1
|
Ying H, Hayward DC, Klimovich A, Bosch TCG, Baldassarre L, Neeman T, Forêt S, Huttley G, Reitzel AM, Fraune S, Ball EE, Miller DJ. The role of DNA methylation in genome defense in Cnidaria and other invertebrates. Mol Biol Evol 2022; 39:6516040. [PMID: 35084499 PMCID: PMC8857917 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msac018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Considerable attention has recently been focused on the potential involvement of DNA methylation in regulating gene expression in cnidarians. Much of this work has been centered on corals, in the context of changes in methylation perhaps facilitating adaptation to higher seawater temperatures and other stressful conditions. Although first proposed more than 30 years ago, the possibility that DNA methylation systems function in protecting animal genomes against the harmful effects of transposon activity has largely been ignored since that time. Here, we show that transposons are specifically targeted by the DNA methylation system in cnidarians, and that the youngest transposons (i.e., those most likely to be active) are most highly methylated. Transposons in longer and highly active genes were preferentially methylated and, as transposons aged, methylation levels declined, reducing the potentially harmful side effects of CpG methylation. In Cnidaria and a range of other invertebrates, correlation between the overall extent of methylation and transposon content was strongly supported. Present transposon burden is the dominant factor in determining overall level of genomic methylation in a range of animals that diverged in or before the early Cambrian, suggesting that genome defense represents the ancestral role of CpG methylation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hua Ying
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - David C Hayward
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | | | - Thomas C G Bosch
- Zoological Institute, Christian Albrechts University, Kiel, Germany.,Collaborative Research Center for the Origin and Function of Metaorganisms, Christian Albrechts University, Kiel, Germany
| | - Laura Baldassarre
- Department of Zoology and Organismal Interactions, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Teresa Neeman
- Biological Data Institute, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Sylvain Forêt
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia.,ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Gavin Huttley
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Adam M Reitzel
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Carolina, Charlotte, USA
| | - Sebastian Fraune
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - Eldon E Ball
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia.,ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - David J Miller
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia.,College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia.,Centre for Tropical Bioinformatics and Molecular Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia.,Marine Climate Change Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Mason B, Cooke I, Moya A, Augustin R, Lin MF, Satoh N, Bosch TCG, Bourne DG, Hayward DC, Andrade N, Forêt S, Ying H, Ball EE, Miller DJ. AmAMP1 from Acropora millepora and damicornin define a family of coral-specific antimicrobial peptides related to the Shk toxins of sea anemones. Dev Comp Immunol 2021; 114:103866. [PMID: 32937163 DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2020.103866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2020] [Revised: 09/07/2020] [Accepted: 09/08/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
A candidate antimicrobial peptide (AmAMP1) was identified by searching the whole genome sequence of Acropora millepora for short (<125AA) cysteine-rich predicted proteins with an N-terminal signal peptide but lacking clear homologs in the SwissProt database. It resembled but was not closely related to damicornin, the only other known AMP from a coral, and was shown to be active against both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. These proteins define a family of AMPs present in corals and their close relatives, the Corallimorpharia, and are synthesised as preproproteins in which the C-terminal mature peptide contains a conserved arrangement of six cysteine residues. Consistent with the idea of a common origin for AMPs and toxins, this Cys motif is shared between the coral AMPs and the Shk neurotoxins of sea anemones. AmAMP1 is expressed at late stages of coral development, in ectodermal cells that resemble the "ganglion neurons" of Hydra, in which it has recently been demonstrated that a distinct AMP known as NDA-1 is expressed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- B Mason
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, 4811, Queensland, Australia; Molecular and Cell Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, 4811, Queensland, Australia
| | - I Cooke
- Molecular and Cell Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, 4811, Queensland, Australia; Centre for Tropical Bioinformatics and Molecular Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - A Moya
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, 4811, Queensland, Australia; Molecular and Cell Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, 4811, Queensland, Australia
| | - R Augustin
- Zoological Institute, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
| | - M-F Lin
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, 4811, Queensland, Australia; Molecular and Cell Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, 4811, Queensland, Australia; Evolutionary Neurobiology Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, 904-0495, Onna, Okinawa, Japan
| | - N Satoh
- Marine Genomics Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, 904-0495, Onna, Okinawa, Japan
| | - T C G Bosch
- Zoological Institute, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
| | - D G Bourne
- Department of Marine Ecosystems and Impacts, James Cook University, Townsville, 4811, Queensland, Australia
| | - D C Hayward
- Division of Biomedical Science and Biochemistry, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Acton, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - N Andrade
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, 4811, Queensland, Australia
| | - S Forêt
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, 4811, Queensland, Australia; Division of Biomedical Science and Biochemistry, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Acton, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - H Ying
- Division of Biomedical Science and Biochemistry, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Acton, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - E E Ball
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, 4811, Queensland, Australia; Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Acton, ACT 2601, Australia.
| | - D J Miller
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, 4811, Queensland, Australia; Molecular and Cell Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, 4811, Queensland, Australia; Centre for Tropical Bioinformatics and Molecular Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia; Marine Genomics Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, 904-0495, Onna, Okinawa, Japan.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Cooke I, Ying H, Forêt S, Bongaerts P, Strugnell JM, Simakov O, Zhang J, Field MA, Rodriguez-Lanetty M, Bell SC, Bourne DG, van Oppen MJ, Ragan MA, Miller DJ. Genomic signatures in the coral holobiont reveal host adaptations driven by Holocene climate change and reef specific symbionts. Sci Adv 2020; 6:6/48/eabc6318. [PMID: 33246955 PMCID: PMC7695477 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abc6318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2020] [Accepted: 10/15/2020] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Genetic signatures caused by demographic and adaptive processes during past climatic shifts can inform predictions of species' responses to anthropogenic climate change. To identify these signatures in Acropora tenuis, a reef-building coral threatened by global warming, we first assembled the genome from long reads and then used shallow whole-genome resequencing of 150 colonies from the central inshore Great Barrier Reef to inform population genomic analyses. We identify population structure in the host that reflects a Pleistocene split, whereas photosymbiont differences between reefs most likely reflect contemporary (Holocene) conditions. Signatures of selection in the host were associated with genes linked to diverse processes including osmotic regulation, skeletal development, and the establishment and maintenance of symbiosis. Our results suggest that adaptation to post-glacial climate change in A. tenuis has involved selection on many genes, while differences in symbiont specificity between reefs appear to be unrelated to host population structure.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ira Cooke
- College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia.
- Centre for Tropical Bioinformatics and Molecular Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - Hua Ying
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Sylvain Forêt
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Pim Bongaerts
- California Academy of Sciences, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Jan M Strugnell
- Centre for Sustainable Tropical Fisheries and Aquaculture, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Evolution, School of Life Sciences, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - Oleg Simakov
- Department of Molecular Evolution and Development, University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Jia Zhang
- College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
- Centre for Tropical Bioinformatics and Molecular Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - Matt A Field
- Centre for Tropical Bioinformatics and Molecular Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
- Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine, James Cook University, Cairns, Queensland, Australia
| | - Mauricio Rodriguez-Lanetty
- Institute of Environment and Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, Fl 33199, USA
| | - Sara C Bell
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - David G Bourne
- Centre for Tropical Bioinformatics and Molecular Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - Madeleine Jh van Oppen
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Mark A Ragan
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - David J Miller
- College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia.
- Centre for Tropical Bioinformatics and Molecular Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Urbarova I, Forêt S, Dahl M, Emblem Å, Milazzo M, Hall-Spencer JM, Johansen SD. Ocean acidification at a coastal CO2 vent induces expression of stress-related transcripts and transposable elements in the sea anemone Anemonia viridis. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0210358. [PMID: 31067218 PMCID: PMC6505742 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0210358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2018] [Accepted: 04/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Ocean acidification threatens to disrupt interactions between organisms throughout marine ecosystems. The diversity of reef-building organisms decreases as seawater CO2 increases along natural gradients, yet soft-bodied animals, such as sea anemones, are often resilient. We sequenced the polyA-enriched transcriptome of adult sea anemone Anemonia viridis and its dinoflagellate symbiont sampled along a natural CO2 gradient in Italy to assess stress levels in these organisms. We found that about 1.4% of the anemone transcripts, but only ~0.5% of the Symbiodinium sp. transcripts were differentially expressed. Processes enriched at high seawater CO2 were mainly linked to cellular stress, including significant up-regulation of protective cellular functions and deregulation of metabolic pathways. Transposable elements were differentially expressed at high seawater CO2, with an extreme up-regulation (> 100-fold) of the BEL-family of long terminal repeat retrotransposons. Seawater acidified by CO2 generated a significant stress reaction in A. viridis, but no bleaching was observed and Symbiodinium sp. appeared to be less affected. These observed changes indicate the mechanisms by which A. viridis acclimate to survive chronic exposure to ocean acidification conditions. We conclude that many organisms that are common in acidified conditions may nevertheless incur costs due to hypercapnia and/or lowered carbonate saturation states.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ilona Urbarova
- Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, UiT - The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
- * E-mail: (IU); (SDJ)
| | - Sylvain Forêt
- Evolution, Ecology and Genetics, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Mikael Dahl
- Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, UiT - The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Åse Emblem
- Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, UiT - The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Marco Milazzo
- Department of Earth and Marine Sciences, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Jason M. Hall-Spencer
- School of Biological and Marine Science, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, United Kingdom
- Shimoda Marine Research Center, University of Tsukuba, Shimoda City, Shizuoka, Japan
| | - Steinar D. Johansen
- Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, UiT - The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
- Genomics Research Group, Faculty of Biosciences and Aquaculture, Nord University, Bodø, Norway
- * E-mail: (IU); (SDJ)
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Ying H, Hayward DC, Cooke I, Wang W, Moya A, Siemering KR, Sprungala S, Ball EE, Forêt S, Miller DJ. The Whole-Genome Sequence of the Coral Acropora millepora. Genome Biol Evol 2019; 11:1374-1379. [PMID: 31059562 PMCID: PMC6501875 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evz077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Hua Ying
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Acton, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - David C Hayward
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Acton, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Ira Cooke
- Centre for Tropical Bioinformatics and Molecular Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - Weiwen Wang
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Acton, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Aurelie Moya
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - Kirby R Siemering
- Australian Genome Research Facility Ltd, Level 13, Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Susanne Sprungala
- Centre for Tropical Bioinformatics and Molecular Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - Eldon E Ball
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Acton, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - Sylvain Forêt
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Acton, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - David J Miller
- Centre for Tropical Bioinformatics and Molecular Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Lin MF, Takahashi S, Forêt S, Davy SK, Miller DJ. Transcriptomic analyses highlight the likely metabolic consequences of colonization of a cnidarian host by native or non-native Symbiodinium species. Biol Open 2019; 8:bio.038281. [PMID: 30814067 PMCID: PMC6451341 DOI: 10.1242/bio.038281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Reef-building corals and some other cnidarians form symbiotic relationships with members of the dinoflagellate family Symbiodinaceae. As Symbiodinaceae is a highly diverse taxon, the physiological interactions between its members and their hosts are assumed to differ between associations. The presence of different symbiont types is known to affect expression levels of specific host genes, but knowledge of the effects on the transcriptome more broadly remains limited. In the present study, transcriptome profiling was conducted on the tropical corallimorpharian, Ricordea yuma, following the establishment of symbiosis with either the ‘homologous’ symbiont Symbiodinium goreaui (also known as Cladocopium goreaui; ITS2 type C1) or ‘heterologous’ symbionts (predominantly S. trenchii, which is also known as Durusdinium trenchii; ITS2 type D1a) isolated from a different corallimorpharian host (Rhodactis indosinensis). Transcriptomic analyses showed that genes encoding host glycogen biosynthesis pathway components are more highly induced during colonization by the homologous symbiont than by the heterologous symbiont. Similar patterns were also observed for several other genes thought to facilitate symbiotic nutrient exchange, including those involved in lipid translocation/storage and metabolite transport. The gene expression results presented here imply that colonization by homologous or heterologous Symbiodinium types may have very different metabolic consequences for the Ricordea host, supporting the notion that even though some cnidarians may be able to form novel symbioses after bleaching, the metabolic performance of these may be compromised. This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper. Summary: Colonization by the homologous symbiont, Symbiodinium goreaui, resulted in greater glycogen synthesis and ammonium assimilation capacity in the host than when it was colonized by a heterologous symbiont (S. trenchii).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mei-Fang Lin
- Molecular and Cell Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia.,ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia.,Evolutionary Neurobiology Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Okinawa 904-0495, Japan
| | - Shunichi Takahashi
- Division of Environmental Photobiology, National Institute for Basic Biology, Nishigonaka 38, Myodaiji, Okazaki 444-8585, Japan
| | - Sylvain Forêt
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia.,Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia
| | - Simon K Davy
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Kelburn Parade, Wellington 6140, New Zealand
| | - David J Miller
- Molecular and Cell Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia .,ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Attenborough RM, Hayward DC, Wiedemann U, Forêt S, Miller DJ, Ball EE. Expression of the neuropeptides RFamide and LWamide during development of the coral Acropora millepora in relation to settlement and metamorphosis. Dev Biol 2019; 446:56-67. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2018.11.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2018] [Revised: 11/22/2018] [Accepted: 11/30/2018] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
|
8
|
Ying H, Cooke I, Sprungala S, Wang W, Hayward DC, Tang Y, Huttley G, Ball EE, Forêt S, Miller DJ. Comparative genomics reveals the distinct evolutionary trajectories of the robust and complex coral lineages. Genome Biol 2018; 19:175. [PMID: 30384840 PMCID: PMC6214176 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-018-1552-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2018] [Accepted: 09/28/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite the biological and economic significance of scleractinian reef-building corals, the lack of large molecular datasets for a representative range of species limits understanding of many aspects of their biology. Within the Scleractinia, based on molecular evidence, it is generally recognised that there are two major clades, Complexa and Robusta, but the genomic bases of significant differences between them remain unclear. RESULTS Draft genome assemblies and annotations were generated for three coral species: Galaxea fascicularis (Complexa), Fungia sp., and Goniastrea aspera (Robusta). Whilst phylogenetic analyses strongly support a deep split between Complexa and Robusta, synteny analyses reveal a high level of gene order conservation between all corals, but not between corals and sea anemones or between sea anemones. HOX-related gene clusters are, however, well preserved across all of these combinations. Differences between species are apparent in the distribution and numbers of protein domains and an apparent correlation between number of HSP20 proteins and stress tolerance. Uniquely amongst animals, a complete histidine biosynthesis pathway is present in robust corals but not in complex corals or sea anemones. This pathway appears to be ancestral, and its retention in the robust coral lineage has important implications for coral nutrition and symbiosis. CONCLUSIONS The availability of three new coral genomes enabled recognition of a de novo histidine biosynthesis pathway in robust corals which is only the second identified biosynthetic difference between corals. These datasets provide a platform for understanding many aspects of coral biology, particularly the interactions of corals with their endosymbionts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hua Ying
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Acton, ACT 2601 Australia
| | - Ira Cooke
- Comparative Genomics Centre, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811 Australia
| | - Susanne Sprungala
- Comparative Genomics Centre, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811 Australia
| | - Weiwen Wang
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Acton, ACT 2601 Australia
| | - David C. Hayward
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Acton, ACT 2601 Australia
| | - Yurong Tang
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Acton, ACT 2601 Australia
- Computational Biology and Bioinformatics Unit, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Acton, ACT 2601 Australia
| | - Gavin Huttley
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Acton, ACT 2601 Australia
- Computational Biology and Bioinformatics Unit, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Acton, ACT 2601 Australia
| | - Eldon E. Ball
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Acton, ACT 2601 Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811 Australia
| | - Sylvain Forêt
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Acton, ACT 2601 Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811 Australia
| | - David J. Miller
- Comparative Genomics Centre, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811 Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811 Australia
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Urbarova I, Patel H, Forêt S, Karlsen BO, Jørgensen TE, Hall-Spencer JM, Johansen SD. Elucidating the Small Regulatory RNA Repertoire of the Sea Anemone Anemonia viridis Based on Whole Genome and Small RNA Sequencing. Genome Biol Evol 2018; 10:410-426. [PMID: 29385567 PMCID: PMC5793845 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evy003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Cnidarians harbor a variety of small regulatory RNAs that include microRNAs (miRNAs) and PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs), but detailed information is limited. Here, we report the identification and expression of novel miRNAs and putative piRNAs, as well as their genomic loci, in the symbiotic sea anemone Anemonia viridis. We generated a draft assembly of the A. viridis genome with putative size of 313 Mb that appeared to be composed of about 36% repeats, including known transposable elements. We detected approximately equal fractions of DNA transposons and retrotransposons. Deep sequencing of small RNA libraries constructed from A. viridis adults sampled at a natural CO2 gradient off Vulcano Island, Italy, identified 70 distinct miRNAs. Eight were homologous to previously reported miRNAs in cnidarians, whereas 62 appeared novel. Nine miRNAs were recognized as differentially expressed along the natural seawater pH gradient. We found a highly abundant and diverse population of piRNAs, with a substantial fraction showing ping–pong signatures. We identified nearly 22% putative piRNAs potentially targeting transposable elements within the A. viridis genome. The A. viridis genome appeared similar in size to that of other hexacorals with a very high divergence of transposable elements resembling that of the sea anemone genus Exaiptasia. The genome encodes and expresses a high number of small regulatory RNAs, which include novel miRNAs and piRNAs. Differentially expressed small RNAs along the seawater pH gradient indicated regulatory gene responses to environmental stressors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ilona Urbarova
- Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, UiT-The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Hardip Patel
- Genomics and Predictive Medicine, Genome Biology Department, John Curtin School of Medical Research, ANU College of Medicine, Biology, and Environment, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Sylvain Forêt
- Evolution, Ecology, and Genetics, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Bård Ove Karlsen
- Research Laboratory, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Nordland Hospital, Bodø, Norway
| | - Tor Erik Jørgensen
- Genomics Group, Faculty of Biosciences and Aquaculture, Nord University, Bodø, Norway
| | - Jason M Hall-Spencer
- Marine Biology and Ecology Research Centre, University of Plymouth, United Kingdom.,Shimoda Marine Research Centre, University of Tsukuba, Shimoda City, Shizuoka, Japan
| | - Steinar D Johansen
- Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, UiT-The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway.,Genomics Group, Faculty of Biosciences and Aquaculture, Nord University, Bodø, Norway
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Liu H, Stephens TG, González-Pech RA, Beltran VH, Lapeyre B, Bongaerts P, Cooke I, Aranda M, Bourne DG, Forêt S, Miller DJ, van Oppen MJH, Voolstra CR, Ragan MA, Chan CX. Symbiodinium genomes reveal adaptive evolution of functions related to coral-dinoflagellate symbiosis. Commun Biol 2018; 1:95. [PMID: 30271976 PMCID: PMC6123633 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-018-0098-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2017] [Accepted: 06/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Symbiosis between dinoflagellates of the genus Symbiodinium and reef-building corals forms the trophic foundation of the world’s coral reef ecosystems. Here we present the first draft genome of Symbiodinium goreaui (Clade C, type C1: 1.03 Gbp), one of the most ubiquitous endosymbionts associated with corals, and an improved draft genome of Symbiodinium kawagutii (Clade F, strain CS-156: 1.05 Gbp) to further elucidate genomic signatures of this symbiosis. Comparative analysis of four available Symbiodinium genomes against other dinoflagellate genomes led to the identification of 2460 nuclear gene families (containing 5% of Symbiodinium genes) that show evidence of positive selection, including genes involved in photosynthesis, transmembrane ion transport, synthesis and modification of amino acids and glycoproteins, and stress response. Further, we identify extensive sets of genes for meiosis and response to light stress. These draft genomes provide a foundational resource for advancing our understanding of Symbiodinium biology and the coral-algal symbiosis. Huanle Liu et al. report draft genomes of two Symbiodinium species, one from the most dominant type of symbionts in reef-building corals. They find evidence of positive selection in genes related to stress response, meiosis and other traits required for forming successful symbiotic relationships.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Huanle Liu
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Timothy G Stephens
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Raúl A González-Pech
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Victor H Beltran
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, QLD, 4810, Australia
| | - Bruno Lapeyre
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, 4811, Australia.,Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, 4811, Australia.,Laboratoire d'excellence CORAIL, Centre de Recherches Insulaires et Observatoire de l'Environnement, Moorea, 98729, French Polynesia
| | - Pim Bongaerts
- Global Change Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia.,Institute for Biodiversity Science and Sustainability, California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, CA, 94118, USA
| | - Ira Cooke
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, 4811, Australia
| | - Manuel Aranda
- Red Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - David G Bourne
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, QLD, 4810, Australia.,College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, 4811, Australia
| | - Sylvain Forêt
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, 4811, Australia.,Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - David J Miller
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, 4811, Australia.,Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, 4811, Australia
| | - Madeleine J H van Oppen
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, QLD, 4810, Australia.,School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Christian R Voolstra
- Red Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mark A Ragan
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Cheong Xin Chan
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia. .,School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Liew YJ, Zoccola D, Li Y, Tambutté E, Venn AA, Michell CT, Cui G, Deutekom ES, Kaandorp JA, Voolstra CR, Forêt S, Allemand D, Tambutté S, Aranda M. Epigenome-associated phenotypic acclimatization to ocean acidification in a reef-building coral. Sci Adv 2018; 4:eaar8028. [PMID: 29881778 PMCID: PMC5990304 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aar8028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2017] [Accepted: 04/27/2018] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
There are increasing concerns that the current rate of climate change might outpace the ability of reef-building corals to adapt to future conditions. Work on model systems has shown that environmentally induced alterations in DNA methylation can lead to phenotypic acclimatization. While DNA methylation has been reported in corals and is thought to associate with phenotypic plasticity, potential mechanisms linked to changes in whole-genome methylation have yet to be elucidated. We show that DNA methylation significantly reduces spurious transcription in the coral Stylophora pistillata. Furthermore, we find that DNA methylation also reduces transcriptional noise by fine-tuning the expression of highly expressed genes. Analysis of DNA methylation patterns of corals subjected to long-term pH stress showed widespread changes in pathways regulating cell cycle and body size. Correspondingly, we found significant increases in cell and polyp sizes that resulted in more porous skeletons, supporting the hypothesis that linear extension rates are maintained under conditions of reduced calcification. These findings suggest an epigenetic component in phenotypic acclimatization that provides corals with an additional mechanism to cope with environmental change.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yi Jin Liew
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Red Sea Research Center, Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Didier Zoccola
- Centre Scientifique de Monaco, Department of Marine Biology, Principality of Monaco
| | - Yong Li
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Red Sea Research Center, Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Eric Tambutté
- Centre Scientifique de Monaco, Department of Marine Biology, Principality of Monaco
| | - Alexander A. Venn
- Centre Scientifique de Monaco, Department of Marine Biology, Principality of Monaco
| | - Craig T. Michell
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Red Sea Research Center, Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Guoxin Cui
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Red Sea Research Center, Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Eva S. Deutekom
- Computational Science Lab, Faculty of Science, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Jaap A. Kaandorp
- Computational Science Lab, Faculty of Science, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Christian R. Voolstra
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Red Sea Research Center, Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Sylvain Forêt
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Denis Allemand
- Centre Scientifique de Monaco, Department of Marine Biology, Principality of Monaco
| | - Sylvie Tambutté
- Centre Scientifique de Monaco, Department of Marine Biology, Principality of Monaco
| | - Manuel Aranda
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Red Sea Research Center, Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
- Corresponding author.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Wang W, Ashby R, Ying H, Maleszka R, Forêt S. Contrasting Sex-and Caste-Dependent piRNA Profiles in the Transposon Depleted Haplodiploid Honeybee Apis mellifera. Genome Biol Evol 2018; 9:1341-1356. [PMID: 28472327 PMCID: PMC5452642 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evx087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Protecting genome integrity against transposable elements is achieved by intricate molecular mechanisms involving PIWI proteins, their associated small RNAs (piRNAs), and epigenetic modifiers such as DNA methylation. Eusocial bees, in particular the Western honeybee, Apis mellifera, have one of the lowest contents of transposable elements in the animal kingdom, and, unlike other animals with a functional DNA methylation system, appear not to methylate their transposons. This raises the question of whether the PIWI machinery has been retained in this species. Using comparative genomics, mass spectrometry, and expressional profiling, we present seminal evidence that the piRNA system is conserved in honeybees. We show that honey bee piRNAs contain a 2'-O-methyl modification at the 3' end, and have a bias towards a 5' terminal U, which are signature features of their biogenesis. Both piRNA repertoire and expression levels are greater in reproductive individuals than in sterile workers. Haploid males, where the detrimental effects of transposons are dominant, have the greatest piRNA levels, but surprisingly, the highest expression of transposons. These results show that even in a transposon-depleted species, the piRNA system is required to guard the vulnerable haploid genome and reproductive castes against transposon-associated genomic instability. This also suggests that dosage plays an important role in the regulation of transposons and piRNAs expression in haplo-diploid systems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Weiwen Wang
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Acton, ACT, Australia
| | - Regan Ashby
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Acton, ACT, Australia.,Centre for Research in Therapeutic Solutions, Health Research Institute, Faculty of Education, Science, Technology and Mathematics, University of Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Hua Ying
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Acton, ACT, Australia
| | - Ryszard Maleszka
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Acton, ACT, Australia
| | - Sylvain Forêt
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Acton, ACT, Australia.,ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Quattrini AM, Faircloth BC, Dueñas LF, Bridge TCL, Brugler MR, Calixto‐Botía IF, DeLeo DM, Forêt S, Herrera S, Lee SMY, Miller DJ, Prada C, Rádis‐Baptista G, Ramírez‐Portilla C, Sánchez JA, Rodríguez E, McFadden CS. Universal target‐enrichment baits for anthozoan (Cnidaria) phylogenomics: New approaches to long‐standing problems. Mol Ecol Resour 2017; 18:281-295. [DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.12736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2017] [Revised: 10/28/2017] [Accepted: 11/06/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Brant C. Faircloth
- Department of Biological Sciences and Museum of Natural Science Louisiana State University Baton Rouge LA USA
| | - Luisa F. Dueñas
- Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas‐Facultad de Ciencias Laboratorio de Biología Molecular Marina (BIOMMAR) Universidad de los Andes Bogotá Colombia
| | - Tom C. L. Bridge
- Queensland Museum Network Townsville QLD Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies James Cook University Townsville QLD Australia
| | - Mercer R. Brugler
- Division of Invertebrate Zoology American Museum of Natural History New York NY USA
- Biological Sciences Department NYC College of Technology City University of New York Brooklyn NY USA
| | - Iván F. Calixto‐Botía
- Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas‐Facultad de Ciencias Laboratorio de Biología Molecular Marina (BIOMMAR) Universidad de los Andes Bogotá Colombia
- Department of Animal Ecology and Systematics Justus Liebig Universität Giessen Germany
| | - Danielle M. DeLeo
- Department of Biological Sciences Florida International University North Miami FL USA
- Biology Department Temple University Philadelphia PA USA
| | - Sylvain Forêt
- Research School of Biology Australian National University Canberra ACT Australia
| | - Santiago Herrera
- Department of Biological Sciences Lehigh University Bethlehem PA USA
| | - Simon M. Y. Lee
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences University of Macau Macao China
| | - David J. Miller
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies James Cook University Townsville QLD Australia
| | - Carlos Prada
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Rhode Island Kingston RI USA
| | | | - Catalina Ramírez‐Portilla
- Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas‐Facultad de Ciencias Laboratorio de Biología Molecular Marina (BIOMMAR) Universidad de los Andes Bogotá Colombia
- Department of Animal Ecology and Systematics Justus Liebig Universität Giessen Germany
| | - Juan A. Sánchez
- Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas‐Facultad de Ciencias Laboratorio de Biología Molecular Marina (BIOMMAR) Universidad de los Andes Bogotá Colombia
| | - Estefanía Rodríguez
- Division of Invertebrate Zoology American Museum of Natural History New York NY USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
14
|
Lin MF, Moya A, Ying H, Chen CA, Cooke I, Ball EE, Forêt S, Miller DJ. Analyses of Corallimorpharian Transcriptomes Provide New Perspectives on the Evolution of Calcification in the Scleractinia (Corals). Genome Biol Evol 2017; 9:150-160. [PMID: 28158437 PMCID: PMC5604590 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evw297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/19/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Corallimorpharians (coral-like anemones) have a close phylogenetic relationship with scleractinians (hard corals) and can potentially provide novel perspectives on the evolution of biomineralization within the anthozoan subclass Hexacorallia. A survey of the transcriptomes of three representative corallimorpharians led to the identification of homologs of some skeletal organic matrix proteins (SOMPs) previously considered to be restricted to corals. Carbonic anhydrases (CAs), which are ubiquitous proteins involved in CO2 trafficking, are involved in both coral calcification and photosynthesis by endosymbiotic Symbiodinium (zooxanthellae). These multiple roles are assumed to place increased demands on the CA repertoire and have presumably driven the elaboration of the complex CA repertoires typical of corals (note that “corals” are defined here as reef-building Scleractinia). Comparison of the CA inventories of corallimorpharians with those of corals reveals that corals have specifically expanded the secreted and membrane-associated type CAs, whereas similar complexity is observed in the two groups with respect to other CA types. Comparison of the CA complement of the nonsymbiotic corallimorph Corynactis australis with that of Ricordea yuma, a corallimorph which normally hosts Symbiodinium, reveals similar numbers and distribution of CA types and suggests that an expansion of the CA repertoire has been necessary to enable calcification but may not be a requirement to enable symbiosis. Consistent with this idea, preliminary analysis suggests that the CA complexity of zooxanthellate and nonzooxanthellate sea anemones is similar. The comparisons above suggest that although there are relatively few new genes in the skeletal organic matrix of corals (which controls the skeleton deposition process), the evolution of calcification required an expanded repertoire of secreted and membrane-associated CAs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mei-Fang Lin
- Comparative Genomics Centre, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia.,ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - Aurelie Moya
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - Hua Ying
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Chaolun Allen Chen
- Biodiversity Research Centre, Academia Sinica, Nangang, Taipei, Taiwan.,Taiwan International Graduate Program (TIGP)-Biodiversity, Academia Sinica, Nangang, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Ira Cooke
- Comparative Genomics Centre, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - Eldon E Ball
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia.,Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Sylvain Forêt
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia.,Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - David J Miller
- Comparative Genomics Centre, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia.,ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Raina JB, Clode PL, Cheong S, Bougoure J, Kilburn MR, Reeder A, Forêt S, Stat M, Beltran V, Thomas-Hall P, Tapiolas D, Motti CM, Gong B, Pernice M, Marjo CE, Seymour JR, Willis BL, Bourne DG. Subcellular tracking reveals the location of dimethylsulfoniopropionate in microalgae and visualises its uptake by marine bacteria. eLife 2017; 6. [PMID: 28371617 PMCID: PMC5380433 DOI: 10.7554/elife.23008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2016] [Accepted: 03/02/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Phytoplankton-bacteria interactions drive the surface ocean sulfur cycle and local climatic processes through the production and exchange of a key compound: dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP). Despite their large-scale implications, these interactions remain unquantified at the cellular-scale. Here we use secondary-ion mass spectrometry to provide the first visualization of DMSP at sub-cellular levels, tracking the fate of a stable sulfur isotope (34S) from its incorporation by microalgae as inorganic sulfate to its biosynthesis and exudation as DMSP, and finally its uptake and degradation by bacteria. Our results identify for the first time the storage locations of DMSP in microalgae, with high enrichments present in vacuoles, cytoplasm and chloroplasts. In addition, we quantify DMSP incorporation at the single-cell level, with DMSP-degrading bacteria containing seven times more 34S than the control strain. This study provides an unprecedented methodology to label, retain, and image small diffusible molecules, which can be transposable to other symbiotic systems. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.23008.001 Sulfur is an essential element for many organisms and environmental processes. Every year, organisms including microalgae produce more than one billion tons of a sulfur-containing compound called DMSP. Some of this DMSP is released into seawater, where it acts as a key nutrient for microscopic organisms and as a foraging cue to attract fish. DMSP is also the precursor of a gas that helps to form clouds. Despite DMSP’s potential large-scale effects, it is still not clear what role it plays in the organisms that produce it, or how it is transferred from the microalgae that produce it to the bacteria that use it. It is thought that DMSP could potentially protect the cells from sudden changes in the amount of salt in the seawater (salinity) or from other damage, such as oxidative stress – a build-up of harmful chemicals inside cells. In a controlled setting using artificial seawater, Raina et al. used high-resolution imaging and chemical analysis to track the journey of DMSP from microalgae to recipient bacteria. The results show that similar to land plants, algae store DMSP in the compartments that regulate cell pressure and photosynthesis. The presence of DMSP in these locations also supports its proposed role in protecting cells from changes in salinity or oxidative damage. A future step will be to identify the genes involved in producing DMSP in microalgae. This knowledge could be used to create mutants that are either incapable of producing this molecule or that overproduce it. In combination with the high-resolution imaging techniques described here, this will allow researchers to fully understand the role that DMSP plays in these organisms. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.23008.002
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Baptiste Raina
- AIMS@JCU, James Cook University, Townsville, Australia.,Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, Australia.,Climate Change Cluster, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, Australia.,ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Australia.,College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Australia
| | - Peta L Clode
- The Centre for Microscopy Characterisation and Analysis, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia.,Oceans Institute, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia
| | - Soshan Cheong
- Mark Wainwright Analytical Centre, University of New South Wales, Kensington, Australia
| | - Jeremy Bougoure
- The Centre for Microscopy Characterisation and Analysis, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia.,School of Earth and Environment, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia
| | - Matt R Kilburn
- The Centre for Microscopy Characterisation and Analysis, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia
| | - Anthony Reeder
- The Centre for Microscopy Characterisation and Analysis, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia
| | - Sylvain Forêt
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Australia.,Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
| | - Michael Stat
- Trace and Environmental DNA Laboratory, Department of Environment and Agriculture, Curtin University, Perth, Australia
| | - Victor Beltran
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, Australia
| | | | - Dianne Tapiolas
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, Australia
| | - Cherie M Motti
- AIMS@JCU, James Cook University, Townsville, Australia.,Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, Australia
| | - Bill Gong
- Mark Wainwright Analytical Centre, University of New South Wales, Kensington, Australia
| | - Mathieu Pernice
- Climate Change Cluster, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Christopher E Marjo
- Mark Wainwright Analytical Centre, University of New South Wales, Kensington, Australia
| | - Justin R Seymour
- Climate Change Cluster, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Bette L Willis
- AIMS@JCU, James Cook University, Townsville, Australia.,ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Australia.,College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Australia
| | - David G Bourne
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, Australia.,College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Gierz SL, Forêt S, Leggat W. Transcriptomic Analysis of Thermally Stressed Symbiodinium Reveals Differential Expression of Stress and Metabolism Genes. Front Plant Sci 2017; 8:271. [PMID: 28293249 PMCID: PMC5328969 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2017.00271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2016] [Accepted: 02/14/2017] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Endosymbioses between dinoflagellate algae (Symbiodinium sp.) and scleractinian coral species form the foundation of coral reef ecosystems. The coral symbiosis is highly susceptible to elevated temperatures, resulting in coral bleaching, where the algal symbiont is released from host cells. This experiment aimed to determine the transcriptional changes in cultured Symbiodinium, to better understand the response of cellular mechanisms under future temperature conditions. Cultures were exposed to elevated temperatures (average 31°C) or control conditions (24.5°C) for a period of 28 days. Whole transcriptome sequencing of Symbiodinium cells on days 4, 19, and 28 were used to identify differentially expressed genes under thermal stress. A large number of genes representing 37.01% of the transcriptome (∼23,654 unique genes, FDR < 0.05) with differential expression were detected at no less than one of the time points. Consistent with previous studies of Symbiodinium gene expression, fold changes across the transcriptome were low, with 92.49% differentially expressed genes at ≤2-fold change. The transcriptional response included differential expression of genes encoding stress response components such as the antioxidant network and molecular chaperones, cellular components such as core photosynthesis machinery, integral light-harvesting protein complexes and enzymes such as fatty acid desaturases. Differential expression of genes encoding glyoxylate cycle enzymes were also found, representing the first report of this in Symbiodinium. As photosynthate transfer from Symbiodinium to coral hosts provides up to 90% of a coral's daily energy requirements, the implications of altered metabolic processes from exposure to thermal stress found in this study on coral-Symbiodinium associations are unknown and should be considered when assessing the stability of the symbiotic relationship under future climate conditions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah L. Gierz
- College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, TownsvilleQLD, Australia
- Comparative Genomics Centre, James Cook University, TownsvilleQLD, Australia
| | - Sylvain Forêt
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, TownsvilleQLD, Australia
- Evolution, Ecology and Genetics, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, CanberraACT, Australia
| | - William Leggat
- College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, TownsvilleQLD, Australia
- Comparative Genomics Centre, James Cook University, TownsvilleQLD, Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, TownsvilleQLD, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Moya A, Howes EL, Lacoue-Labarthe T, Forêt S, Hanna B, Medina M, Munday PL, Ong JS, Teyssié JL, Torda G, Watson SA, Miller DJ, Bijma J, Gattuso JP. Near-future pH conditions severely impact calcification, metabolism and the nervous system in the pteropod Heliconoides inflatus. Glob Chang Biol 2016; 22:3888-3900. [PMID: 27279327 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.13350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2016] [Revised: 04/22/2016] [Accepted: 04/29/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Shelled pteropods play key roles in the global carbon cycle and food webs of various ecosystems. Their thin external shell is sensitive to small changes in pH, and shell dissolution has already been observed in areas where aragonite saturation state is ~1. A decline in pteropod abundance has the potential to disrupt trophic networks and directly impact commercial fisheries. Therefore, it is crucial to understand how pteropods will be affected by global environmental change, particularly ocean acidification. In this study, physiological and molecular approaches were used to investigate the response of the Mediterranean pteropod, Heliconoides inflatus, to pH values projected for 2100 under a moderate emissions trajectory (RCP6.0). Pteropods were subjected to pHT 7.9 for 3 days, and gene expression levels, calcification and respiration rates were measured relative to pHT 8.1 controls. Gross calcification decreased markedly under low pH conditions, while genes potentially involved in calcification were up-regulated, reflecting the inability of pteropods to maintain calcification rates. Gene expression data imply that under low pH conditions, both metabolic processes and protein synthesis may be compromised, while genes involved in acid-base regulation were up-regulated. A large number of genes related to nervous system structure and function were also up-regulated in the low pH treatment, including a GABAA receptor subunit. This observation is particularly interesting because GABAA receptor disturbances, leading to altered behavior, have been documented in several other marine animals after exposure to elevated CO2 . The up-regulation of many genes involved in nervous system function suggests that exposure to low pH could have major effects on pteropod behavior. This study illustrates the power of combining physiological and molecular approaches. It also reveals the importance of behavioral analyses in studies aimed at understanding the impacts of low pH on marine animals.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aurelie Moya
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Qld, 4811, Australia
- UPMC Univ Paris 06, CNRS-INSU, Laboratoire d'Océanographie de Villefranche, Sorbonne Universités, 181 chemin du Lazaret, Villefranche-sur-mer, F-06230, France
| | - Ella L Howes
- UPMC Univ Paris 06, CNRS-INSU, Laboratoire d'Océanographie de Villefranche, Sorbonne Universités, 181 chemin du Lazaret, Villefranche-sur-mer, F-06230, France
- Marine Biogeosciences, Alfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar-und Meeresforschung, Am Handelshafen 12, Bremerhaven, D-27570, Germany
| | - Thomas Lacoue-Labarthe
- Littoral, Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266, CNRS-Université de La Rochelle, 2 rue Olympe de Gouges, La Rochelle Cedex, 17000, France
- Marine Environmental Laboratories, International Atomic Energy Agency, 4 quai Antoine 1er, Monaco, 98000, Principality of Monaco
| | - Sylvain Forêt
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 0200, Australia
| | - Bishoy Hanna
- Department of Biology, Penn State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Mónica Medina
- Department of Biology, Penn State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Philip L Munday
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Qld, 4811, Australia
| | - Jue-Sheng Ong
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 0200, Australia
| | - Jean-Louis Teyssié
- Marine Environmental Laboratories, International Atomic Energy Agency, 4 quai Antoine 1er, Monaco, 98000, Principality of Monaco
| | - Gergely Torda
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Qld, 4811, Australia
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, PMB 3, Townsville, Qld, 4810, Australia
| | - Sue-Ann Watson
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Qld, 4811, Australia
| | - David J Miller
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Qld, 4811, Australia
- Comparative Genomics Centre and Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, Qld, 4811, Australia
| | - Jelle Bijma
- Marine Biogeosciences, Alfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar-und Meeresforschung, Am Handelshafen 12, Bremerhaven, D-27570, Germany
| | - Jean-Pierre Gattuso
- UPMC Univ Paris 06, CNRS-INSU, Laboratoire d'Océanographie de Villefranche, Sorbonne Universités, 181 chemin du Lazaret, Villefranche-sur-mer, F-06230, France
- Sciences Po, Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations, 27 rue Saint Guillaume, Paris, F-75007, France
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Lin MF, Chou WH, Kitahara MV, Chen CLA, Miller DJ, Forêt S. Corallimorpharians are not "naked corals": insights into relationships between Scleractinia and Corallimorpharia from phylogenomic analyses. PeerJ 2016; 4:e2463. [PMID: 27761308 PMCID: PMC5068439 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.2463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2016] [Accepted: 08/19/2016] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Calcification is one of the most distinctive traits of scleractinian corals. Their hard skeletons form the substratum of reef ecosystems and confer on corals their remarkable diversity of shapes. Corallimorpharians are non-calcifying, close relatives of scleractinian corals, and the evolutionary relationship between these two groups is key to understanding the evolution of calcification in the coral lineage. One pivotal question is whether scleractinians are a monophyletic group, paraphyly being an alternative possibility if corallimorpharians are corals that have lost their ability to calcify, as is implied by the “naked-coral” hypothesis. Despite major efforts, relationships between scleractinians and corallimorpharians remain equivocal and controversial. Although the complete mitochondrial genomes of a range of scleractinians and corallimorpharians have been obtained, heterogeneity in composition and evolutionary rates means that mitochondrial sequences are insufficient to understand the relationship between these two groups. To overcome these limitations, transcriptome data were generated for three representative corallimorpharians. These were used in combination with sequences available for a representative range of scleractinians to identify 291 orthologous single copy protein-coding nuclear markers. Unlike the mitochondrial sequences, these nuclear markers do not display any distinct compositional bias in their nucleotide or amino-acid sequences. A range of phylogenomic approaches congruently reveal a topology consistent with scleractinian monophyly and corallimorpharians as the sister clade of scleractinians.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mei Fang Lin
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia; Comparative Genomics Centre and Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia
| | - Wen Hwa Chou
- Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica , Taipei , Taiwan
| | - Marcelo V Kitahara
- Departamento de Ciências do Mar, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Santos, São Paulo, Brazil; Centro de Biologia Marinha, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Sebastião, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - David John Miller
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia; Comparative Genomics Centre and Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia
| | - Sylvain Forêt
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia; Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Okubo N, Hayward DC, Forêt S, Ball EE. A comparative view of early development in the corals Favia lizardensis, Ctenactis echinata, and Acropora millepora - morphology, transcriptome, and developmental gene expression. BMC Evol Biol 2016; 16:48. [PMID: 26924819 PMCID: PMC4770532 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-016-0615-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2015] [Accepted: 02/12/2016] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Research into various aspects of coral biology has greatly increased in recent years due to anthropogenic threats to coral health including pollution, ocean warming and acidification. However, knowledge of coral early development has lagged. The present paper describes the embryonic development of two previously uncharacterized robust corals, Favia lizardensis (a massive brain coral) and Ctenactis echinata (a solitary coral) and compares it to that of the previously characterized complex coral, Acropora millepora, both morphologically and in terms of the expression of a set of key developmental genes. Results Illumina sequencing of mixed age embryos was carried out, resulting in embryonic transcriptomes consisting of 40605 contigs for C.echinata (N50 = 1080 bp) and 48536 contigs for F.lizardensis (N50 = 1496 bp). The transcriptomes have been annotated against Swiss-Prot and were sufficiently complete to enable the identification of orthologs of many key genes controlling development in bilaterians. Developmental series of images of whole mounts and sections reveal that the early stages of both species contain a blastocoel, consistent with their membership of the robust clade. In situ hybridization was used to examine the expression of the developmentally important genes brachyury, chordin and forkhead. The expression of brachyury and forkhead was consistent with that previously reported for Acropora and allowed us to confirm that the pseudo-blastopore sometimes seen in robust corals such as Favia spp. is not directly associated with gastrulation. C.echinata chordin expression, however, differed from that seen in the other two corals. Conclusions Embryonic transcriptomes were assembled for the brain coral Favia lizardensis and the solitary coral Ctenactis echinata. Both species have a blastocoel in their early developmental stages, consistent with their phylogenetic position as members of the robust clade. Expression of the key developmental genes brachyury, chordin and forkhead was investigated, allowing comparison to that of their orthologs in Acropora, Nematostella and bilaterians and demonstrating that even within the Anthozoa there are significant differences in expression patterns. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12862-016-0615-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nami Okubo
- Evolution, Ecology and Genetics, Bldg 46, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 0200, Australia. .,Current Address: Department of Economics, Tokyo Keizai University, 1-7-34 Minamimachi, Kokubunji, Tokyo, Japan.
| | - David C Hayward
- Evolution, Ecology and Genetics, Bldg 46, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 0200, Australia.
| | - Sylvain Forêt
- Evolution, Ecology and Genetics, Bldg 46, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 0200, Australia. .,ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, 4811, Australia.
| | - Eldon E Ball
- Evolution, Ecology and Genetics, Bldg 46, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 0200, Australia. .,ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, 4811, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Moya A, Sakamaki K, Mason BM, Huisman L, Forêt S, Weiss Y, Bull TE, Tomii K, Imai K, Hayward DC, Ball EE, Miller DJ. Functional conservation of the apoptotic machinery from coral to man: the diverse and complex Bcl-2 and caspase repertoires of Acropora millepora. BMC Genomics 2016; 17:62. [PMID: 26772977 PMCID: PMC4715348 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-015-2355-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2015] [Accepted: 12/21/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Apoptotic cell death is a defining and ubiquitous characteristic of metazoans, but its evolutionary origins are unclear. Although Caenorhabditis and Drosophila played key roles in establishing the molecular bases of apoptosis, it is now clear that cell death pathways of these animals do not reflect ancestral characteristics. Conversely, recent work suggests that the apoptotic networks of cnidarians may be complex and vertebrate-like, hence characterization of the apoptotic complement of representatives of the basal cnidarian class Anthozoa will help us to understand the evolution of the vertebrate apoptotic network. Results We describe the Bcl-2 and caspase protein repertoires of the coral Acropora millepora, making use of the comprehensive transcriptomic data available for this species. Molecular phylogenetics indicates that some Acropora proteins are orthologs of specific mammalian pro-apoptotic Bcl-2 family members, but the relationships of other Bcl-2 and caspases are unclear. The pro- or anti-apoptotic activities of coral Bcl-2 proteins were investigated by expression in mammalian cells, and the results imply functional conservation of the effector/anti-apoptotic machinery despite limited sequence conservation in the anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 proteins. A novel caspase type (“Caspase-X”), containing both inactive and active caspase domains, was identified in Acropora and appears to be restricted to corals. When expressed in mammalian cells, full-length caspase-X caused loss of viability, and a truncated version containing only the active domain was more effective in inducing cell death, suggesting that the inactive domain might modulate activity in the full-length protein. Structure prediction suggests that the active and inactive caspase domains in caspase-X are likely to interact, resulting in a structure resembling that of the active domain in procaspase-8 and the inactive caspase domain in the mammalian c-FLIP anti-apoptotic factor. Conclusions The data presented here confirm that many of the basic mechanisms involved in both the intrinsic and extrinsic apoptotic pathways were in place in the common ancestor of cnidarians and bilaterians. With the identification of most or all of the repertoires of coral Bcl-2 and caspases, our results not only provide new perspectives on the evolution of apoptotic pathways, but also a framework for future experimental studies towards a complete understanding of coral bleaching mechanisms, in which apoptotic cell death might be involved. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12864-015-2355-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aurelie Moya
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, 4811, Australia.
| | - Kazuhiro Sakamaki
- Department of Animal Development and Physiology, Graduate School of Biostudies, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan.
| | - Benjamin M Mason
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, 4811, Australia. .,Comparative Genomics Centre and Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, 4811, Australia.
| | - Lotte Huisman
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, 4811, Australia. .,Section of Computational Science, Universiteit van Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098, XH, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Sylvain Forêt
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, 4811, Australia. .,Evolution, Ecology and Genetics, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Bldg. 46, Canberra, ACT, 0200, Australia.
| | - Yvonne Weiss
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, 4811, Australia. .,Comparative Genomics Centre and Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, 4811, Australia.
| | - Tara E Bull
- Comparative Genomics Centre and Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, 4811, Australia.
| | - Kentaro Tomii
- Biotechnology Research Institute for Drug Discovery, Department of Life Science and Biotechnology, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tokyo, 135-0064, Japan.
| | - Kenichiro Imai
- Biotechnology Research Institute for Drug Discovery, Department of Life Science and Biotechnology, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tokyo, 135-0064, Japan.
| | - David C Hayward
- Evolution, Ecology and Genetics, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Bldg. 46, Canberra, ACT, 0200, Australia.
| | - Eldon E Ball
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, 4811, Australia. .,Evolution, Ecology and Genetics, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Bldg. 46, Canberra, ACT, 0200, Australia.
| | - David J Miller
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, 4811, Australia. .,Comparative Genomics Centre and Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, 4811, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Bertucci A, Forêt S, Ball EE, Miller DJ. Transcriptomic differences between day and night in Acropora millepora provide new insights into metabolite exchange and light-enhanced calcification in corals. Mol Ecol 2015. [PMID: 26198296 DOI: 10.1111/mec.13328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The evolutionary success of reef-building corals is often attributed to their symbiotic relationship with photosynthetic dinoflagellates of the genus Symbiodinium, but metabolic interactions between the partners and the molecular bases of light-enhanced calcification (LEC) are not well understood. Here, the metabolic bases of the interaction between the coral Acropora millepora and its dinoflagellate symbiont were investigated by comparing gene expression levels under light and dark conditions at the whole transcriptome level. Among the 497 differentially expressed genes identified, a suite of genes involved in cholesterol transport was found to be upregulated under light conditions, confirming the significance of this compound in the coral symbiosis. Although ion transporters likely to have roles in calcification were not differentially expressed in this study, expression levels of many genes associated with skeletal organic matrix composition and organization were higher in light conditions. This implies that the rate of organic matrix synthesis is one factor limiting calcification at night. Thus, LEC during the day is likely to be a consequence of increases in both matrix synthesis and the supply of precursor molecules as a result of photosynthetic activity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- A Bertucci
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Qld, 4811, Australia
| | - S Forêt
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Qld, 4811, Australia.,Evolution, Ecology and Genetics, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Bldg. 46, Canberra, ACT, 0200, Australia
| | - E E Ball
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Qld, 4811, Australia.,Evolution, Ecology and Genetics, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Bldg. 46, Canberra, ACT, 0200, Australia
| | - D J Miller
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Qld, 4811, Australia.,Comparative Genomics Centre and Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, Qld, 4811, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Lin P, Forêt S, Wilson SR, Burden CJ. Estimation of the methylation pattern distribution from deep sequencing data. BMC Bioinformatics 2015; 16:145. [PMID: 25943746 PMCID: PMC4428226 DOI: 10.1186/s12859-015-0600-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2014] [Accepted: 04/17/2015] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Bisulphite sequencing enables the detection of cytosine methylation. The sequence of the methylation states of cytosines on any given read forms a methylation pattern that carries substantially more information than merely studying the average methylation level at individual positions. In order to understand better the complexity of DNA methylation landscapes in biological samples, it is important to study the diversity of these methylation patterns. However, the accurate quantification of methylation patterns is subject to sequencing errors and spurious signals due to incomplete bisulphite conversion of cytosines. RESULTS A statistical model is developed which accounts for the distribution of DNA methylation patterns at any given locus. The model incorporates the effects of sequencing errors and spurious reads, and enables estimation of the true underlying distribution of methylation patterns. CONCLUSIONS Calculation of the estimated distribution over methylation patterns is implemented in the R Bioconductor package MPFE. Source code and documentation of the package are also available for download at http://bioconductor.org/packages/3.0/bioc/html/MPFE.html .
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Peijie Lin
- Mathematical Sciences Institute, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia.
| | - Sylvain Forêt
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia.
| | - Susan R Wilson
- Mathematical Sciences Institute, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia. .,School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of New South Wales, 2052, NSW, Sydney, Australia.
| | - Conrad J Burden
- Mathematical Sciences Institute, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Moya A, Huisman L, Forêt S, Gattuso JP, Hayward DC, Ball EE, Miller DJ. Rapid acclimation of juvenile corals to CO2-mediated acidification by upregulation of heat shock protein and Bcl-2 genes. Mol Ecol 2015; 24:438-52. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.13021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2014] [Revised: 11/17/2014] [Accepted: 11/20/2014] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- A. Moya
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies; James Cook University; Townsville Qld 4811 Australia
- Laboratoire d'Océanographie de Villefranche; INSU-CNRS; 181 Chemin du Lazaret 06230 Villefranche-sur-mer France
- Sorbonne Universités; UPMC Univ. Paris 06; Observatoire Océanologique 06230 Villefranche-sur-mer France
| | - L. Huisman
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies; James Cook University; Townsville Qld 4811 Australia
- Section of Computational Science; Universiteit van Amsterdam; Science Park 904 1098 XH Amsterdam The Netherlands
| | - S. Forêt
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies; James Cook University; Townsville Qld 4811 Australia
- Evolution, Ecology and Genetics; Research School of Biology; Australian National University; Bldg. 46 Canberra ACT 0200 Australia
| | - J.-P. Gattuso
- Laboratoire d'Océanographie de Villefranche; INSU-CNRS; 181 Chemin du Lazaret 06230 Villefranche-sur-mer France
- Sorbonne Universités; UPMC Univ. Paris 06; Observatoire Océanologique 06230 Villefranche-sur-mer France
| | - D. C. Hayward
- Evolution, Ecology and Genetics; Research School of Biology; Australian National University; Bldg. 46 Canberra ACT 0200 Australia
| | - E. E. Ball
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies; James Cook University; Townsville Qld 4811 Australia
- Evolution, Ecology and Genetics; Research School of Biology; Australian National University; Bldg. 46 Canberra ACT 0200 Australia
| | - D. J. Miller
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies; James Cook University; Townsville Qld 4811 Australia
- School of Pharmacy and Molecular Sciences; James Cook University; Townsville Qld 4811 Australia
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Kitahara MV, Lin MF, Forêt S, Huttley G, Miller DJ, Chen CA. The "naked coral" hypothesis revisited--evidence for and against scleractinian monophyly. PLoS One 2014; 9:e94774. [PMID: 24740380 PMCID: PMC3989238 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0094774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2013] [Accepted: 03/20/2014] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
The relationship between Scleractinia and Corallimorpharia, Orders within Anthozoa distinguished by the presence of an aragonite skeleton in the former, is controversial. Although classically considered distinct groups, some phylogenetic analyses have placed the Corallimorpharia within a larger Scleractinia/Corallimorpharia clade, leading to the suggestion that the Corallimorpharia are “naked corals” that arose via skeleton loss during the Cretaceous from a Scleractinian ancestor. Scleractinian paraphyly is, however, contradicted by a number of recent phylogenetic studies based on mt nucleotide (nt) sequence data. Whereas the “naked coral” hypothesis was based on analysis of the sequences of proteins encoded by a relatively small number of mt genomes, here a much-expanded dataset was used to reinvestigate hexacorallian phylogeny. The initial observation was that, whereas analyses based on nt data support scleractinian monophyly, those based on amino acid (aa) data support the “naked coral” hypothesis, irrespective of the method and with very strong support. To better understand the bases of these contrasting results, the effects of systematic errors were examined. Compared to other hexacorallians, the mt genomes of “Robust” corals have a higher (A+T) content, codon usage is far more constrained, and the proteins that they encode have a markedly higher phenylalanine content, leading us to suggest that mt DNA repair may be impaired in this lineage. Thus the “naked coral” topology could be caused by high levels of saturation in these mitochondrial sequences, long-branch effects or model violations. The equivocal results of these extensive analyses highlight the fundamental problems of basing coral phylogeny on mitochondrial sequence data.
Collapse
MESH Headings
- Amino Acids/genetics
- Animals
- Anthozoa/classification
- Anthozoa/genetics
- Base Composition/genetics
- Codon/genetics
- DNA, Mitochondrial/chemistry
- DNA, Mitochondrial/genetics
- Genome, Mitochondrial/genetics
- Mitochondrial Proteins/genetics
- Phylogeny
- RNA, Ribosomal/genetics
- RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/genetics
- RNA, Transfer, Met/genetics
- RNA, Transfer, Trp/genetics
- Sequence Analysis, DNA
- Species Specificity
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marcelo V. Kitahara
- Departamento de Ciências do Mar, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Santos, São Paulo, Brazil
- Centro de Biologia Marinha (CEBIMar), Universidade de São Paulo, São Sebastião, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Mei-Fang Lin
- School of Pharmacy and Molecular Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
- Biodiversity Research Centre, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - Sylvain Forêt
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Gavin Huttley
- John Curtin School of Medical Research, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - David J. Miller
- School of Pharmacy and Molecular Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
- * E-mail: (CAC); (DJM)
| | - Chaolun Allen Chen
- Biodiversity Research Centre, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
- Institute of Oceanography, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Taiwan International Graduate Program (TIGP)-Biodiversity, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
- * E-mail: (CAC); (DJM)
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Jones DB, Jerry DR, Forêt S, Konovalov DA, Zenger KR. Genome-wide SNP validation and mantle tissue transcriptome analysis in the silver-lipped pearl oyster, Pinctada maxima. Mar Biotechnol (NY) 2013; 15:647-658. [PMID: 23715808 DOI: 10.1007/s10126-013-9514-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2013] [Accepted: 05/12/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Pearl oysters are not only farmed for their gemstone quality pearls worldwide, but they are also becoming important model organisms for investigating genetic mechanisms of biomineralisation. Despite their economic and scientific significance, limited genomic resources are available for this important group of bivalves, hampering investigations into identifying genes that regulate important pearl quality traits and unique biological characteristics (i.e. biomineralisation). The silver-lipped pearl oyster, Pinctada maxima, is one species where there is interest in understanding genes that regulate commercially important pearl traits, but presently, there is a dearth of genomic information. The objective of this study was to develop and validate a large number of type I genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) for P. maxima suitable for high-throughput genotyping. In addition, sequence annotations and Gene Ontology terms were assigned to a large mantle tissue 454 expressed sequence tag assembly (96,794 contigs) and information on known bivalve biomineralisation genes was incorporated into SNP discovery. The SNP discovery effort resulted in the de novo identification of 172,625 SNPs, of which 9,108 were identified as high value [minor allele frequency (MAF)≥ 0.15, read depth ≥ 8]. Validation of 2,782 of these SNPs using Illumina iSelect Infinium genotyping technology returned some of the highest assay conversion (86.6 %) and validation (59.9 %; mean MAF 0.28) rates observed in aquaculture species to date. Genomic resources presented here will be pivotal to future research investigating the biological mechanisms behind biomineralisation and will form a strong foundation for genetic selective breeding programs in the P. maxima pearling industry.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- David B Jones
- Centre for Sustainable Tropical Fisheries and Aquaculture & School of Marine and Tropical Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, 4811, Australia,
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
26
|
Abstract
Word match counts have traditionally been proposed as an alignment-free measure of similarity for biological sequences. The D(2) statistic, which simply counts the number of exact word matches between two sequences, is a useful test bed for developing rigorous mathematical results, which can then be extended to more biologically useful measures. The distributional properties of the D(2) statistic under the null hypothesis of identically and independently distributed letters have been studied extensively, but no comprehensive study of the D(2) distribution for biologically more realistic higher-order Markovian sequences exists. Here we derive exact formulas for the mean and variance of the D(2) statistic for Markovian sequences of any order, and demonstrate through Monte Carlo simulations that the entire distribution is accurately characterized by a Pólya-Aeppli distribution for sequence lengths of biological interest. The approach is novel in that Markovian dependency is defined for sequences with periodic boundary conditions, and this enables exact analytic formulas for the mean and variance to be derived. We also carry out a preliminary comparison between the approximate D(2) distribution computed with the theoretical mean and variance under a Markovian hypothesis and an empirical D(2) distribution from the human genome.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Conrad J Burden
- 1 Mathematical Sciences Institute, Australian National University , Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
27
|
Weiss Y, Forêt S, Hayward DC, Ainsworth T, King R, Ball EE, Miller DJ. The acute transcriptional response of the coral Acropora millepora to immune challenge: expression of GiMAP/IAN genes links the innate immune responses of corals with those of mammals and plants. BMC Genomics 2013; 14:400. [PMID: 23768317 PMCID: PMC3723955 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2164-14-400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2012] [Accepted: 05/24/2013] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Background As a step towards understanding coral immunity we present the first whole transcriptome analysis of the acute responses of Acropora millepora to challenge with the bacterial cell wall derivative MDP and the viral mimic poly I:C, defined immunogens provoking distinct but well characterised responses in higher animals. Results These experiments reveal similarities with the responses both of arthropods and mammals, as well as coral-specific effects. The most surprising finding was that MDP specifically induced three members of the GiMAP gene family, which has been implicated in immunity in mammals but is absent from Drosophila and Caenorhabditis. Like their mammalian homologs, GiMAP genes are arranged in a tandem cluster in the coral genome. Conclusions A phylogenomic survey of this gene family implies ancient origins, multiple independent losses and lineage-specific expansions during animal evolution. Whilst functional convergence cannot be ruled out, GiMAP expression in corals may reflect an ancestral role in immunity, perhaps in phagolysosomal processing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yvonne Weiss
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
28
|
Vieira FG, Forêt S, He X, Rozas J, Field LM, Zhou JJ. Unique features of odorant-binding proteins of the parasitoid wasp Nasonia vitripennis revealed by genome annotation and comparative analyses. PLoS One 2012; 7:e43034. [PMID: 22952629 PMCID: PMC3428353 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0043034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2012] [Accepted: 07/16/2012] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Insects are the most diverse group of animals on the planet, comprising over 90% of all metazoan life forms, and have adapted to a wide diversity of ecosystems in nearly all environments. They have evolved highly sensitive chemical senses that are central to their interaction with their environment and to communication between individuals. Understanding the molecular bases of insect olfaction is therefore of great importance from both a basic and applied perspective. Odorant binding proteins (OBPs) are some of most abundant proteins found in insect olfactory organs, where they are the first component of the olfactory transduction cascade, carrying odorant molecules to the olfactory receptors. We carried out a search for OBPs in the genome of the parasitoid wasp Nasonia vitripennis and identified 90 sequences encoding putative OBPs. This is the largest OBP family so far reported in insects. We report unique features of the N. vitripennis OBPs, including the presence and evolutionary origin of a new subfamily of double-domain OBPs (consisting of two concatenated OBP domains), the loss of conserved cysteine residues and the expression of pseudogenes. This study also demonstrates the extremely dynamic evolution of the insect OBP family: (i) the number of different OBPs can vary greatly between species; (ii) the sequences are highly diverse, sometimes as a result of positive selection pressure with even the canonical cysteines being lost; (iii) new lineage specific domain arrangements can arise, such as the double domain OBP subfamily of wasps and mosquitoes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Filipe G. Vieira
- Departament de Genètica and Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sylvain Forêt
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
- Evolution, Ecology and Genetics, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Xiaoli He
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Crop Protection, Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom
| | - Julio Rozas
- Departament de Genètica and Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Linda M. Field
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Crop Protection, Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom
| | - Jing-Jiang Zhou
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Crop Protection, Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Affiliation(s)
- Michaël Manuel
- Univ Paris 06 UPMC, UMR 7138 "Systematics, Adaptation, Evolution" CNRS IRD MHNH, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris, France
| | | |
Collapse
|
30
|
Hayward DC, Hetherington S, Behm CA, Grasso LC, Forêt S, Miller DJ, Ball EE. Differential gene expression at coral settlement and metamorphosis--a subtractive hybridization study. PLoS One 2011; 6:e26411. [PMID: 22065994 PMCID: PMC3204972 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0026411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2011] [Accepted: 09/26/2011] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Background A successful metamorphosis from a planktonic larva to a settled polyp, which under favorable conditions will establish a future colony, is critical for the survival of corals. However, in contrast to the situation in other animals, e.g., frogs and insects, little is known about the molecular basis of coral metamorphosis. We have begun to redress this situation with previous microarray studies, but there is still a great deal to learn. In the present paper we have utilized a different technology, subtractive hybridization, to characterize genes differentially expressed across this developmental transition and to compare the success of this method to microarray. Methodology/Principal Findings Suppressive subtractive hybridization (SSH) was used to identify two pools of transcripts from the coral, Acropora millepora. One is enriched for transcripts expressed at higher levels at the pre-settlement stage, and the other for transcripts expressed at higher levels at the post-settlement stage. Virtual northern blots were used to demonstrate the efficacy of the subtractive hybridization technique. Both pools contain transcripts coding for proteins in various functional classes but transcriptional regulatory proteins were represented more frequently in the post-settlement pool. Approximately 18% of the transcripts showed no significant similarity to any other sequence on the public databases. Transcripts of particular interest were further characterized by in situ hybridization, which showed that many are regulated spatially as well as temporally. Notably, many transcripts exhibit axially restricted expression patterns that correlate with the pool from which they were isolated. Several transcripts are expressed in patterns consistent with a role in calcification. Conclusions We have characterized over 200 transcripts that are differentially expressed between the planula larva and post-settlement polyp of the coral, Acropora millepora. Sequence, putative function, and in some cases temporal and spatial expression are reported.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- David C. Hayward
- Evolution, Ecology and Genetics, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Suzannah Hetherington
- Evolution, Ecology and Genetics, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
- Biomedical Science and Biochemistry, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Carolyn A. Behm
- Biomedical Science and Biochemistry, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Lauretta C. Grasso
- Evolution, Ecology and Genetics, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies and School of Pharmacy and Molecular Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - Sylvain Forêt
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies and School of Pharmacy and Molecular Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - David J. Miller
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies and School of Pharmacy and Molecular Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - Eldon E. Ball
- Evolution, Ecology and Genetics, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Iguchi A, Shinzato C, Forêt S, Miller DJ. Identification of fast-evolving genes in the scleractinian coral Acropora using comparative EST analysis. PLoS One 2011; 6:e20140. [PMID: 21701682 PMCID: PMC3119059 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0020140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2011] [Accepted: 04/22/2011] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
To identify fast-evolving genes in reef-building corals, we performed direct comparative sequence analysis with expressed sequence tag (EST) datasets from two acroporid species: Acropora palmata from the Caribbean Sea and A. millepora from the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. Comparison of 589 independent sequences from 1,421 A. palmata contigs, with 10,247 A. millepora contigs resulted in the identification of 196 putative homologues. Most of the homologous pairs demonstrated high amino acid similarities (over 90%). Comparisons of putative homologues showing low amino acid similarities (under 90%) among the Acropora species to the near complete datasets from two other cnidarians (Hydra magnipapillata and Nematostella vectensis) implied that some were non-orthologous. Within 86 homologous pairs, 39 exhibited dN/dS ratios significantly less than 1, suggesting that these genes are under purifying selection associated with functional constraints. Eight independent genes showed dN/dS ratios exceeding 1, while three deviated significantly from 1, suggesting that these genes may play important roles in the adaptive evolution of Acropora. Our results also indicated that CEL-III lectin was under positive selection, consistent with a possible role in immunity or symbiont recognition. Further studies are needed to clarify the possible functions of the genes under positive selection to provide insight into the evolutionary process of corals.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Akira Iguchi
- Sesoko Station, Tropical Biosphere Research Center, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa, Japan.
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
32
|
Seneca FO, Forêt S, Ball EE, Smith-Keune C, Miller DJ, van Oppen MJH. Patterns of gene expression in a scleractinian coral undergoing natural bleaching. Mar Biotechnol (NY) 2010; 12:594-604. [PMID: 20041338 DOI: 10.1007/s10126-009-9247-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2009] [Accepted: 10/08/2009] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Coral bleaching is a major threat to coral reefs worldwide and is predicted to intensify with increasing global temperature. This study represents the first investigation of gene expression in an Indo-Pacific coral species undergoing natural bleaching which involved the loss of algal symbionts. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction experiments were conducted to select and evaluate coral internal control genes (ICGs), and to investigate selected coral genes of interest (GOIs) for changes in gene expression in nine colonies of the scleractinian coral Acropora millepora undergoing bleaching at Magnetic Island, Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Among the six ICGs tested, glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase and the ribosomal protein genes S7 and L9 exhibited the most constant expression levels between samples from healthy-looking colonies and samples from the same colonies when severely bleached a year later. These ICGs were therefore utilised for normalisation of expression data for seven selected GOIs. Of the seven GOIs, homologues of catalase, C-type lectin and chromoprotein genes were significantly up-regulated as a result of bleaching by factors of 1.81, 1.46 and 1.61 (linear mixed models analysis of variance, P < 0.05), respectively. We present these genes as potential coral bleaching response genes. In contrast, three genes, including one putative ICG, showed highly variable levels of expression between coral colonies. Potential variation in microhabitat, gene function unrelated to the stress response and individualised stress responses may influence such differences between colonies and need to be better understood when designing and interpreting future studies of gene expression in natural coral populations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Francois O Seneca
- Coral Genomics Group, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
33
|
|
34
|
Forêt S, Seneca F, de Jong D, Bieller A, Hemmrich G, Augustin R, Hayward DC, Ball EE, Bosch TCG, Agata K, Hassel M, Miller DJ. Phylogenomics reveals an anomalous distribution of USP genes in metazoans. Mol Biol Evol 2010; 28:153-61. [PMID: 20660083 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msq183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Members of the universal stress protein (USP) family were originally identified in stressed bacteria on the basis of a shared domain, which has since been reported in a phylogenetically diverse range of prokaryotes, fungi, protists, and plants. Although not previously characterized in metazoans, here we report that USP genes are distributed in animal genomes in a unique pattern that reflects frequent independent losses and independent expansions. Multiple USP loci are present in urochordates as well as all Cnidaria and Lophotrochozoa examined, but none were detected in any of the available ecdysozoan or non-urochordate deuterostome genome data. The vast majority of the metazoan USPs are short, single-domain proteins and are phylogenetically distinct from the prokaryotic, plant, protist, and fungal members of the protein family. Whereas most of the metazoan USP genes contain introns, with few exceptions those in the cnidarian Hydra are intronless and cluster together in phylogenetic analyses. Expression patterns were determined for several cnidarian USPs, including two genes belonging to the intronless clade, and these imply diverse functions. The apparent paradox of implied diversity of roles despite high overall levels of sequence (and implied structural) similarity parallels the situation in bacteria. The absence of USP genes in ecdysozoans and most deuterostomes may be a consequence of functional redundancy or specialization in taxon-specific roles.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sylvain Forêt
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Coral Reef Studies and Comparative Genomics Centre, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
35
|
Forêt S, Knack B, Houliston E, Momose T, Manuel M, Quéinnec E, Hayward DC, Ball EE, Miller DJ. New tricks with old genes: the genetic bases of novel cnidarian traits. Trends Genet 2010; 26:154-8. [PMID: 20129693 DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2010.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2009] [Revised: 01/07/2010] [Accepted: 01/07/2010] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Recent thought on genome evolution has focused on the creation of new genes and changes in regulatory mechanisms while ignoring the role of selective gene loss in shaping genomes. Using data from two cnidarians, the jellyfish Clytia and the coral Acropora, we examined the relative significance of new 'taxonomically restricted' genes and selectively retained ancestral genes in enabling the evolution of novel traits. Consistent with its more complex life-cycle, the proportion of novel genes identified in Clytia was higher than that in the 'polyp only' cnidarians Nematostella and Hydra, but each of these cnidarians has retained a proportion of ancestral genes not present in the other two. The ubiquity and near-stochastic nature of gene loss can explain the discord between patterns of gene distribution and taxonomy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sylvain Forêt
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
36
|
Richards S, Gibbs RA, Weinstock GM, Brown SJ, Denell R, Beeman RW, Gibbs R, Beeman RW, Brown SJ, Bucher G, Friedrich M, Grimmelikhuijzen CJP, Klingler M, Lorenzen M, Richards S, Roth S, Schröder R, Tautz D, Zdobnov EM, Muzny D, Gibbs RA, Weinstock GM, Attaway T, Bell S, Buhay CJ, Chandrabose MN, Chavez D, Clerk-Blankenburg KP, Cree A, Dao M, Davis C, Chacko J, Dinh H, Dugan-Rocha S, Fowler G, Garner TT, Garnes J, Gnirke A, Hawes A, Hernandez J, Hines S, Holder M, Hume J, Jhangiani SN, Joshi V, Khan ZM, Jackson L, Kovar C, Kowis A, Lee S, Lewis LR, Margolis J, Morgan M, Nazareth LV, Nguyen N, Okwuonu G, Parker D, Richards S, Ruiz SJ, Santibanez J, Savard J, Scherer SE, Schneider B, Sodergren E, Tautz D, Vattahil S, Villasana D, White CS, Wright R, Park Y, Beeman RW, Lord J, Oppert B, Lorenzen M, Brown S, Wang L, Savard J, Tautz D, Richards S, Weinstock G, Gibbs RA, Liu Y, Worley K, Weinstock G, Elsik CG, Reese JT, Elhaik E, Landan G, Graur D, Arensburger P, Atkinson P, Beeman RW, Beidler J, Brown SJ, Demuth JP, Drury DW, Du YZ, Fujiwara H, Lorenzen M, Maselli V, Osanai M, Park Y, Robertson HM, Tu Z, Wang JJ, Wang S, Richards S, Song H, Zhang L, Sodergren E, Werner D, Stanke M, Morgenstern B, Solovyev V, Kosarev P, Brown G, Chen HC, Ermolaeva O, Hlavina W, Kapustin Y, Kiryutin B, Kitts P, Maglott D, Pruitt K, Sapojnikov V, Souvorov A, Mackey AJ, Waterhouse RM, Wyder S, Zdobnov EM, Zdobnov EM, Wyder S, Kriventseva EV, Kadowaki T, Bork P, Aranda M, Bao R, Beermann A, Berns N, Bolognesi R, Bonneton F, Bopp D, Brown SJ, Bucher G, Butts T, Chaumot A, Denell RE, Ferrier DEK, Friedrich M, Gordon CM, Jindra M, Klingler M, Lan Q, Lattorff HMG, Laudet V, von Levetsow C, Liu Z, Lutz R, Lynch JA, da Fonseca RN, Posnien N, Reuter R, Roth S, Savard J, Schinko JB, Schmitt C, Schoppmeier M, Schröder R, Shippy TD, Simonnet F, Marques-Souza H, Tautz D, Tomoyasu Y, Trauner J, Van der Zee M, Vervoort M, Wittkopp N, Wimmer EA, Yang X, Jones AK, Sattelle DB, Ebert PR, Nelson D, Scott JG, Beeman RW, Muthukrishnan S, Kramer KJ, Arakane Y, Beeman RW, Zhu Q, Hogenkamp D, Dixit R, Oppert B, Jiang H, Zou Z, Marshall J, Elpidina E, Vinokurov K, Oppert C, Zou Z, Evans J, Lu Z, Zhao P, Sumathipala N, Altincicek B, Vilcinskas A, Williams M, Hultmark D, Hetru C, Jiang H, Grimmelikhuijzen CJP, Hauser F, Cazzamali G, Williamson M, Park Y, Li B, Tanaka Y, Predel R, Neupert S, Schachtner J, Verleyen P, Raible F, Bork P, Friedrich M, Walden KKO, Robertson HM, Angeli S, Forêt S, Bucher G, Schuetz S, Maleszka R, Wimmer EA, Beeman RW, Lorenzen M, Tomoyasu Y, Miller SC, Grossmann D, Bucher G. The genome of the model beetle and pest Tribolium castaneum. Nature 2008; 452:949-55. [PMID: 18362917 DOI: 10.1038/nature06784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 976] [Impact Index Per Article: 61.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2007] [Accepted: 02/06/2008] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Tribolium castaneum is a member of the most species-rich eukaryotic order, a powerful model organism for the study of generalized insect development, and an important pest of stored agricultural products. We describe its genome sequence here. This omnivorous beetle has evolved the ability to interact with a diverse chemical environment, as shown by large expansions in odorant and gustatory receptors, as well as P450 and other detoxification enzymes. Development in Tribolium is more representative of other insects than is Drosophila, a fact reflected in gene content and function. For example, Tribolium has retained more ancestral genes involved in cell-cell communication than Drosophila, some being expressed in the growth zone crucial for axial elongation in short-germ development. Systemic RNA interference in T. castaneum functions differently from that in Caenorhabditis elegans, but nevertheless offers similar power for the elucidation of gene function and identification of targets for selective insect control.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
-
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, Texas 77030, USA.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
37
|
Maleszka J, Forêt S, Saint R, Maleszka R. RNAi-induced phenotypes suggest a novel role for a chemosensory protein CSP5 in the development of embryonic integument in the honeybee (Apis mellifera). Dev Genes Evol 2007; 217:189-96. [PMID: 17216269 DOI: 10.1007/s00427-006-0127-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 169] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2006] [Accepted: 11/30/2006] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Small chemosensory proteins (CSPs) belong to a conserved, but poorly understood, protein family found in insects and other arthropods. They exhibit both broad and restricted expression patterns during development. In this paper, we used a combination of genome annotation, transcriptional profiling and RNA interference to unravel the functional significance of a honeybee gene (csp5) belonging to the CSP family. We show that csp5 expression resembles the maternal-zygotic pattern that is characterized by the initiation of transcription in the ovary and the replacement of maternal mRNA with embryonic mRNA. Blocking the embryonic expression of csp5 with double-stranded RNA causes abnormalities in all body parts where csp5 is highly expressed. The treated embryos show a "diffuse", often grotesque morphology, and the head skeleton appears to be severely affected. They are 'unable-to-hatch' and cannot progress to the larval stages. Our findings reveal a novel, essential role for this gene family and suggest that csp5 (unable-to-hatch) is an ectodermal gene involved in embryonic integument formation. Our study confirms the utility of an RNAi approach to functional characterization of novel developmental genes uncovered by the honeybee genome project and provides a starting point for further studies on embryonic integument formation in this insect.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- J Maleszka
- ARC Centre for the Molecular Genetics of Development and Visual Sciences, Research School of Biological Sciences, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 0200, Australia
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
38
|
Forêt S, Wanner KW, Maleszka R. Chemosensory proteins in the honey bee: Insights from the annotated genome, comparative analyses and expressional profiling. Insect Biochem Mol Biol 2007; 37:19-28. [PMID: 17175443 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2006.09.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 142] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2006] [Revised: 09/18/2006] [Accepted: 09/23/2006] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Small chemosensory proteins (CSPs) belong to a conserved, but poorly understood protein family that has been implicated in transporting chemical stimuli within insect sensilla. However, their expression patterns suggest that these molecules are also critical for other functions including early development. Here we used both bioinformatics and experimental approaches to characterize the CSP gene family in a social insect, the Western honey bee Apis mellifera, and then compared its members to CSPs in other arthropods. The number of CSPs in the honey bee genome (six) is similar to that found in the sequenced dipteran species (four-seven), but is much lower than the number of CSPs in the moth or in the beetle (around 20 each). These differences seem to be the result of lineage specific expansions. Our analysis of CSPs in a number of arthropods reveals a conserved gene family found in both Mandibulates and Chelicerates. Expressional profiling in diverse tissues and throughout development reveals broader than expected patterns of expression with none of the CSPs restricted to the antennae and one found only in the queen ovaries and in embryos. We conclude that CSPs are multifunctional context-dependent proteins involved in diverse cellular processes ranging from embryonic development to chemosensory signal transduction. Some CSPs may function in cuticle synthesis, consistent with their evolutionary origins in the arthropods.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sylvain Forêt
- ARC Centre for the Molecular Genetics of Development, Visual Sciences, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
39
|
Abstract
BACKGROUND The number of k-words shared between two sequences is a simple and efficient alignment-free sequence comparison method. This statistic, D2, has been used for the clustering of EST sequences. Sequence comparison based on D2 is extremely fast, its runtime is proportional to the size of the sequences under scrutiny, whereas alignment-based comparisons have a worst-case run time proportional to the square of the size. Recent studies have tackled the rigorous study of the statistical distribution of D2, and asymptotic regimes have been derived. The distribution of approximate k-word matches has also been studied. RESULTS We have computed the D2 optimal word size for various sequence lengths, and for both perfect and approximate word matches. Kolmogorov-Smirnov tests show D2 to have a compound Poisson distribution at the optimal word size for small sequence lengths (below 400 letters) and a normal distribution at the optimal word size for large sequence lengths (above 1600 letters). We find that the D2 statistic outperforms BLAST in the comparison of artificially evolved sequences, and performs similarly to other methods based on exact word matches. These results obtained with randomly generated sequences are also valid for sequences derived from human genomic DNA. CONCLUSION We have characterized the distribution of the D2 statistic at optimal word sizes. We find that the best trade-off between computational efficiency and accuracy is obtained with exact word matches. Given that our numerical tests have not included sequence shuffling, transposition or splicing, the improvements over existing methods reported here underestimate that expected in real sequences. Because of the linear run time and of the known normal asymptotic behavior, D2-based methods are most appropriate for large genomic sequences.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sylvain Forêt
- Mathematical Sciences Institute, Australian National University,Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia
| | | | - Conrad J Burden
- Mathematical Sciences Institute, Australian National University,Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Forêt S, Maleszka R. Function and evolution of a gene family encoding odorant binding-like proteins in a social insect, the honey bee (Apis mellifera). Genome Res 2006; 16:1404-13. [PMID: 17065610 PMCID: PMC1626642 DOI: 10.1101/gr.5075706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 221] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The remarkable olfactory power of insect species is thought to be generated by a combinatorial action of two large protein families, G protein-coupled olfactory receptors (ORs) and odorant binding proteins (OBPs). In olfactory sensilla, OBPs deliver hydrophobic airborne molecules to ORs, but their expression in nonolfactory tissues suggests that they also may function as general carriers in other developmental and physiological processes. Here we used bioinformatic and experimental approaches to characterize the OBP-like gene family in a highly social insect, the Western honey bee. Comparison with other insects shows that the honey bee has the smallest set of these genes, consisting of only 21 OBPs. This number stands in stark contrast to the more than 70 OBPs in Anopheles gambiae and 51 in Drosophila melanogaster. In the honey bee as in the two dipterans, these genes are organized in clusters. We show that the evolution of their structure involved frequent intron losses. We describe a monophyletic subfamily of OBPs where the diversification of some amino acids appears to have been accelerated by positive selection. Expression profiling under a wide range of conditions shows that in the honey bee only nine OBPs are antenna-specific. The remaining genes are expressed either ubiquitously or are tightly regulated in specialized tissues or during development. These findings support the view that OBPs are not restricted to olfaction and are likely to be involved in broader physiological functions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sylvain Forêt
- Visual Sciences and ARC Centre for the Molecular Genetics of Development, Research School of Biological Sciences, The Australian National University,Canberra ACT 0200, Australia
| | - Ryszard Maleszka
- Visual Sciences and ARC Centre for the Molecular Genetics of Development, Research School of Biological Sciences, The Australian National University,Canberra ACT 0200, Australia
- Corresponding author.E-mail ; fax (612) 6125 8294
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
|