Proteomic Assessment of Caffeine Effects on Coral Symbionts

Abstract

Caffeine isthe mostwidely consumed and excreted psychoactive drug in the world. It is a ubiquitous tracer of urban wastewater, but its ecological effects are notwell understood. We hypothesized that caffeine exposure is associated with coral bleaching. Here we report the effects of caffeine on four species of coral algae endosymbionts belonging to three widely distributed clades: Clade A Symbiodinium microadriaticum (A), Clade B Symbiodinium sp. from Aiptasia pallida (B6), Clade B Symbiodinium sp. from Pseudoterogorgia bipinnata (B7), and Clade C Symbiodinium goreaui (C). To assess the effect of caffeine on algal physiology we used two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and peptide mass spectrometry to identify protein sensitive to caffeine exposure. The results show several upregulated and several downregulated polypeptides in all algae species tested. The heat-shock proteins are among the commonly affected proteins, suggesting that caffeine exposure associated with sewage discharge into natural waters may exacerbate the effects of stress from other environmental factors such as changes in ocean temperature and pH.

A Profile of an Endosymbiont-enriched Fraction of the Coral Stylophora pistillata Reveals Proteins Relevant to Microbial-Host Interactions

“…It has been estimated that 80% of a cell's phenotype can be described by the proteome compared with only 30% by the transcriptome (56). A very limited number of studies have examined the proteome of both symbiotic and aposymbiotic cnidarians using two-dimensional SDS-PAGE analysis (57)(58)(59)(60)(61)(62). The success of such attempts was restricted by the applicability of low throughput protein analyses.…”

“…Accordingly, inroads to stress assessment at the proteome level of cnidarian symbioses have been progressing (57)(58)(59)(60)(61)(62), as has understanding of the proteomic response of other marine organisms to environmental stress (63). In an attempt to understand the physiological response of symbiotic corals to the stresses of high irradiance, temperature, and trace metal limitation, we construct for the first time, using a quantitative high throughput platform, a comprehensive profile of the major proteins and peptides in a Symbiodinium-enriched fraction obtained from a reef-building coral under experimental conditions of environmental stress.…”

Expression of HSP70 in Mytilus californianus following exposure to caffeine

“…In humans, cytochrome P450 is involved in the metabolism of caffeine (Berthou et al 1991). Although cytochrome P450 is highly conserved, caffeine is more toxic to other organisms, including horses, dogs, parrots, and spiders due to their underdeveloped capacity to metabolize the drug (Pollack et al 2009).…”

“…Increased duration of exposure to caffeine resulted in a significant increase in the percent of symbiotic algae released from A. pulchella. A subsequent study on the effect of caffeine on four species of coral endosymbionts found that algal cultures grown in 60 mg/l caffeine exhibited up or down regulation of a number of proteins associated with glycolysis, photosynthesis, and the physiological stress response (Pollack et al 2009). Heatshock proteins (HSP) were up-regulated 2 to threefold in the coral endosymbiont Symbiodinium sp.…”

Assessment of the Occurrence and Potential Effects of Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products in South Florida Waters and Sediments

“…Several PPCP residues even when present at trace levels may have adverse effects on organisms in particular those with endocrine disrupting capability (Ben-Jonathan and Steinmetz, 1998). Research has indicated that endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) can interact with the endocrine system of fish at very low concentrations by long-term exposure (BenJonathan and Steinmetz, 1998;Pollack et al, 2009). Therefore, it is very important to accurately monitor concentrations of PPCPs and EDCs in the aquatic environment at environmental relevant concentrations (ng/L).…”