Guided by the northern star coral: a research synthesis and roadmap for Astrangia poculata

Biology Letters, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 21(3)

Published: March 1, 2025

The northern star coral, Astrangia poculata , is a temperate, facultatively symbiotic, scleractinian coral spanning the coastal western Atlantic. This calcifying species mixotrophic with broad geographical range, and therefore has high utility in addressing questions related to community ecology, symbiosis, population genetics, biomineralization resilience environmental perturbations. Here, we review current A. peer-reviewed literature, which primarily found six focal areas: geographic habitat life history, microbiome genomics transcriptomics. A cross-cutting theme of these studies emerges as value an experimental system that symbiotic. Yet, historic overgeneralization symbiotic versus ‘aposymbiotic’ constrained interpretation basic biology generalizability conclusions. Emergent from our review, timely respect climate change, brings potential test on range adaptability resilience. We identify future avenues research for include integration genetics organismal–molecular–cellular across while leveraging power facultative symbiosis context.

Language: Английский

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Photosymbiont Density Is Correlated with Constitutive and Induced Immunity in the Facultatively Symbiotic Coral, Astrangia poculata

Integrative and Comparative Biology, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 64(5), P. 1278 - 1290

Published: May 23, 2024

Scleractinian corals, essential ecosystem engineers that form the base of coral reef ecosystems, have faced unprecedented mortality in recent decades due to climate change-related stressors, including disease outbreaks. Despite this emergent threat many questions still remain regarding mechanisms underlying observed variation susceptibility. Recent data suggest at least some degree response may be linked variability relationship between host corals and their algal photosymbionts (Family Symbiodiniaceae). Still, nuances connections symbiosis immunity cnidarians, scleractinian poorly understood. Here, we leveraged an model species, facultatively symbiotic, temperate, Astrangia poculata, investigate associations symbiont density both constitutive induced immunity. We used a combination controlled immune challenges with heat-inactivated pathogens transcriptomic analyses. Our results demonstrate A. poculata mounts robust initial pathogenic stimuli is highly similar responses documented tropical corals. document positive responses, agreement preliminary studies poculata. A suite genes, those coding for antioxidant peroxiredoxin biosynthesis, are positively associated under conditions. Furthermore, distinct patterns response; low induce preventative mechanisms, whereas high mobilize energetic resources fuel humoral responses. In summary, our study reveals need more nuanced symbiosis-immune interplay across diverse preferably quantitative energy budget analysis full disentanglement these complex effects on pathogen

Language: Английский

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Characterization of trade-offs between immunity and reproduction in the coral species Astrangia poculata

PeerJ, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 11, P. e16586 - e16586

Published: Dec. 4, 2023

Background Living organisms face ubiquitous pathogenic threats and have consequently evolved immune systems to protect against potential invaders. However, many components of the system are physiologically costly maintain engage, often drawing resources away from other organismal processes such as growth reproduction. Evidence a diversity has demonstrated that use complex resource allocation mechanisms manage competing needs optimize fitness. understanding patterns is limited across taxa. Cnidarians, which include ecologically important like hard corals, been historically understudied in context allocations. Improving allocation-associated trade-offs cnidarians critical for future ecological dynamics rapid environmental change. Methods Here, we characterize between constitutive immunity reproduction facultatively symbiotic coral Astrangia poculata . Male colonies underwent ex situ spawning sperm density was quantified. We then examined effects variable symbiont energetic budget on physiological traits, including activity reproductive investment. Furthermore, tested Results found associations metrics; melanin production significantly positively associated with carbohydrate concentration. failed document any output would be indicative trade-offs, possibly due experimental limitations. Our results provide preliminary framework studies investigating cnidarians.

Language: Английский

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Photosymbiont density is correlated with constitutive and induced immunity in the facultatively symbiotic coral,Astrangia poculata

bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory), Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: March 3, 2024

ABSTRACT Scleractinian corals, essential ecosystem engineers that form the base of coral reef ecosystems, have faced unprecedented mortality in recent decades due climate-change related stressors, including disease outbreaks. Despite this emergent threat to many questions still remain regarding mechanisms underlying observed variation susceptibility. Emergent data suggests at least some degree response may be linked variability relationship between host corals and their algal photosymbionts (Family Symbiodineaceae). Still, nuances connections symbiosis immunity cnidarians, scleractinian poorly understood. Here we leveraged an model species, facultatively symbiotic, temperate, Astrangia poculata , investigate associations symbiont density both constitutive induced immunity. We used a combination controlled immune challenges with heat-inactivated pathogens transcriptomic analyses. Our results demonstrate A. mounts robust initial pathogenic stimuli is highly similar responses documented tropical corals. Furthermore, document positive responses, agreement preliminary studies . A suite genes, those coding for antioxidant peroxidoxin biosynthesis, are constitutively positively associated distinct patterns response; low induce preventative whereas high mobilize energetic resources fuel humoral responses. In summary, our study reveals need more nuanced symbiosis-immune interplay across diverse preferably quantitative energy budget analysis full disentanglement these complex effects on pathogen

Language: Английский

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Immune System Components in Cnidarians

Elsevier eBooks, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: Jan. 1, 2024

Language: Английский

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