Assessing coral stress responses using molecular biomarkers of gene transcription

Morgan, Michael B.; Vogelien, Dale L.; Snell, Terry W.

doi:10.1002/etc.5620200312

Cited by 44 publications

(22 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…Other biological responses to heavy metals in cnidaria include coral bleaching (Jones, 1997), and effects on coral metabolism (Alutoin et al, 2001; Nystrom et al, 2001), larval mortality, and inhibition of reproduction including settlement, motility and fertilization of larvae (Negri and Heyward, 2000, 2001; Reichelt-Brushett and Harrison, 2000, 2005). Few studies have examined molecular biomarkers or molecular mechanisms of metal stress (Mitchelmore et al, 2002; Morgan et al, 2001). …”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Environmental sensing and response genes in cnidaria: the chemical defensome in the sea anemone Nematostella vectensis

Goldstone

2008

Cell Biol Toxicol

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The starlet sea anemone Nematostella vectensis has been recently established as a new model system for the study of the evolution of developmental processes, as cnidaria occupy a key evolutionary position at the base of the bilateria. Cnidaria play important roles in estuarine and reef communities, but are exposed to many environmental stressors.Here I describe the genetic components of a 'chemical defensome' in the genome of N. vectensis, and review cnidarian molecular toxicology. Gene families that defend against chemical stressors and the transcription factors that regulate these genes have been termed a 'chemical defensome,' and include the cytochromes P450 and other oxidases, various conjugating enyzymes, the ATPdependent efflux transporters, oxidative detoxification proteins, as well as various transcription factors. These genes account for about 1% (266/27200) of the predicted genes in the sea anemone genome, similar to the proportion observed in tunicates and humans, but lower than that observed in sea urchins. While there are comparable numbers of stress-response genes, the stress sensor genes appear to be reduced in N. vectensis relative to many model protostomes and deuterostomes. Cnidarian toxicology is understudied, especially given the important ecological roles of many cnidarian species. New genomic resources should stimulate the study of chemical stress sensing and response mechanisms in cnidaria, and allow us to further illuminate the evolution of chemical defense gene networks.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Environmental sensing and response genes in cnidaria: the chemical defensome in the sea anemone Nematostella vectensis

Goldstone

2008

Cell Biol Toxicol

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“…The 20 d exposure study used custom microarrays (Combimatrix) specifically designed to detect expression of 148 anthozoan holobiont genes (host and zooxanthella symbiont; Electronic Supplementary Material, ESM Table 1) related to physiological stress, in addition to genes with functions involved in metabolism, development and regulation of programmed cell death (Morgan et al 2001; Morgan and Snell 2002; Edge et al 2005; Edge 2007). Anthozoan (primarily genes from Acropora and Montastraea species) and zooxanthella genes selected for this array have displayed differential expression under a variety of stressful conditions (Morgan et al 2001; Morgan and Snell 2002; Edge et al 2005) or were identified from public databases using a bioinformatics approach and categorized by function based on published literature and the Gene Ontology database (Ashburner et al 2000; ESM Table 1).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Anthozoan (primarily genes from Acropora and Montastraea species) and zooxanthella genes selected for this array have displayed differential expression under a variety of stressful conditions (Morgan et al 2001; Morgan and Snell 2002; Edge et al 2005) or were identified from public databases using a bioinformatics approach and categorized by function based on published literature and the Gene Ontology database (Ashburner et al 2000; ESM Table 1). Multiple 35-40-mer probes (2-5 probes) for each gene were designed and replicated on the microarray three times in addition to positive (spike in) and negative controls.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Gene expression patterns of the coral Acropora millepora in response to contact with macroalgae

et al. 2012

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Contact with macroalgae often causes coral mortality, but the roles of abrasion versus shading versus allelopathy in these interactions are rarely clear and effects on gene expression are unknown. Identification of gene expression changes within corals in response to contact with macroalgae can provide insight into the mode of action of allelochemicals, as well as reveal transcriptional strategies of the coral that mitigate damage from this competitive interaction, enabling the coral to survive. Gene expression responses of the coral Acropora millepora after long-term (20 d) direct contact with macroalgae (Chlorodesmis fastigiata, Dictyota bartayresiana, Galaxaura filamentosa and Turbinaria conoides) and short-term (1 h and 24 h) exposure to C. fastigiata thalli and their hydrophobic extract were assessed. After 20 d of exposure, T. conoides thalli elicited no significant change in visual bleaching or zooxanthellae PSII quantum yield within A. millepora nubbins, but stimulated the greatest alteration in gene expression of all treatments. Chlorodesmis fastigiata, D. bartayresiana and G. filamentosa caused significant visual bleaching of coral nubbins and reduced the PSII quantum yield of associated zooxanthellae after 20 d, but elicited fewer changes in gene expression relative to T. conoides at day 20. To evaluate initial molecular processes leading to reduction of zooxanthella PSII quantum yield, visual bleaching, and coral death, short-term exposures to C. fastigiata thalli and hydrophobic extracts were conducted; these interactions revealed protein degradation and significant changes in catalytic and metabolic activity within 24 h of contact. These molecular responses are consistent with the hypothesis that allelopathic interactions lead to alteration of signal transduction and an imbalance between reactive oxidant species production and antioxidant capabilities within the coral holobiont. This oxidative imbalance results in rapid protein degradation and eventually to apoptosis and/or necrosis when compensatory transcriptional action by the coral holobiont insufficiently mitigates damage by the allelochemicals of C. fastigiata.

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“…Increased seawater temperature is known to induce bleaching and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in adult corals [12,13], as well as oxidative stress and mortality for some coral larvae [14–17]. Cellular diagnostics have become an important tool to quantify the physiological impacts of sublethal stressors in corals [18–20]. Oxidative stress is commonly measured since it is a ubiquitous stress response that is conserved across numerous taxa [12,21].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Elevated Temperature and Allelopathy Impact Coral Recruitment

2016

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As climate change continues to alter seawater temperature and chemistry on a global scale, coral reefs show multiple signs of degradation. One natural process that could facilitate the recovery of reef ecosystems is coral recruitment, which can be influenced by the benthic organisms in a local habitat. We experimentally tested both a global stressor (increased seawater temperature) and a local stressor (exposure to microcolin A, a natural product from a common marine benthic cyanobacterium) to determine how these stressors impacted coral larval sublethal stress, survival and settlement. Larvae of Porites astreoides had the same survival and settlement as the controls after exposure to increased temperature alone, but elevated temperature did cause oxidative stress. When exposed to natural concentrations of microcolin A, larval survival and settlement were significantly reduced. When larvae were exposed to these two stressors sequentially there was no interactive effect; but when exposed to both stressors simultaneously, there was a synergistic reduction in larval survival and an increase in oxidative stress more than in either stressor treatment alone. Increased seawater temperatures made larvae more susceptible to a concurrent local stressor disrupting a key process of coral reef recovery and resilience. These results highlight the importance of understanding how interactive stressors of varying spatial scales can impact coral demographics.

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Assessing coral stress responses using molecular biomarkers of gene transcription

Cited by 44 publications

References 34 publications

Environmental sensing and response genes in cnidaria: the chemical defensome in the sea anemone Nematostella vectensis

Environmental sensing and response genes in cnidaria: the chemical defensome in the sea anemone Nematostella vectensis

Gene expression patterns of the coral Acropora millepora in response to contact with macroalgae

Elevated Temperature and Allelopathy Impact Coral Recruitment

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