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Methods in Molecular Biology (Clifton,... 2023Obligately symbiotic associations between reef-building corals (anthozoan cnidarians) and photosynthetically active dinoflagellates of the family Symbiodiniaceae...
Obligately symbiotic associations between reef-building corals (anthozoan cnidarians) and photosynthetically active dinoflagellates of the family Symbiodiniaceae comprise the functional basis of all coral reef ecosystems. Given the existential threats of global climate change toward these thermo-sensitive entities, there is an urgent need to better understand the physiological implications of changes in the abiotic milieu of scleractinian corals and their mutualistic algal endosymbionts. Although initially slow to leverage the immense breakthroughs in molecular biotechnology that have benefited humankind, coral biologists are making up for lost time in exploiting an array of ever-advancing molecular tools for answering key questions pertaining to the survival of corals in an ever-changing world. In order to comprehensively characterize the multi-omic landscape of the coral holobiont-the cnidarian host, its intracellular dinoflagellates, and a plethora of other microbial constituents-I introduce a series of protocols herein that yield large quantities of high-quality RNA, DNA, protein, lipids, and polar metabolites from a diverse array of reef corals and endosymbiotic sea anemones. Although numerous published articles in the invertebrate zoology field feature protocols that lead to sufficiently high yield of intact host coral macromolecules, through using the approach outlined herein one may simultaneously acquire a rich, multi-compartmental biochemical pool that truly reflects the complex and dynamic nature of these animal-plant chimeras.
Topics: Animals; Ecosystem; Anthozoa; Sea Anemones; Dinoflagellida; Symbiosis
PubMed: 36653630
DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2966-6_3 -
Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution Aug 2021The advent of high throughput sequencing technologies provides an opportunity to resolve phylogenetic relationships among closely related species. By incorporating...
The advent of high throughput sequencing technologies provides an opportunity to resolve phylogenetic relationships among closely related species. By incorporating hundreds to thousands of unlinked loci and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), phylogenomic analyses have a far greater potential to resolve species boundaries than approaches that rely on only a few markers. Scleractinian taxa have proved challenging to identify using traditional morphological approaches and many groups lack an adequate set of molecular markers to investigate their phylogenies. Here, we examine the potential of Restriction-site Associated DNA sequencing (RADseq) to investigate phylogenetic relationships and species limits within the scleractinian coral genus Porites. A total of 126 colonies were collected from 16 localities in the seas surrounding the Arabian Peninsula and ascribed to 12 nominal and two unknown species based on their morphology. Reference mapping was used to retrieve and compare nearly complete mitochondrial genomes, ribosomal DNA, and histone loci. De novo assembly and reference mapping to the P. lobata coral transcriptome were compared and used to obtain thousands of genome-wide loci and SNPs. A suite of species discovery methods (phylogenetic, ordination, and clustering analyses) and species delimitation approaches (coalescent-based, species tree, and Bayesian Factor delimitation) suggested the presence of eight molecular lineages, one of which included six morphospecies. Our phylogenomic approach provided a fully supported phylogeny of Porites from the Arabian Peninsula, suggesting the power of RADseq data to solve the species delineation problem in this speciose coral genus.
Topics: Animals; Anthozoa; Arabia; Bayes Theorem; DNA, Ribosomal; Genome, Mitochondrial; Phylogeny; Sequence Analysis, DNA
PubMed: 33813021
DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2021.107173 -
Science (New York, N.Y.) Sep 2023Genome-wide study in staghorn coral identifies markers of disease resistance.
Genome-wide study in staghorn coral identifies markers of disease resistance.
Topics: Animals; Anthozoa; Coral Reefs; Disease Resistance; Genome-Wide Association Study
PubMed: 37769086
DOI: 10.1126/science.adk2492 -
Scientific Reports Mar 2020Dredging increases suspended sediment concentrations (SSCs), causing elevated water turbidity (cloudiness) and light attenuation. Close to dredging, low light periods...
Dredging increases suspended sediment concentrations (SSCs), causing elevated water turbidity (cloudiness) and light attenuation. Close to dredging, low light periods can extend over many days, affecting phototrophic epibenthic organisms like corals. To improve the ability to predict and manage dredging impacts, we tested the response of corals to an extended period of elevated turbidity using an automated sediment dosing system that precisely controlled SSCs and adjusted light availability accordingly. Replicates of four common species of corals encompassing different morphologies were exposed to turbidity treatments of 0-100 mg L SSC, corresponding to daily light integrals of 12.6 to 0 mol quanta m d, over a period of ∼7 weeks. Symbiotic dinoflagellate density and algal pigment concentration, photosynthetic yields, lipid concentrations and ratios and growth varied among the turbidity treatments, with corals exhibiting photoacclimation within low turbidity treatments. A range of physiological responses were observed within the high turbidity treatments (low light), including bleaching and changes in lipid levels and ratios. Most corals, except P. damicornis, were capable of adjusting to a turbidity treatment involving a mean light level of 2.3 mol photons m d in conjunction with a SSC of 10 mg L over the 7 week period.
Topics: Acclimatization; Animals; Anthozoa; Dinoflagellida; Geologic Sediments; Light; Lipid Metabolism; Photosynthesis; Phototrophic Processes; Symbiosis; Time Factors
PubMed: 32179846
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-61712-w -
Molecular Biology and Evolution Aug 2021Corals build the structural foundation of coral reefs, one of the most diverse and productive ecosystems on our planet. Although the process of coral calcification that...
Corals build the structural foundation of coral reefs, one of the most diverse and productive ecosystems on our planet. Although the process of coral calcification that allows corals to build these immense structures has been extensively investigated, we still know little about the evolutionary processes that allowed the soft-bodied ancestor of corals to become the ecosystem builders they are today. Using a combination of phylogenomics, proteomics, and immunohistochemistry, we show that scleractinian corals likely acquired the ability to calcify sometime between ∼308 and ∼265 Ma through a combination of lineage-specific gene duplications and the co-option of existing genes to the calcification process. Our results suggest that coral calcification did not require extensive evolutionary changes, but rather few coral-specific gene duplications and a series of small, gradual optimizations of ancestral proteins and their co-option to the calcification process.
Topics: Animals; Anthozoa; Calcification, Physiologic; Coral Reefs; Ecosystem; Phylogeny
PubMed: 33871620
DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msab103 -
Mini Reviews in Medicinal Chemistry 2022Marine organisms are recognized as a rich source of bioactive secondary metabolites. The remarkable abundance and diversity of bioactive small molecules isolated from...
Marine organisms are recognized as a rich source of bioactive secondary metabolites. The remarkable abundance and diversity of bioactive small molecules isolated from soft corals displayed their essential role in drug discovery for human diseases. Sterols and terpenes, particularly cembranolides, 14-membered cyclic diterpene, demonstrated numerous biological activities, such as antitumor, antimicrobial, antiviral, antidiabetic, anti-osteoporosis and anti-inflammatory. Accordingly, continuous investigation of marine soft corals leads the way to discover a plentiful number of chemical diverse natural products with various biological potentials for prospective pharmaceutical industrial applications. Such review affords plenary inspection of the total secondary metabolites isolated from the Sinularia, from 2008 until 2020, besides their natural sources as well as bioactivities whenever possible.
Topics: Animals; Anthozoa; Biological Products; Diterpenes; Prospective Studies; Terpenes
PubMed: 34579632
DOI: 10.2174/1389557521666210927152249 -
Science Advances Sep 2022Since 1892, it has been widely assumed that somatic mutations are evolutionarily irrelevant in animals because they cannot be inherited by offspring. However, some...
Since 1892, it has been widely assumed that somatic mutations are evolutionarily irrelevant in animals because they cannot be inherited by offspring. However, some nonbilaterians segregate the soma and germline late in development or never, leaving the evolutionary fate of their somatic mutations unknown. By investigating uni- and biparental reproduction in the coral (Cnidaria, Anthozoa), we found that uniparental, meiotic offspring harbored 50% of the 268 somatic mutations present in their parent. Thus, somatic mutations accumulated in adult coral animals, entered the germline, and were passed on to swimming larvae that grew into healthy juvenile corals. In this way, somatic mutations can increase allelic diversity and facilitate adaptation across habitats and generations in animals.
Topics: Animals; Anthozoa; Biological Evolution; Coral Reefs; Ecosystem; Germ Cells; Mutation
PubMed: 36044584
DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abn0707 -
Angewandte Chemie (International Ed. in... Jun 2024The development of electronic skin with dual stealth functionality is crucial for enabling devices to operate effectively in dynamic electromagnetic environments,...
The development of electronic skin with dual stealth functionality is crucial for enabling devices to operate effectively in dynamic electromagnetic environments, thereby facilitating intelligent electromagnetic protection for autonomous perception. However, achieving compatibility between terahertz (THz) and infrared (IR) stealth technologies remains largely unexplored due to their inherent contradictions. Herein, inspired by natural corals, a novel coral-like multi-scale composite foam (CMSF) was proposed that ingeniously reconciles these contradictions. The design capitalizes on the conductive network and heat insulation properties of the foam skeleton, the loss effects and low infrared emission of metal particles, and the infrared transparency of magneto-optical materials. This approach leads to the realization of a THz-IR bi-stealth electronic skin concept. The CMSF exhibits a maximum reflection loss of 84.8 dB in the terahertz band, while its infrared stealth capability ensures environmental adaptability under varying temperatures. Furthermore, the electronic skin exhibits exceptional sensitivity and reliability as a wearable device for perceiving environmental changes. This advanced material, combining multispectral stealth with sensing capabilities, holds immense potential for applications ranging from camouflage technology to smart wearables.
Topics: Anthozoa; Infrared Rays; Animals; Wearable Electronic Devices; Terahertz Radiation
PubMed: 38651494
DOI: 10.1002/anie.202406177 -
PloS One 2022Global change driven by anthropogenic carbon emissions is altering ecosystems at unprecedented rates, especially coral reefs, whose symbiosis with algal symbionts is...
Global change driven by anthropogenic carbon emissions is altering ecosystems at unprecedented rates, especially coral reefs, whose symbiosis with algal symbionts is particularly vulnerable to increasing ocean temperatures and altered carbonate chemistry. Here, we assess the physiological responses of three Caribbean coral (animal host + algal symbiont) species from an inshore and offshore reef environment after exposure to simulated ocean warming (28, 31°C), acidification (300-3290 μatm), and the combination of stressors for 93 days. We used multidimensional analyses to assess how a variety of coral physiological parameters respond to ocean acidification and warming. Our results demonstrate reductions in coral health in Siderastrea siderea and Porites astreoides in response to projected ocean acidification, while future warming elicited severe declines in Pseudodiploria strigosa. Offshore S. siderea fragments exhibited higher physiological plasticity than inshore counterparts, suggesting that this offshore population was more susceptible to changing conditions. There were no plasticity differences in P. strigosa and P. astreoides between natal reef environments, however, temperature evoked stronger responses in both species. Interestingly, while each species exhibited unique physiological responses to ocean acidification and warming, when data from all three species are modelled together, convergent stress responses to these conditions are observed, highlighting the overall sensitivities of tropical corals to these stressors. Our results demonstrate that while ocean warming is a severe acute stressor that will have dire consequences for coral reefs globally, chronic exposure to acidification may also impact coral physiology to a greater extent in some species than previously assumed. Further, our study identifies S. siderea and P. astreoides as potential 'winners' on future Caribbean coral reefs due to their resilience under projected global change stressors, while P. strigosa will likely be a 'loser' due to their sensitivity to thermal stress events. Together, these species-specific responses to global change we observe will likely manifest in altered Caribbean reef assemblages in the future.
Topics: Animals; Anthozoa; Caribbean Region; Coral Reefs; Ecosystem; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Seawater
PubMed: 36054126
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0273897 -
PLoS Pathogens Sep 2021
Topics: Animals; Anthozoa; Apicomplexa; Coral Reefs; Protozoan Infections
PubMed: 34529733
DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1009845