Meta‐analysis of the coral environmental stress response: <i>Acropora</i> corals show opposing responses depending on stress intensity

Dixon, Groves; Abbott, Evelyn; Matz, Mikhail V.

doi:10.1111/mec.15535

Cited by 70 publications

(116 citation statements)

References 62 publications

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“…We observed enrichment in both protein folding (GO:0006457) and unfolded protein binding (GO:0051082) under heat challenge, which is consistent with a variety of coral stress studies (i.e. Dixon et al 2020). Genes within these GO categories are largely associated with heat shock protein production, which have been consistently implicated in coral gene expression studies (reviewed in Cziesielski et al 2019) and heat stress experiments across a wide range of taxa (reviewed in Chen et al 2018).…”

Section: Modulation Of Genes Associated With Heterotrophy and Stress supporting

confidence: 82%

“…Barshis et al (2013) demonstrates that corals exhibit a widespread stress response across thousands of genes, and this environmental stress response (ESR) is consistent with the conserved response to diverse environmental stressors in yeast (Gasch et al 2000). A meta-analysis comparing the transcriptomic responses of coral from the genus Acropora to various stressors found these coral exhibit a stereotyped ESR (Dixon et al 2020). There, it was found that there is consistent upregulation of genes involved in cell death, response to reactive oxygen species, NF-kB signaling, immune response, protein folding, and protein degradation to a variety of acute stress exposures.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 66%

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Divergent thermal challenges elicit convergent stress signatures in aposymbioticAstrangia poculata

Wuitchik¹,

Almanzar²,

Benson³

et al. 2020

Preprint

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7Corals are threatened worldwide due to rapidly warming oceans associated with anthropogenic 8 climate change. A growing body of work has explored how corals respond to heat stress, however, 9responses of corals across the full range of their thermal breadth are rarely explored even though 10 winter colds are also known to induce coral stress. Here, we leverage the temperate stony coral, 11Astrangia poculata, which naturally exhibits a facultative symbiosis with Symbiodiniaceae, to 12 explicitly examine how thermal challenges influence coral hosts in isolation from their symbionts. 13Aposymbiotic A. poculata were collected from Woods Hole, MA, the northern range limit for this 14 species. Corals were thermally challenged in two independent common garden experiments (Heat 15 challenge: 31˚C, 10 days; Cold challenge: 6˚C, 16 days) to determine the effects of divergent 16thermal stressors. Behavioural responses to food stimuli were monitored throughout the thermal 17 challenges and genome-wide gene expression profiling (TagSeq) was used to characterize 18 molecular underpinnings of the coral's response to stress in its aposymbiotic state. Behaviourally, 19both thermal challenges induced polyp retraction and colonies failed to respond to food stimuli. 20Surprisingly, seven times as many genes were differentially expressed under cold challenge heat 21 challenge. Despite a greater magnitude of response under cold challenge, significant similarities 22 in gene expression were detected across the two thermal challenge experiments, with many of the 23 most responsive genes having been previously implicated in coral heat stress response. Given that 24 our data were generated from aposymbiotic colonies, we hypothesize that these genes previously 25linked to heat stress are more likely indicative of a generalized stress response. Overall this work 26 highlights the unique insights facultatively symbiotic corals offer for deciphering the stress 27 response of the coral host in the absence of bleaching. 28 29 30

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Section: Modulation Of Genes Associated With Heterotrophy and Stress supporting

confidence: 82%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 66%

Divergent thermal challenges elicit convergent stress signatures in aposymbioticAstrangia poculata

Wuitchik¹,

Almanzar²,

Benson³

et al. 2020

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Additionally, organisms may mount different gene expression changes in response to acute versus chronic stress. For instance, a meta‐analyses of gene expression studies in coral found distinct gene expression signatures when corals were sampled after an acute heat stress (several hours) compared to a chronic exposure (several days to weeks) (Dixon et al, 2020). In developing zebrafish, a gene expression response to domoic acid (a neurotoxin) can be detected at 3 days post fertilization, but not seven (Panlilio et al, 2020).…”

Section: Timing Is Everythingmentioning

confidence: 99%

A framework for understanding gene expression plasticity and its influence on stress tolerance

et al. 2021

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Phenotypic plasticity can serve as a stepping stone towards adaptation. Recently, studies have shown that gene expression contributes to emergent stress responses such as thermal tolerance, with tolerant and susceptible populations showing distinct transcriptional profiles. However, given the dynamic nature of gene expression, interpreting transcriptomic results in a way that elucidates the functional connection between gene expression and the observed stress response is challenging. Here, we present a conceptual framework to guide interpretation of gene expression reaction norms in the context of stress tolerance. We consider the evolutionary and adaptive potential of gene expression reaction norms and discuss the influence of sampling timing, transcriptomic resilience, as well as complexities related to life history when interpreting gene expression dynamics and how these patterns relate to host tolerance. We highlight corals as a case study to demonstrate the value of this framework for non‐model systems. As species face rapidly changing environmental conditions, modulating gene expression can serve as a mechanistic link from genetic and cellular processes to the physiological responses that allow organisms to thrive under novel conditions. Interpreting how or whether a species can employ gene expression plasticity to ensure short‐term survival will be critical for understanding the global impacts of climate change across diverse taxa.

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“…Such frontloading theoretically promotes rapid rates of protein translation and could facilitate a coral's acclimation to stressors by allowing it to respond faster (Gates & Edmunds, 1999). Corals exhibit an environmental stress response (ESR) (Dixon et al, 2020), a common pattern of gene expression induced by diverse environmental stressors. Activating the ESR in response to acute stress can serve a protective role against future stress (Berry & Gasch, 2008).…”

Section: Host Frontloading Of Stress Genes Under High Flowmentioning

confidence: 99%

Going with the flow: How corals in high‐flow environments can beat the heat

et al. 2021

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Many of the world's coral reefs are restricted to the shallow littoral, a habitat frequently exposed to variable levels of irradiance, extreme tidal fluxes, and varying sea surface temperatures (SSTs), sedimentation and eutrophication (Guilcher, 1988). Furthermore, due to the proximity of the majority of coral reefs to the shoreline, coral habitats are under increasing pressure from anthropogenic stressors such as pollution and physical damage (Hughes, 1994;Thiel et al., 2013). Until recently, Guam (Mariana Islands, Micronesia), and many other Pacific islands, has avoided large-

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Meta‐analysis of the coral environmental stress response: Acropora corals show opposing responses depending on stress intensity

Abstract: This is the author manuscript accepted for publication and has undergone full peer review but has not been through the copyediting, typesetting, pagination and proofreading process, which may lead to differences between this version and the Version of Record. Please cite this article as

Cited by 70 publications

References 62 publications

Divergent thermal challenges elicit convergent stress signatures in aposymbioticAstrangia poculata

Divergent thermal challenges elicit convergent stress signatures in aposymbioticAstrangia poculata

A framework for understanding gene expression plasticity and its influence on stress tolerance

Going with the flow: How corals in high‐flow environments can beat the heat

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