Sinulariolide is an active compound isolated from the cultured soft coral Sinularia flexibilis. In this study, we investigate the migration and invasion effects of sinulariolide in hepatocellular carcinoma cell HA22T. Sinulariolide inhibited the migration and invasion effects of hepatocellular carcinoma cells in a concentration-dependent manner. The results of zymography assay showed that sinulariolide suppressed the activities of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and MMP-9. Moreover, protein levels of MMP-2, MMP-9, and urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) were reduced by sinulariolide in a concentration-dependent manner. Sinulariolide also exerted an inhibitory effect on phosphorylation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK), phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), Akt, Focal adhesion kinase (FAK), growth factor receptor-bound protein 2 (GRB2). Taken together, these results demonstrated that sinulariolide could inhibit hepatocellular carcinoma cell migration and invasion and alter HA22T cell metastasis by reduction of MMP-2, MMP-9, and uPA expression through the suppression of MAPKs, PI3K/Akt, and the FAK/GRB2 signaling pathway. These findings suggest that sinulariolide merits further evaluation as a chemotherapeutic agent for human hepatocellular carcinoma.

Sinulariolide is an active compound isolated from the cultured soft coral Sinularia flexibilis. In this study, we investigated the effects of sinulariolide on A375 melanoma cell growth and protein expression. Sinulariolide suppressed the proliferation and migration of melanoma cells in a concentration-dependent manner and was found to induce both early and late apoptosis by flow cytometric analysis. Comparative proteomic analysis was conducted to investigate the effects of sinulariolide at the molecular level by comparison between the protein profiles of melanoma cells treated with sinulariolide and those without treatment. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) master maps of control and treated A375 cells were generated by analysis with PDQuest software. Comparison between these maps showed up- and downregulation of 21 proteins, seven of which were upregulated and 14 were downregulated. The proteomics studies described here identify some proteins that are involved in mitochondrial dysfunction and apoptosis-associated proteins, including heat shock protein 60, heat shock protein beta-1, ubiquinol cytochrome c reductase complex core protein 1, isocitrate dehydrogenase (NAD) subunit alpha (down-regulated), and prohibitin (up-regulated), in A375 melanoma cells exposed to sinulariolide. Sinulariolide-induced apoptosis is relevant to mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis via caspase-dependent pathways, elucidated by the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, release of cytochrome c, and activation of Bax, Bad and caspase-3/-9, as well as suppression of p-Bad, Bcl-xL and Bcl-2. Taken together, our results show that sinulariolide-induced apoptosis might be related to activation of the caspase cascade and mitochondria dysfunction pathways. Our results suggest that sinulariolide merits further evaluation as a chemotherapeutic agent for human melanoma.

The success of early life-history stages is an environmentally sensitive bottleneck for many marine invertebrates. Responses of larvae to environmental stress may vary due to differences in maternal investment of energy stores and acclimatization/adaptation of a population to local environmental conditions. In this study, we compared two populations from sites with different environmental regimes (Moorea and Taiwan). We assessed the responses of larvae to two future co-occurring environmental stressors: elevated temperature and ocean acidification. Larvae from Taiwan were more sensitive to temperature, producing fewer energy-storage lipids under high temperature. In general, planulae in Moorea and Taiwan responded similarly toCO Additionally, corals in the study sites with different environments produced larvae with different initial traits, which may have shaped the different physiological responses observed. Notably, under ambient conditions, planulae in Taiwan increased their stores of wax ester and triacylglycerol in general over the first 24 h of their dispersal, whereas planulae from Moorea consumed energy-storage lipids in all cases. Comparisons of physiological responses of larvae to conditions of ocean acidification and warming between sites across the species' biogeographic range illuminates the variety of physiological responses maintained within, which may enhance the overall persistence of this species in the light of global climate change.

The stability of cnidarian-dinoflagellate endosymbioses is dependent upon communication between the host gastrodermal cell and the symbionts housed within it. Although the molecular mechanisms remain to be elucidated, existing evidence suggests that the establishment of these endosymbioses may involve the sorting of membrane proteins. The present study examined the role of host gastrodermal membranes in regulating symbiont (genus Symbiodinium) photosynthesis in the stony coral Euphyllia glabrescens. In comparison with the photosynthetic behavior of Symbiodinium in culture, the Symbiodinium populations within isolated symbiotic gastrodermal cells (SGCs) exhibited a significant degree of photo-inhibition, as determined by a decrease in the photochemical efficiency of photosystem II (F v /F m ). This photo-inhibition coincided with increases in plasma membrane perturbation and oxidative activity in the SGCs. Membrane trafficking in SGCs was examined using the metabolism of a fluorescent lipid analog, N- [5-(5,7-dimethyl boron dipyrromethene difluoride)-1-pentanoyl]-D-erythro-Sphingosylphosphorylcholine (BODIPY-Sphingomyelin or BODIPY-SM). Light irradiation altered both membrane distribution and trafficking of BODIPY-SM, resulting in metabolic changes. Cholesterol depletion of the SGC plasma membranes by methyl--cyclodextrin retarded BODIPY-SM degradation and further augmented Symbiodinium photo-inhibition. These results indicate that Symbiodinium photo-inhibition may be related to perturbation of the host gastrodermal membrane, providing evidence for the pivotal role of host membrane trafficking in the regulation of this environmentally important coral-dinoflagellate endosymbiosis.

Acontia, located in the gastrovascular cavity of anemone, are thread-like tissue containing numerous stinging cells which serve as a unique defense tissue against predators of the immobile acontiarian sea anemone. Although its morphology and biological functions, such as defense and digestion, have been studied, the defense behavior and the specific events of acontia ejection and retraction are unclear. The aim of this study is to observe and record the detailed process of acontia control in anemones. Observations reveal that the anemone, Exaiptasia pallida, possibly controls a network of body muscles and manipulates water pressure in the gastrovascular cavity to eject and retract acontia. Instead of resynthesizing acontia after each ejection, the retraction and reuse of acontia enables the anemone to respond quickly at any given time, thus increasing its overall survivability. Since the Exaiptasia anemone is an emerging model for coral biology, this study provides a foundation to further investigate the biophysics, neuroscience, and defense biology of this marine model organism.

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In present study, the complete mitogenome sequence of the Antarctic stalked jellyfish, Haliclystus antarcticus Pfeffer (Staurozoa: Stauromedusae) has been sequenced by next-generation sequencing method. The assembled mitogenome comprises of 15,766 bp including 13 protein coding genes, 7 transfer RNAs, and 2 ribosomal RNA genes. The overall base of Antarctic stalked jellyfish constitutes of 26.5% for A, 19.6% for C, 19.8% for G, 34.1% for T and show 90% identity to Sessile Jelly, Haliclystus sanjuanensis, in the northeastern Pacific Ocean. The complete mitogenome of the Antarctic stalked jellyfish, contributes fundamental and significant DNA molecular data for further phylogeography and evolutionary analysis for seahorse phylogeny. The complete sequence was deposited in DBBJ/EMBL/GenBank under accession number KU947038.