellier cedex, France Ifremer, Université de Montpellier, Interactions Hôtes-Pathogènes-Environnements (IHPE, UMR5244), Place Eugène Bataillon, 34090 Montpellier cedex, France UPVD, Université de Montpellier, Interactions Hôtes-Pathogènes-Environnements (IHPE, UMR5244), Place Eugène Bataillon, 34090 Montpellier cedex, France Université de Montpellier, Interactions Hôtes-Pathogènes-Environnements (IHPE, UMR5244), Place Eugène Bataillon, 34090 Montpellier cedex, France
| | - Rafael Diego Rosa
- Laboratory of Immunology Applied to Aquaculture, Department of Cell Biology, Embryology and Genetics, Federal University of Santa Catarina, 88040-900 Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil
| | - Paulina Schmitt
- Laboratorio de Genética e Inmunología Molecular, Instituto de Biología, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Avenida Universidad 330, 2373223 Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Cairé Barreto
- Laboratory of Immunology Applied to Aquaculture, Department of Cell Biology, Embryology and Genetics, Federal University of Santa Catarina, 88040-900 Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil
| | - Jeremie Vidal-Dupiol
- Ifremer, UMR 241 EIO, LabexCorail, BP 7004, 98719 Taravao, Tahiti, French Polynesia
| | - Guillaume Mitta
- CNRS, Université de Montpellier, Interactions Hôtes-Pathogènes-Environnements (IHPE, UMR5244), Place Eugène Bataillon, 34090 Montpellier cedex, France Ifremer, Université de Montpellier, Interactions Hôtes-Pathogènes-Environnements (IHPE, UMR5244), Place Eugène Bataillon, 34090 Montpellier cedex, France UPVD, Université de Montpellier, Interactions Hôtes-Pathogènes-Environnements (IHPE, UMR5244), Place Eugène Bataillon, 34090 Montpellier cedex, France Université de Montpellier, Interactions Hôtes-Pathogènes-Environnements (IHPE, UMR5244), Place Eugène Bataillon, 34090 Montpellier cedex, France
| | - Yannick Gueguen
- CNRS, Université de Montpellier, Interactions Hôtes-Pathogènes-Environnements (IHPE, UMR5244), Place Eugène Bataillon, 34090 Montpellier cedex, France Ifremer, Université de Montpellier, Interactions Hôtes-Pathogènes-Environnements (IHPE, UMR5244), Place Eugène Bataillon, 34090 Montpellier cedex, France UPVD, Université de Montpellier, Interactions Hôtes-Pathogènes-Environnements (IHPE, UMR5244), Place Eugène Bataillon, 34090 Montpellier cedex, France Université de Montpellier, Interactions Hôtes-Pathogènes-Environnements (IHPE, UMR5244), Place Eugène Bataillon, 34090 Montpellier cedex, France
| | - Evelyne Bachère
- CNRS, Université de Montpellier, Interactions Hôtes-Pathogènes-Environnements (IHPE, UMR5244), Place Eugène Bataillon, 34090 Montpellier cedex, France Ifremer, Université de Montpellier, Interactions Hôtes-Pathogènes-Environnements (IHPE, UMR5244), Place Eugène Bataillon, 34090 Montpellier cedex, France UPVD, Université de Montpellier, Interactions Hôtes-Pathogènes-Environnements (IHPE, UMR5244), Place Eugène Bataillon, 34090 Montpellier cedex, France Université de Montpellier, Interactions Hôtes-Pathogènes-Environnements (IHPE, UMR5244), Place Eugène Bataillon, 34090 Montpellier cedex, France
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Intraspecific differences in molecular stress responses and coral pathobiome contribute to mortality under bacterial challenge in Acropora millepora. Sci Rep 2017; 7:2609. [PMID: 28572677 PMCID: PMC5454005 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-02685-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2016] [Accepted: 04/18/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Disease causes significant coral mortality worldwide; however, factors responsible for intraspecific variation in disease resistance remain unclear. We exposed fragments of eight Acropora millepora colonies (genotypes) to putatively pathogenic bacteria (Vibrio spp.). Genotypes varied from zero to >90% mortality, with bacterial challenge increasing average mortality rates 4–6 fold and shifting the microbiome in favor of stress-associated taxa. Constitutive immunity and subsequent immune and transcriptomic responses to the challenge were more prominent in high-mortality individuals, whereas low-mortality corals remained largely unaffected and maintained expression signatures of a healthier condition (i.e., did not launch a large stress response). Our results suggest that lesions appeared due to changes in the coral pathobiome (multiple bacterial species associated with disease) and general health deterioration after the biotic disturbance, rather than the direct activity of any specific pathogen. If diseases in nature arise because of weaknesses in holobiont physiology, instead of the virulence of any single etiological agent, environmental stressors compromising coral condition might play a larger role in disease outbreaks than is currently thought. To facilitate the diagnosis of compromised individuals, we developed and independently cross-validated a biomarker assay to predict mortality based on genes whose expression in asymptomatic individuals coincides with mortality rates.
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Welsh RM, Rosales SM, Zaneveld JR, Payet JP, McMinds R, Hubbs SL, Vega Thurber RL. Alien vs. predator: bacterial challenge alters coral microbiomes unless controlled by Halobacteriovorax predators. PeerJ 2017; 5:e3315. [PMID: 28584701 PMCID: PMC5455293 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.3315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2015] [Accepted: 04/14/2017] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Coral microbiomes are known to play important roles in organismal health, response to environmental stress, and resistance to disease. The coral microbiome contains diverse assemblages of resident bacteria, ranging from defensive and metabolic symbionts to opportunistic bacteria that may turn harmful in compromised hosts. However, little is known about how these bacterial interactions influence the mechanism and controls of overall structure, stability, and function of the microbiome. We sought to test how coral microbiome dynamics were affected by interactions between two bacteria: Vibrio coralliilyticus, a known temperature-dependent pathogen of some corals, and Halobacteriovorax, a unique bacterial predator of Vibrio and other gram-negative bacteria. We challenged reef-building coral with V. coralliilyticus in the presence or absence of Halobacteriovorax predators, and monitored microbial community dynamics with 16S rRNA gene profiling time-series. Vibrio coralliilyticus inoculation increased the mean relative abundance of Vibrios by greater than 35% from the 4 to 8 hour time point, but not in the 24 & 32 hour time points. However, strong secondary effects of the Vibrio challenge were also observed for the rest of the microbiome such as increased richness (observed species), and reduced stability (increased beta-diversity). Moreover, after the transient increase in Vibrios, two lineages of bacteria (Rhodobacterales and Cytophagales) increased in coral tissues, suggesting that V. coralliilyticus challenge opens niche space for these known opportunists. Rhodobacterales increased from 6.99% (±0.05 SEM) to a maximum mean relative abundance of 48.75% (±0.14 SEM) in the final time point and Cytophagales from <0.001% to 3.656%. Halobacteriovorax predators are commonly present at low-abundance on coral surfaces. Based on the keystone role of predators in many ecosystems, we hypothesized that Halobacteriovorax predators might help protect corals by consuming foreign or "alien" gram negative bacteria. Halobacteriovorax inoculation also altered the microbiome but to a lesser degree than V. coralliilyticus, and Halobacteriovorax were never detected after inoculation. Simultaneous challenge with both V. coralliilyticus and predatory Halobacteriovorax eliminated the increase in V. coralliilyticus, ameliorated changes to the rest of the coral microbiome, and prevented the secondary blooms of opportunistic Rhodobacterales and Cytophagales seen in the V. coralliilyticus challenge. These data suggest that, under certain circumstances, host-associated bacterial predators may mitigate the ability of other bacteria to destabilize the microbiome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rory M Welsh
- Department of Microbiology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA
| | | | - Jesse R Zaneveld
- Department of Microbiology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA.,Department of Biological Sciences, University of Washington Bothell, Bothell, WA, USA
| | - Jérôme P Payet
- Department of Microbiology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA
| | - Ryan McMinds
- Department of Microbiology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA
| | - Steven L Hubbs
- Department of Microbiology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA
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39
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Zhou Z, Yu X, Tang J, Zhu Y, Chen G, Guo L, Huang B. Dual recognition activity of a rhamnose-binding lectin to pathogenic bacteria and zooxanthellae in stony coral Pocillopora damicornis. DEVELOPMENTAL AND COMPARATIVE IMMUNOLOGY 2017; 70:88-93. [PMID: 28069433 DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2017.01.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2016] [Revised: 01/06/2017] [Accepted: 01/06/2017] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Rhamnose-binding lectin (RBL) is a type of Ca2+-independent lectin with tandem repeat carbohydrate-recognition domain, and is crucial for the innate immunity in many invertebrates. In this study, the cDNA sequence encoding RBL in coral Pocillopora damicornis (PdRBL-1) was cloned. The PdRBL-1 protein shared highest amino acid sequence similarity (55%) with the polyp of Hydra vulgaris, and contained a signal peptide and two tandem carbohydrate-recognition domains in which all cysteine residues were conserved. Surface plasmon resonance method revealed that the recombinant PdRBL-1 protein bound to LPS and Lipid A, but not to LTA, β-glucan, mannose and Poly (I:C). Results also showed that it bonded with zooxanthellae using western blotting method, and that the bound protein was detectable only at concentrations higher than 102 zooxanthellae cell mL-1. When recombinant PdRBL-1 protein was preincubated with LPS, lower amounts of protein bound to zooxanthellae compared to cells not preincubated with LPS. Furthermore, PdRBL-1 mRNA expression increased significantly at 12 h, and declined to the baseline at 24 h after heat stress at 31 °C. These results collectively suggest that PdRBL-1 could recognize not only pathogenic bacteria but also symbiotic zooxanthellae, and that the recognition of zooxanthellae by PdRBL-1 could be repressed by pathogenic bacteria through competitive binding. This information allows us to gain new insights in the mechanisms influencing the establishment and maintenance of coral-zooxanthella symbiosis in coral P. damicornis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhi Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Biological Resources of Ministry of Education, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China.
| | - Xiaopeng Yu
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Biological Resources of Ministry of Education, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
| | - Jia Tang
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Biological Resources of Ministry of Education, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
| | - Yunjie Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Biological Resources of Ministry of Education, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
| | - Guangmei Chen
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Biological Resources of Ministry of Education, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
| | - Liping Guo
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Biological Resources of Ministry of Education, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China; Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China.
| | - Bo Huang
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Biological Resources of Ministry of Education, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
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40
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Fuess LE, Pinzόn C JH, Weil E, Mydlarz LD. Associations between transcriptional changes and protein phenotypes provide insights into immune regulation in corals. DEVELOPMENTAL AND COMPARATIVE IMMUNOLOGY 2016; 62:17-28. [PMID: 27109903 DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2016.04.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2016] [Revised: 04/18/2016] [Accepted: 04/19/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Disease outbreaks in marine ecosystems have driven worldwide declines of numerous taxa, including corals. Some corals, such as Orbicella faveolata, are particularly susceptible to disease. To explore the mechanisms contributing to susceptibility, colonies of O. faveolata were exposed to immune challenge with lipopolysaccharides. RNA sequencing and protein activity assays were used to characterize the response of corals to immune challenge. Differential expression analyses identified 17 immune-related transcripts that varied in expression post-immune challenge. Network analyses revealed several groups of transcripts correlated to immune protein activity. Several transcripts, which were annotated as positive regulators of immunity were included in these groups, and some were downregulated following immune challenge. Correlations between expression of these transcripts and protein activity results further supported the role of these transcripts in positive regulation of immunity. The observed pattern of gene expression and protein activity may elucidate the processes contributing to the disease susceptibility of species like O. faveolata.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren E Fuess
- Department of Biology, University of Texas Arlington, Arlington, TX, USA
| | - Jorge H Pinzόn C
- Department of Biology, University of Texas Arlington, Arlington, TX, USA
| | - Ernesto Weil
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez, PR, USA
| | - Laura D Mydlarz
- Department of Biology, University of Texas Arlington, Arlington, TX, USA.
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41
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Ushijima B, Videau P, Poscablo D, Stengel JW, Beurmann S, Burger AH, Aeby GS, Callahan SM. Mutation of the toxR or mshA genes from Vibrio coralliilyticus strain OCN014 reduces infection of the coral Acropora cytherea. Environ Microbiol 2016; 18:4055-4067. [PMID: 27348808 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.13428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2016] [Accepted: 06/19/2016] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Thermal stress increases the incidence of coral disease, which is predicted to become more common with climate change, even on pristine reefs such as those surrounding Palmyra Atoll in the Northern Line Islands that experience minimal anthropogenic stress. Here we describe a strain of Vibrio coralliilyticus, OCN014, which was isolated from Acropora cytherea during an outbreak of Acropora white syndrome (AWS), a tissue loss disease that infected 25% of the A. cytherea population at Palmyra Atoll in 2009. OCN014 recreated signs of disease in experimentally infected corals in a temperature-dependent manner. Genes in OCN014 with expression levels positively correlated with temperature were identified using a transposon-mediated genetic screen. Mutant strains harbouring transposon insertions in two such genes, toxR (a toxin regulator) and mshA (the 11th gene of the 16-gene mannose-sensitive hemagglutinin (MSHA) type IV pilus operon), had reduced infectivity of A. cytherea. Deletion of toxR and the MSHA operon in a second strain of V. coralliilyticus, OCN008, that induces acute Montipora white syndrome in a temperature-independent manner had similarly reduced virulence. This work provides a link between temperature-dependent expression of virulence factors in a pathogen and infection of its coral host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Blake Ushijima
- Department of Microbiology, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA.,Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology, Kāne'ohe, HI, 96744, USA
| | - Patrick Videau
- Department of Microbiology, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA.,Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA
| | - Donna Poscablo
- Department of Microbiology, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA.,Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA, 94132, USA
| | - John W Stengel
- Department of Microbiology, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA
| | - Silvia Beurmann
- Department of Microbiology, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA.,Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology, Kāne'ohe, HI, 96744, USA
| | - Andrew H Burger
- Department of Microbiology, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA.,Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology, Kāne'ohe, HI, 96744, USA
| | - Greta S Aeby
- Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology, Kāne'ohe, HI, 96744, USA
| | - Sean M Callahan
- Department of Microbiology, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA
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42
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Rouzé H, Lecellier G, Saulnier D, Berteaux‐Lecellier V. Symbiodinium clades A and D differentially predispose Acropora cytherea to disease and Vibrio spp. colonization. Ecol Evol 2016; 6:560-72. [PMID: 26843939 PMCID: PMC4729262 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.1895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2015] [Accepted: 11/24/2015] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Coral disease outbreaks have increased over the last three decades, but their causal agents remain mostly unclear (e.g., bacteria, viruses, fungi, protists). This study details a 14-month-long survey of coral colonies in which observations of the development of disease was observed in nearly half of the sampled colonies. A bimonthly qPCR method was used to quantitatively and qualitatively evaluate Symbiodinium assemblages of tagged colonies, and to detect the presence of Vibrio spp. Firstly, our data showed that predisposition to disease development in general, and, more specifically, infection by Vibrio spp. in Acropora cytherea depended on which clades of Symbiodinium were harbored. In both cases, harboring clade D rather than A was beneficial to the coral host. Secondly, the detection of Vibrio spp. in only colonies that developed disease strongly suggests opportunistic traits of the bacteria. Finally, even if sporadic cases of switching and probably shuffling were observed, this long-term survey does not suggest specific-clade recruitment in response to stressors. Altogether, our results demonstrate that the fitness of the coral holobiont depends on its initial consortium of Symbiodinium, which is distinct among colonies, rather than a temporary adaptation achieved through acquiring different Symbiodinium clades.
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Affiliation(s)
- Héloïse Rouzé
- USR3278 CRIOBE CNRS‐EPHE‐UPVDBP 1013 PapetoaiMoorea98729Polynésie française
- Laboratoire d'Excellence “CORAIL”58 Avenue Paul AlduyPerpignan Cedex66860France
| | - Gaël Lecellier
- USR3278 CRIOBE CNRS‐EPHE‐UPVDBP 1013 PapetoaiMoorea98729Polynésie française
- Laboratoire d'Excellence “CORAIL”58 Avenue Paul AlduyPerpignan Cedex66860France
- Université de Versailles‐Saint Quentin en Yvelines55 Avenue de ParisVersailles Cedex78035France
| | - Denis Saulnier
- Laboratoire d'Excellence “CORAIL”58 Avenue Paul AlduyPerpignan Cedex66860France
- UMR241 EIO Ifremer‐ILM‐IRD‐UPFB.P 7004Taravao98719Polynésie française
| | - Véronique Berteaux‐Lecellier
- USR3278 CRIOBE CNRS‐EPHE‐UPVDBP 1013 PapetoaiMoorea98729Polynésie française
- Laboratoire d'Excellence “CORAIL”58 Avenue Paul AlduyPerpignan Cedex66860France
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43
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Tout J, Siboni N, Messer LF, Garren M, Stocker R, Webster NS, Ralph PJ, Seymour JR. Increased seawater temperature increases the abundance and alters the structure of natural Vibrio populations associated with the coral Pocillopora damicornis. Front Microbiol 2015; 6:432. [PMID: 26042096 PMCID: PMC4435422 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2015.00432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2015] [Accepted: 04/22/2015] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Rising seawater temperature associated with global climate change is a significant threat to coral health and is linked to increasing coral disease and pathogen-related bleaching events. We performed heat stress experiments with the coral Pocillopora damicornis, where temperature was increased to 31°C, consistent with the 2–3°C predicted increase in summer sea surface maxima. 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing revealed a large shift in the composition of the bacterial community at 31°C, with a notable increase in Vibrio, including known coral pathogens. To investigate the dynamics of the naturally occurring Vibrio community, we performed quantitative PCR targeting (i) the whole Vibrio community and (ii) the coral pathogen Vibrio coralliilyticus. At 31°C, Vibrio abundance increased by 2–3 orders of magnitude and V. coralliilyticus abundance increased by four orders of magnitude. Using a Vibrio-specific amplicon sequencing assay, we further demonstrated that the community composition shifted dramatically as a consequence of heat stress, with significant increases in the relative abundance of known coral pathogens. Our findings provide quantitative evidence that the abundance of potential coral pathogens increases within natural communities of coral-associated microbes as a consequence of rising seawater temperature and highlight the potential negative impacts of anthropogenic climate change on coral reef ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Tout
- Plant Functional Biology and Climate Change Cluster, University of Technology Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Nachshon Siboni
- Plant Functional Biology and Climate Change Cluster, University of Technology Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Lauren F Messer
- Plant Functional Biology and Climate Change Cluster, University of Technology Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Melissa Garren
- Ralph M. Parsons Laboratory, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Roman Stocker
- Ralph M. Parsons Laboratory, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Nicole S Webster
- Australian Institute of Marine Science Townsville, QLD, Australia
| | - Peter J Ralph
- Plant Functional Biology and Climate Change Cluster, University of Technology Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Justin R Seymour
- Plant Functional Biology and Climate Change Cluster, University of Technology Sydney, NSW, Australia
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44
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Pinzón JH, Kamel B, Burge CA, Harvell CD, Medina M, Weil E, Mydlarz LD. Whole transcriptome analysis reveals changes in expression of immune-related genes during and after bleaching in a reef-building coral. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2015; 2:140214. [PMID: 26064625 PMCID: PMC4448857 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.140214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 113] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2014] [Accepted: 03/04/2015] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Climate change is negatively affecting the stability of natural ecosystems, especially coral reefs. The dissociation of the symbiosis between reef-building corals and their algal symbiont, or coral bleaching, has been linked to increased sea surface temperatures. Coral bleaching has significant impacts on corals, including an increase in disease outbreaks that can permanently change the entire reef ecosystem. Yet, little is known about the impacts of coral bleaching on the coral immune system. In this study, whole transcriptome analysis of the coral holobiont and each of the associate components (i.e. coral host, algal symbiont and other associated microorganisms) was used to determine changes in gene expression in corals affected by a natural bleaching event as well as during the recovery phase. The main findings include evidence that the coral holobiont and the coral host have different responses to bleaching, and the host immune system appears suppressed even a year after a bleaching event. These results support the hypothesis that coral bleaching changes the expression of innate immune genes of corals, and these effects can last even after recovery of symbiont populations. Research on the role of immunity on coral's resistance to stressors can help make informed predictions on the future of corals and coral reefs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge H. Pinzón
- Department of Biology, University of Texas Arlington, Arlington, TX 76016, USA
- Author for correspondence: Jorge H. Pinzón e-mail:
| | - Bishoy Kamel
- Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA 16802, USA
| | - Colleen A. Burge
- Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology, University of Maryland Baltimore County Columbus Center, 701 East Pratt Street, Baltimore, MD 21202, USA
| | - C. Drew Harvell
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Mónica Medina
- Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA 16802, USA
| | - Ernesto Weil
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of Puerto Rico—Mayagüez, La Parguera, PR 00865, USA
| | - Laura D. Mydlarz
- Department of Biology, University of Texas Arlington, Arlington, TX 76016, USA
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45
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Tout J, Jeffries TC, Petrou K, Tyson GW, Webster NS, Garren M, Stocker R, Ralph PJ, Seymour JR. Chemotaxis by natural populations of coral reef bacteria. ISME JOURNAL 2015; 9:1764-77. [PMID: 25615440 DOI: 10.1038/ismej.2014.261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2014] [Revised: 12/01/2014] [Accepted: 12/05/2014] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Corals experience intimate associations with distinct populations of marine microorganisms, but the microbial behaviours underpinning these relationships are poorly understood. There is evidence that chemotaxis is pivotal to the infection process of corals by pathogenic bacteria, but this evidence is limited to experiments using cultured isolates under laboratory conditions. We measured the chemotactic capabilities of natural populations of coral-associated bacteria towards chemicals released by corals and their symbionts, including amino acids, carbohydrates, ammonium and dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP). Laboratory experiments, using a modified capillary assay, and in situ measurements, using a novel microfabricated in situ chemotaxis assay, were employed to quantify the chemotactic responses of natural microbial assemblages on the Great Barrier Reef. Both approaches showed that bacteria associated with the surface of the coral species Pocillopora damicornis and Acropora aspera exhibited significant levels of chemotaxis, particularly towards DMSP and amino acids, and that these levels of chemotaxis were significantly higher than that of bacteria inhabiting nearby, non-coral-associated waters. This pattern was supported by a significantly higher abundance of chemotaxis and motility genes in metagenomes within coral-associated water types. The phylogenetic composition of the coral-associated chemotactic microorganisms, determined using 16S rRNA amplicon pyrosequencing, differed from the community in the seawater surrounding the coral and comprised known coral associates, including potentially pathogenic Vibrio species. These findings indicate that motility and chemotaxis are prevalent phenotypes among coral-associated bacteria, and we propose that chemotaxis has an important role in the establishment and maintenance of specific coral-microbe associations, which may ultimately influence the health and stability of the coral holobiont.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Tout
- Plant Functional Biology and Climate Change Cluster, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Thomas C Jeffries
- Plant Functional Biology and Climate Change Cluster, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Katherina Petrou
- Plant Functional Biology and Climate Change Cluster, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Gene W Tyson
- Australian Centre for Ecogenomics, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | - Nicole S Webster
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - Melissa Garren
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Ralph M. Parsons Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Roman Stocker
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Ralph M. Parsons Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Peter J Ralph
- Plant Functional Biology and Climate Change Cluster, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Justin R Seymour
- Plant Functional Biology and Climate Change Cluster, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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46
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van de Water JAJM, Lamb JB, van Oppen MJH, Willis BL, Bourne DG. Comparative immune responses of corals to stressors associated with offshore reef-based tourist platforms. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2015; 3:cov032. [PMID: 27293717 PMCID: PMC4778433 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/cov032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2015] [Revised: 06/17/2015] [Accepted: 06/18/2015] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Unravelling the contributions of local anthropogenic and seasonal environmental factors in suppressing the coral immune system is important for prioritizing management actions at reefs exposed to high levels of human activities. Here, we monitor health of the model coral Acropora millepora adjacent to a high-use and an unused reef-based tourist platform, plus a nearby control site without a platform, over 7 months spanning a typical austral summer. Comparisons of temporal patterns in a range of biochemical and genetic immune parameters (Toll-like receptor signalling pathway, lectin-complement system, prophenoloxidase-activating system and green fluorescent protein-like proteins) among healthy, injured and diseased corals revealed that corals exhibit a diverse array of immune responses to environmental and anthropogenic stressors. In healthy corals at the control site, expression of genes involved in the Toll-like receptor signalling pathway (MAPK p38, MEKK1, cFos and ATF4/5) and complement system (C3 and Bf) was modulated by seasonal environmental factors in summer months. Corals at reef platform sites experienced additional stressors over the summer, as evidenced by increased expression of various immune genes, including MAPK p38 and MEKK1. Despite increased expression of immune genes, signs of white syndromes were detected in 31% of study corals near tourist platforms in the warmest summer month. Evidence that colonies developing disease showed reduced expression of genes involved in the complement pathway prior to disease onset suggests that their immune systems may have been compromised. Responses to disease and physical damage primarily involved the melanization cascade and GFP-like proteins, and appeared to be sufficient for recovery when summer heat stress subsided. Overall, seasonal and anthropogenic factors may have interacted synergistically to overwhelm the immune systems of corals near reef platforms, leading to increased disease prevalence in summer at these sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeroen A J M van de Water
- ARCCentre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University,Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
- College of Marine and Environmental Sciences, James Cook University,Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
- AIMS@JCU, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, PMB 3, Townsville MC,Townsville, QLD 4810, Australia
- Corresponding author: College of Marine and Environmental Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia.
| | - Joleah B Lamb
- ARCCentre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University,Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
- College of Marine and Environmental Sciences, James Cook University,Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
- AIMS@JCU, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, PMB 3, Townsville MC,Townsville, QLD 4810, Australia
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
| | - Madeleine J H van Oppen
- ARCCentre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University,Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
- AIMS@JCU, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, PMB 3, Townsville MC,Townsville, QLD 4810, Australia
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Bette L Willis
- ARCCentre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University,Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
- College of Marine and Environmental Sciences, James Cook University,Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
- AIMS@JCU, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
| | - David G Bourne
- AIMS@JCU, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, PMB 3, Townsville MC,Townsville, QLD 4810, Australia
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47
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Pinzón C JH, Dornberger L, Beach-Letendre J, Weil E, Mydlarz LD. The link between immunity and life history traits in scleractinian corals. PeerJ 2014; 2:e628. [PMID: 25374778 PMCID: PMC4217183 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2013] [Accepted: 09/29/2014] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Immunity is an important biological trait that influences the survival of individuals and the fitness of a species. Immune defenses are costly and likely compete for energy with other life-history traits, such as reproduction and growth, affecting the overall fitness of a species. Competition among these traits in scleractinian corals could influence the dynamics and structural integrity of coral reef communities. Due to variability in biological traits within populations and across species, it is likely that coral colonies within population/species adjust their immune system to the available resources. In corals, the innate immune system is composed of various pathways. The immune system components can be assessed in the absence (constitutive levels) and/or presence of stressors/pathogens (immune response). Comparisons of the constitutive levels of three immune pathways (melanin synthesis, antioxidant and antimicrobial) of closely related species of Scleractinian corals allowed to determine the link between immunity and reproduction and colony growth. First, we explored differences in constitutive immunity among closely related coral species of the genus Meandrina with different reproductive patterns (gonochoric vs. hermaphrodite). We then compared fast-growing branching vs. slow-growing massive Porites to test co-variation between constitutive immunity and growth rates and morphology in corals. Results indicate that there seems to be a relationship between constitutive immunity and sexual pattern with gonochoric species showing significantly higher levels of immunity than hermaphrodites. Therefore, gonochoric species maybe better suited to resist infections and overcome stressors. Constitutive immunity varied in relation with growth rates and colony morphology, but each species showed contrasting trends within the studied immune pathways. Fast-growing branching species appear to invest more in relatively low cost pathways of the immune system than slow-growing massive species. In corals, energetic investments in life-history traits such as reproduction and growth rate (higher energy investment) seem to have a significant impact on their capacity to respond to stressors, including infectious diseases and coral bleaching. These differences in energy investment are critical in the light of the recent environmental challenges linked to global climate change affecting these organisms. Understanding physiological trade-offs, especially those involving the immune system, will improve our understanding as to how corals could/will respond and survive in future adverse environmental conditions associated with climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge H Pinzón C
- Department of Biology, University of Texas Arlington , Arlington, TX , USA
| | - Lindsey Dornberger
- Department of Biology, University of Texas Arlington , Arlington, TX , USA
| | | | - Ernesto Weil
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of Puerto Rico , Mayagüez, PR , USA
| | - Laura D Mydlarz
- Department of Biology, University of Texas Arlington , Arlington, TX , USA
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48
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Vidal-Dupiol J, Dheilly NM, Rondon R, Grunau C, Cosseau C, Smith KM, Freitag M, Adjeroud M, Mitta G. Thermal stress triggers broad Pocillopora damicornis transcriptomic remodeling, while Vibrio coralliilyticus infection induces a more targeted immuno-suppression response. PLoS One 2014; 9:e107672. [PMID: 25259845 PMCID: PMC4178034 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0107672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2014] [Accepted: 08/13/2014] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Global change and its associated temperature increase has directly or indirectly changed the distributions of hosts and pathogens, and has affected host immunity, pathogen virulence and growth rates. This has resulted in increased disease in natural plant and animal populations worldwide, including scleractinian corals. While the effects of temperature increase on immunity and pathogen virulence have been clearly identified, their interaction, synergy and relative weight during pathogenesis remain poorly documented. We investigated these phenomena in the interaction between the coral Pocillopora damicornis and the bacterium Vibrio coralliilyticus, for which the infection process is temperature-dependent. We developed an experimental model that enabled unraveling the effects of thermal stress, and virulence vs. non-virulence of the bacterium. The physiological impacts of various treatments were quantified at the transcriptome level using a combination of RNA sequencing and targeted approaches. The results showed that thermal stress triggered a general weakening of the coral, making it more prone to infection, non-virulent bacterium induced an ‘efficient’ immune response, whereas virulent bacterium caused immuno-suppression in its host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremie Vidal-Dupiol
- CNRS, Ecologie et Evolution des Interactions, UMR 5244, Perpignan, France
- Univ. Perpignan Via Domitia, Ecologie et Evolution des Interactions, UMR 5244, Perpignan, France
- * E-mail:
| | - Nolwenn M. Dheilly
- CNRS, Ecologie et Evolution des Interactions, UMR 5244, Perpignan, France
- Univ. Perpignan Via Domitia, Ecologie et Evolution des Interactions, UMR 5244, Perpignan, France
| | - Rodolfo Rondon
- CNRS, Ecologie et Evolution des Interactions, UMR 5244, Perpignan, France
- Univ. Perpignan Via Domitia, Ecologie et Evolution des Interactions, UMR 5244, Perpignan, France
- Reponse Immunitaire des Macroorganismes et Environnement, Ecologie des Systèmes Marins côtiers, UMR 5119 CNRS-Ifremer-UM2, Montpellier, France
| | - Christoph Grunau
- CNRS, Ecologie et Evolution des Interactions, UMR 5244, Perpignan, France
- Univ. Perpignan Via Domitia, Ecologie et Evolution des Interactions, UMR 5244, Perpignan, France
| | - Céline Cosseau
- CNRS, Ecologie et Evolution des Interactions, UMR 5244, Perpignan, France
- Univ. Perpignan Via Domitia, Ecologie et Evolution des Interactions, UMR 5244, Perpignan, France
| | - Kristina M. Smith
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Center for Genome Research and Biocomputing, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Michael Freitag
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Center for Genome Research and Biocomputing, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Mehdi Adjeroud
- Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Unité 227 CoRéUs2 “Biocomplexité des écosystèmes coralliens de l’Indo-Pacifique”, Laboratoire d’excellence CORAIL, Banyuls-sur-Mer, France
| | - Guillaume Mitta
- CNRS, Ecologie et Evolution des Interactions, UMR 5244, Perpignan, France
- Univ. Perpignan Via Domitia, Ecologie et Evolution des Interactions, UMR 5244, Perpignan, France
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Pinzón C. JH, Beach-Letendre J, Weil E, Mydlarz LD. Relationship between phylogeny and immunity suggests older Caribbean coral lineages are more resistant to disease. PLoS One 2014; 9:e104787. [PMID: 25133685 PMCID: PMC4136782 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0104787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2014] [Accepted: 07/15/2014] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Diseases affect coral species fitness and contribute significantly to the deterioration of coral reefs. The increase in frequency and severity of disease outbreaks has made evaluating and determining coral resistance a priority. Phylogenetic patterns in immunity and disease can provide important insight to how corals may respond to current and future environmental and/or biologically induced diseases. The purpose of this study was to determine if immunity, number of diseases and disease prevalence show a phylogenetic signal among Caribbean corals. We characterized the constitutive levels of six distinct innate immune traits in 14 Caribbean coral species and tested for the presence of a phylogenetic signal on each trait. Results indicate that constitutive levels of some individual immune related processes (i.e. melanin concentration, peroxidase and inhibition of bacterial growth), as well as their combination show a phylogenetic signal. Additionally, both the number of diseases affecting each species and disease prevalence (as measures of disease burden) show a significant phylogenetic signal. The phylogenetic signal of immune related processes, combined with estimates of species divergence times, indicates that among the studied species, those belonging to older lineages tend to resist/fight infections better than more recently diverged coral lineages. This result, combined with the increasing stressful conditions on corals in the Caribbean, suggest that future reefs in the region will likely be dominated by older lineages while modern species may face local population declines and/or geographic extinction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge H. Pinzón C.
- Department of Biology, University of Texas Arlington, Arlington, Texas, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Joshuah Beach-Letendre
- Department of Biology, University of Texas Arlington, Arlington, Texas, United States of America
| | - Ernesto Weil
- Department of Marine Sciences University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, United States of America
| | - Laura D. Mydlarz
- Department of Biology, University of Texas Arlington, Arlington, Texas, United States of America
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Vibrio coralliilyticus strain OCN008 is an etiological agent of acute Montipora white syndrome. Appl Environ Microbiol 2014; 80:2102-9. [PMID: 24463971 DOI: 10.1128/aem.03463-13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Identification of a pathogen is a critical first step in the epidemiology and subsequent management of a disease. A limited number of pathogens have been identified for diseases contributing to the global decline of coral populations. Here we describe Vibrio coralliilyticus strain OCN008, which induces acute Montipora white syndrome (aMWS), a tissue loss disease responsible for substantial mortality of the coral Montipora capitata in Kāne'ohe Bay, Hawai'i. OCN008 was grown in pure culture, recreated signs of disease in experimentally infected corals, and could be recovered after infection. In addition, strains similar to OCN008 were isolated from diseased coral from the field but not from healthy M. capitata. OCN008 repeatedly induced the loss of healthy M. capitata tissue from fragments under laboratory conditions with a minimum infectious dose of between 10(7) and 10(8) CFU/ml of water. In contrast, Porites compressa was not infected by OCN008, indicating the host specificity of the pathogen. A decrease in water temperature from 27 to 23°C affected the time to disease onset, but the risk of infection was not significantly reduced. Temperature-dependent bleaching, which has been observed with the V. coralliilyticus type strain BAA-450, was not observed during infection with OCN008. A comparison of the OCN008 genome to the genomes of pathogenic V. coralliilyticus strains BAA-450 and P1 revealed similar virulence-associated genes and quorum-sensing systems. Despite this genetic similarity, infections of M. capitata by OCN008 do not follow the paradigm for V. coralliilyticus infections established by the type strain.
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