1
|
Wang X, Zoccola D, Liew YJ, Tambutte E, Cui G, Allemand D, Tambutte S, Aranda M. The Evolution of Calcification in Reef-Building Corals. Mol Biol Evol 2021; 38:3543-3555. [PMID: 33871620 PMCID: PMC8382919 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msab103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Corals build the structural foundation of coral reefs, one of the most diverse and productive ecosystems on our planet. Although the process of coral calcification that allows corals to build these immense structures has been extensively investigated, we still know little about the evolutionary processes that allowed the soft-bodied ancestor of corals to become the ecosystem builders they are today. Using a combination of phylogenomics, proteomics, and immunohistochemistry, we show that scleractinian corals likely acquired the ability to calcify sometime between ∼308 and ∼265 Ma through a combination of lineage-specific gene duplications and the co-option of existing genes to the calcification process. Our results suggest that coral calcification did not require extensive evolutionary changes, but rather few coral-specific gene duplications and a series of small, gradual optimizations of ancestral proteins and their co-option to the calcification process.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xin Wang
- Biological and Environmental Sciences & Engineering Division (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Red Sea Research Center (RSRC), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Didier Zoccola
- Marine Biology Department, Centre Scientifique de Monaco, Monaco, Monaco
| | - Yi Jin Liew
- Biological and Environmental Sciences & Engineering Division (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Red Sea Research Center (RSRC), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Eric Tambutte
- Marine Biology Department, Centre Scientifique de Monaco, Monaco, Monaco
| | - Guoxin Cui
- Biological and Environmental Sciences & Engineering Division (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Red Sea Research Center (RSRC), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Denis Allemand
- Marine Biology Department, Centre Scientifique de Monaco, Monaco, Monaco
| | - Sylvie Tambutte
- Marine Biology Department, Centre Scientifique de Monaco, Monaco, Monaco
| | - Manuel Aranda
- Biological and Environmental Sciences & Engineering Division (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Red Sea Research Center (RSRC), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Alama-Bermejo G, Meyer E, Atkinson SD, Holzer AS, Wiśniewska MM, Kolísko M, Bartholomew JL. Transcriptome-Wide Comparisons and Virulence Gene Polymorphisms of Host-Associated Genotypes of the Cnidarian Parasite Ceratonova shasta in Salmonids. Genome Biol Evol 2021; 12:1258-1276. [PMID: 32467979 PMCID: PMC7487138 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evaa109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Ceratonova shasta is an important myxozoan pathogen affecting the health of salmonid fishes in the Pacific Northwest of North America. Ceratonova shasta exists as a complex of host-specific genotypes, some with low to moderate virulence, and one that causes a profound, lethal infection in susceptible hosts. High throughput sequencing methods are powerful tools for discovering the genetic basis of these host/virulence differences, but deep sequencing of myxozoans has been challenging due to extremely fast molecular evolution of this group, yielding strongly divergent sequences that are difficult to identify, and unavoidable host contamination. We designed and optimized different bioinformatic pipelines to address these challenges. We obtained a unique set of comprehensive, host-free myxozoan RNA-seq data from C. shasta genotypes of varying virulence from different salmonid hosts. Analyses of transcriptome-wide genetic distances and maximum likelihood multigene phylogenies elucidated the evolutionary relationship between lineages and demonstrated the limited resolution of the established Internal Transcribed Spacer marker for C. shasta genotype identification, as this marker fails to differentiate between biologically distinct genotype II lineages from coho salmon and rainbow trout. We further analyzed the data sets based on polymorphisms in two gene groups related to virulence: cell migration and proteolytic enzymes including their inhibitors. The developed single-nucleotide polymorphism-calling pipeline identified polymorphisms between genotypes and demonstrated that variations in both motility and protease genes were associated with different levels of virulence of C. shasta in its salmonid hosts. The prospective use of proteolytic enzymes as promising candidates for targeted interventions against myxozoans in aquaculture is discussed. We developed host-free transcriptomes of a myxozoan model organism from strains that exhibited different degrees of virulence, as a unique source of data that will foster functional gene analyses and serve as a base for the development of potential therapeutics for efficient control of these parasites.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gema Alama-Bermejo
- Department of Microbiology, Oregon State University.,Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.,Centro de Investigación Aplicada y Transferencia Tecnológica en Recursos Marinos Almirante Storni (CIMAS), CCT CONICET - CENPAT, San Antonio Oeste, Argentina
| | - Eli Meyer
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oregon State University
| | | | - Astrid S Holzer
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Monika M Wiśniewska
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Martin Kolísko
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.,Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | | |
Collapse
|
3
|
Le Roy N, Ganot P, Aranda M, Allemand D, Tambutté S. The skeletome of the red coral Corallium rubrum indicates an independent evolution of biomineralization process in octocorals. BMC Ecol Evol 2021; 21:1. [PMID: 33514311 PMCID: PMC7853314 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-020-01734-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2020] [Accepted: 12/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The process of calcium carbonate biomineralization has arisen multiple times during metazoan evolution. In the phylum Cnidaria, biomineralization has mostly been studied in the subclass Hexacorallia (i.e. stony corals) in comparison to the subclass Octocorallia (i.e. red corals); the two diverged approximately 600 million years ago. The precious Mediterranean red coral, Corallium rubrum, is an octocorallian species, which produces two distinct high-magnesium calcite biominerals, the axial skeleton and the sclerites. In order to gain insight into the red coral biomineralization process and cnidarian biomineralization evolution, we studied the protein repertoire forming the organic matrix (OM) of its two biominerals. Results We combined High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry and transcriptome analysis to study the OM composition of the axial skeleton and the sclerites. We identified a total of 102 OM proteins, 52 are found in the two red coral biominerals with scleritin being the most abundant protein in each fraction. Contrary to reef building corals, the red coral organic matrix possesses a large number of collagen-like proteins. Agrin-like glycoproteins and proteins with sugar-binding domains are also predominant. Twenty-seven and 23 proteins were uniquely assigned to the axial skeleton and the sclerites, respectively. The inferred regulatory function of these OM proteins suggests that the difference between the two biominerals is due to the modeling of the matrix network, rather than the presence of specific structural components. At least one OM component could have been horizontally transferred from prokaryotes early during Octocorallia evolution. Conclusion Our results suggest that calcification of the red coral axial skeleton likely represents a secondary calcification of an ancestral gorgonian horny axis. In addition, the comparison with stony coral skeletomes highlighted the low proportion of similar proteins between the biomineral OMs of hexacorallian and octocorallian corals, suggesting an independent acquisition of calcification in anthozoans.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nathalie Le Roy
- Centre Scientifique de Monaco, 8 Quai Antoine 1er, Monaco, MC, 98000, Monaco. .,BOA UMR83, INRAe Centre Val de Loire, 37380, Nouzilly, France.
| | - Philippe Ganot
- Centre Scientifique de Monaco, 8 Quai Antoine 1er, Monaco, MC, 98000, Monaco
| | - Manuel Aranda
- Red Sea Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Denis Allemand
- Centre Scientifique de Monaco, 8 Quai Antoine 1er, Monaco, MC, 98000, Monaco
| | - Sylvie Tambutté
- Centre Scientifique de Monaco, 8 Quai Antoine 1er, Monaco, MC, 98000, Monaco
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Mason B, Cooke I, Moya A, Augustin R, Lin MF, Satoh N, Bosch TCG, Bourne DG, Hayward DC, Andrade N, Forêt S, Ying H, Ball EE, Miller DJ. AmAMP1 from Acropora millepora and damicornin define a family of coral-specific antimicrobial peptides related to the Shk toxins of sea anemones. DEVELOPMENTAL AND COMPARATIVE IMMUNOLOGY 2021; 114:103866. [PMID: 32937163 DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2020.103866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2020] [Revised: 09/07/2020] [Accepted: 09/08/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
A candidate antimicrobial peptide (AmAMP1) was identified by searching the whole genome sequence of Acropora millepora for short (<125AA) cysteine-rich predicted proteins with an N-terminal signal peptide but lacking clear homologs in the SwissProt database. It resembled but was not closely related to damicornin, the only other known AMP from a coral, and was shown to be active against both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. These proteins define a family of AMPs present in corals and their close relatives, the Corallimorpharia, and are synthesised as preproproteins in which the C-terminal mature peptide contains a conserved arrangement of six cysteine residues. Consistent with the idea of a common origin for AMPs and toxins, this Cys motif is shared between the coral AMPs and the Shk neurotoxins of sea anemones. AmAMP1 is expressed at late stages of coral development, in ectodermal cells that resemble the "ganglion neurons" of Hydra, in which it has recently been demonstrated that a distinct AMP known as NDA-1 is expressed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- B Mason
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, 4811, Queensland, Australia; Molecular and Cell Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, 4811, Queensland, Australia
| | - I Cooke
- Molecular and Cell Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, 4811, Queensland, Australia; Centre for Tropical Bioinformatics and Molecular Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - A Moya
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, 4811, Queensland, Australia; Molecular and Cell Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, 4811, Queensland, Australia
| | - R Augustin
- Zoological Institute, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
| | - M-F Lin
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, 4811, Queensland, Australia; Molecular and Cell Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, 4811, Queensland, Australia; Evolutionary Neurobiology Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, 904-0495, Onna, Okinawa, Japan
| | - N Satoh
- Marine Genomics Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, 904-0495, Onna, Okinawa, Japan
| | - T C G Bosch
- Zoological Institute, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
| | - D G Bourne
- Department of Marine Ecosystems and Impacts, James Cook University, Townsville, 4811, Queensland, Australia
| | - D C Hayward
- Division of Biomedical Science and Biochemistry, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Acton, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - N Andrade
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, 4811, Queensland, Australia
| | - S Forêt
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, 4811, Queensland, Australia; Division of Biomedical Science and Biochemistry, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Acton, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - H Ying
- Division of Biomedical Science and Biochemistry, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Acton, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - E E Ball
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, 4811, Queensland, Australia; Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Acton, ACT 2601, Australia.
| | - D J Miller
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, 4811, Queensland, Australia; Molecular and Cell Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, 4811, Queensland, Australia; Centre for Tropical Bioinformatics and Molecular Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia; Marine Genomics Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, 904-0495, Onna, Okinawa, Japan.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Conci N, Wörheide G, Vargas S. New Non-Bilaterian Transcriptomes Provide Novel Insights into the Evolution of Coral Skeletomes. Genome Biol Evol 2019; 11:3068-3081. [PMID: 31518412 PMCID: PMC6824150 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evz199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
A general trend observed in animal skeletomes-the proteins occluded in animal skeletons-is the copresence of taxonomically widespread and lineage-specific proteins that actively regulate the biomineralization process. Among cnidarians, the skeletomes of scleractinian corals have been shown to follow this trend. However, distributions and phylogenetic analyses of biomineralization-related genes are often based on only a few species, with other anthozoan calcifiers such as octocorals (soft corals), not being fully considered. We de novo assembled the transcriptomes of four soft-coral species characterized by different calcification strategies (aragonite skeleton vs. calcitic sclerites) and data-mined published nonbilaterian transcriptome resources to construct a taxonomically comprehensive sequence database to map the distribution of scleractinian and octocoral skeletome components. Cnidaria shared no skeletome proteins with Placozoa or Ctenophora, but did share some skeletome proteins with Porifera, such as galaxin-related proteins. Within Scleractinia and Octocorallia, we expanded the distribution for several taxonomically restricted genes such as secreted acidic proteins, scleritin, and carbonic anhydrases, and propose an early, single biomineralization-recruitment event for galaxin sensu stricto. Additionally, we show that the enrichment of acidic residues within skeletogenic proteins did not occur at the Corallimorpharia-Scleractinia transition, but appears to be associated with protein secretion into the organic matrix. Finally, the distribution of octocoral calcification-related proteins appears independent of skeleton mineralogy (i.e., aragonite/calcite) with no differences in the proportion of shared skeletogenic proteins between scleractinians and aragonitic or calcitic octocorals. This points to skeletome homogeneity within but not between groups of calcifying cnidarians, although some proteins such as galaxins and SCRiP-3a could represent instances of commonality.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nicola Conci
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Palaeontology & Geobiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Gert Wörheide
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Palaeontology & Geobiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
- GeoBio-Center LMU, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
- SNSB—Bayerische Staatssammlung für Paläontologie und Geologie, Munich, Germany
| | - Sergio Vargas
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Palaeontology & Geobiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Zhang Y, Chen Q, Xie JY, Yeung YH, Xiao B, Liao B, Xu J, Qiu JW. Development of a transcriptomic database for 14 species of scleractinian corals. BMC Genomics 2019; 20:387. [PMID: 31101011 PMCID: PMC6525400 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-019-5744-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2019] [Accepted: 04/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Scleractinian corals are important reef builders, but around the world they are under the threat of global climate change as well as local stressors. Molecular resources are critical for understanding a species' stress responses and resilience to the changing environment, but such resources are unavailable for most scleractinian corals, especially those distributed in the South China Sea. We therefore aimed to provide transcriptome resources for 14 common species, including a few structure forming species, in the South China Sea. DESCRIPTION We sequenced the transcriptome of 14 species of scleractinian corals using high-throughput RNA-seq and conducted de novo assembly. For each species, we produced 7.4 to 12.0 gigabases of reads, and assembled them into 271 to 762 thousand contigs with a N50 value of 629 to 1427 bp. These contigs included 66 to 114 thousand unigenes with a predicted open reading frame, and 74.3 to 80.5% of the unigenes were functionally annotated. In the azooxanthelate species Tubastraea coccinea, 41.5% of the unigenes had at least a best-hit sequence from corals. In the other thirteen species, 20.2 to 48.9% of the annotated unigenes had best-hit sequences from corals, and 28.3 to 51.6% from symbiotic algae belonging to the family Symbiodinaceae. With these resources, we developed a transcriptome database (CoralTBase) which features online BLAST and keyword search for unigenes/functional terms through a user friendly Internet interface. SHORT CONCLUSION We developed comprehensive transcriptome resources for 14 species of scleractinian corals and constructed a publicly accessible database ( www.comp.hkbu.edu.hk/~db/CoralTBase ). CoralTBase will facilitate not only functional studies using these corals to understand the molecular basis of stress responses and adaptation, but also comparative transcriptomic studies with other species of corals and more distantly related cnidarians.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yanjie Zhang
- HKBU Institute of Research and Continuing Education, Virtual University Park, Gaoxin South 4th Road, Shenzhen, 518057, China.,Department of Biology, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Qian Chen
- Department of Computer Science, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China.,Present address: Google China, Beijing, China
| | - James Y Xie
- Department of Biology, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Yip Hung Yeung
- Department of Biology, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Baohua Xiao
- Shenzhen Institute of Guangdong Ocean University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Baoling Liao
- Shenzhen Institute of Guangdong Ocean University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jianliang Xu
- Department of Computer Science, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China.
| | - Jian-Wen Qiu
- HKBU Institute of Research and Continuing Education, Virtual University Park, Gaoxin South 4th Road, Shenzhen, 518057, China. .,Department of Biology, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Lin MF, Takahashi S, Forêt S, Davy SK, Miller DJ. Transcriptomic analyses highlight the likely metabolic consequences of colonization of a cnidarian host by native or non-native Symbiodinium species. Biol Open 2019; 8:bio.038281. [PMID: 30814067 PMCID: PMC6451341 DOI: 10.1242/bio.038281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Reef-building corals and some other cnidarians form symbiotic relationships with members of the dinoflagellate family Symbiodinaceae. As Symbiodinaceae is a highly diverse taxon, the physiological interactions between its members and their hosts are assumed to differ between associations. The presence of different symbiont types is known to affect expression levels of specific host genes, but knowledge of the effects on the transcriptome more broadly remains limited. In the present study, transcriptome profiling was conducted on the tropical corallimorpharian, Ricordea yuma, following the establishment of symbiosis with either the ‘homologous’ symbiont Symbiodinium goreaui (also known as Cladocopium goreaui; ITS2 type C1) or ‘heterologous’ symbionts (predominantly S. trenchii, which is also known as Durusdinium trenchii; ITS2 type D1a) isolated from a different corallimorpharian host (Rhodactis indosinensis). Transcriptomic analyses showed that genes encoding host glycogen biosynthesis pathway components are more highly induced during colonization by the homologous symbiont than by the heterologous symbiont. Similar patterns were also observed for several other genes thought to facilitate symbiotic nutrient exchange, including those involved in lipid translocation/storage and metabolite transport. The gene expression results presented here imply that colonization by homologous or heterologous Symbiodinium types may have very different metabolic consequences for the Ricordea host, supporting the notion that even though some cnidarians may be able to form novel symbioses after bleaching, the metabolic performance of these may be compromised. This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper. Summary: Colonization by the homologous symbiont, Symbiodinium goreaui, resulted in greater glycogen synthesis and ammonium assimilation capacity in the host than when it was colonized by a heterologous symbiont (S. trenchii).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mei-Fang Lin
- Molecular and Cell Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia.,ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia.,Evolutionary Neurobiology Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Okinawa 904-0495, Japan
| | - Shunichi Takahashi
- Division of Environmental Photobiology, National Institute for Basic Biology, Nishigonaka 38, Myodaiji, Okazaki 444-8585, Japan
| | - Sylvain Forêt
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia.,Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia
| | - Simon K Davy
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Kelburn Parade, Wellington 6140, New Zealand
| | - David J Miller
- Molecular and Cell Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia .,ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Ying H, Cooke I, Sprungala S, Wang W, Hayward DC, Tang Y, Huttley G, Ball EE, Forêt S, Miller DJ. Comparative genomics reveals the distinct evolutionary trajectories of the robust and complex coral lineages. Genome Biol 2018; 19:175. [PMID: 30384840 PMCID: PMC6214176 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-018-1552-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2018] [Accepted: 09/28/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite the biological and economic significance of scleractinian reef-building corals, the lack of large molecular datasets for a representative range of species limits understanding of many aspects of their biology. Within the Scleractinia, based on molecular evidence, it is generally recognised that there are two major clades, Complexa and Robusta, but the genomic bases of significant differences between them remain unclear. RESULTS Draft genome assemblies and annotations were generated for three coral species: Galaxea fascicularis (Complexa), Fungia sp., and Goniastrea aspera (Robusta). Whilst phylogenetic analyses strongly support a deep split between Complexa and Robusta, synteny analyses reveal a high level of gene order conservation between all corals, but not between corals and sea anemones or between sea anemones. HOX-related gene clusters are, however, well preserved across all of these combinations. Differences between species are apparent in the distribution and numbers of protein domains and an apparent correlation between number of HSP20 proteins and stress tolerance. Uniquely amongst animals, a complete histidine biosynthesis pathway is present in robust corals but not in complex corals or sea anemones. This pathway appears to be ancestral, and its retention in the robust coral lineage has important implications for coral nutrition and symbiosis. CONCLUSIONS The availability of three new coral genomes enabled recognition of a de novo histidine biosynthesis pathway in robust corals which is only the second identified biosynthetic difference between corals. These datasets provide a platform for understanding many aspects of coral biology, particularly the interactions of corals with their endosymbionts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hua Ying
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Acton, ACT 2601 Australia
| | - Ira Cooke
- Comparative Genomics Centre, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811 Australia
| | - Susanne Sprungala
- Comparative Genomics Centre, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811 Australia
| | - Weiwen Wang
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Acton, ACT 2601 Australia
| | - David C. Hayward
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Acton, ACT 2601 Australia
| | - Yurong Tang
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Acton, ACT 2601 Australia
- Computational Biology and Bioinformatics Unit, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Acton, ACT 2601 Australia
| | - Gavin Huttley
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Acton, ACT 2601 Australia
- Computational Biology and Bioinformatics Unit, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Acton, ACT 2601 Australia
| | - Eldon E. Ball
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Acton, ACT 2601 Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811 Australia
| | - Sylvain Forêt
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Acton, ACT 2601 Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811 Australia
| | - David J. Miller
- Comparative Genomics Centre, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811 Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811 Australia
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Guzman C, Shinzato C, Lu TM, Conaco C. Transcriptome analysis of the reef-building octocoral, Heliopora coerulea. Sci Rep 2018; 8:8397. [PMID: 29849113 PMCID: PMC5976621 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-26718-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2017] [Accepted: 05/09/2018] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The blue coral, Heliopora coerulea, is a reef-building octocoral that prefers shallow water and exhibits optimal growth at a temperature close to that which causes bleaching in scleractinian corals. To better understand the molecular mechanisms underlying its biology and ecology, we generated a reference transcriptome for H. coerulea using next-generation sequencing. Metatranscriptome assembly yielded 90,817 sequences of which 71% (64,610) could be annotated by comparison to public databases. The assembly included transcript sequences from both the coral host and its symbionts, which are related to the thermotolerant C3-Gulf ITS2 type Symbiodinium. Analysis of the blue coral transcriptome revealed enrichment of genes involved in stress response, including heat-shock proteins and antioxidants, as well as genes participating in signal transduction and stimulus response. Furthermore, the blue coral possesses homologs of biomineralization genes found in other corals and may use a biomineralization strategy similar to that of scleractinians to build its massive aragonite skeleton. These findings thus offer insights into the ecology of H. coerulea and suggest gene networks that may govern its interactions with its environment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christine Guzman
- Marine Science Institute, College of Science, University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City, 1101, Philippines.,Evolutionary Neurobiology Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Onna, Okinawa, 904-0495, Japan
| | - Chuya Shinzato
- Department of Marine Bioscience, Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa-shi, Chiba, 277-8564, Japan
| | - Tsai-Ming Lu
- Marine Genomics Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Onna, Okinawa, 904-0495, Japan
| | - Cecilia Conaco
- Marine Science Institute, College of Science, University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City, 1101, Philippines.
| |
Collapse
|