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Standish CD, Trend J, Kleboe J, Chalk TB, Mahajan S, Milton JA, Page TM, Robinson LF, Stewart JA, Foster GL. Correlative geochemical imaging of Desmophyllum dianthus reveals biomineralisation strategy as a key coral vital effect. Sci Rep 2024; 14:11121. [PMID: 38750108 PMCID: PMC11096413 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-61772-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024] Open
Abstract
The chemical and isotopic composition of stony coral skeletons form an important archive of past climate. However, these reconstructions are largely based on empirical relationships often complicated by "vital effects" arising from uncertain physiological processes of the coral holobiont. The skeletons of deep-sea corals, such as Desmophyllum dianthus, are characterised by micron-scale or larger geochemical heterogeneity associated with: (1) centres of calcification (COCs) where nucleation of new skeleton begins, and (2) fibres that thicken the skeleton. These features are difficult to sample cleanly using traditional techniques, resulting in uncertainty surrounding both the causes of geochemical differences and their influence on environmental signals. Here we combine optical, and in-situ chemical and isotopic, imaging tools across a range of spatial resolutions (~ 100 nm to 10 s of μm) in a correlative multimodal imaging (CMI) approach to isolate the microstructural geochemistry of each component. This reveals COCs are characterised by higher organic content, Mg, Li and Sr and lower U, B and δ11B compared to fibres, reflecting the contrasting biomineralisation mechanisms employed to construct each feature. CMI is rarely applied in Environmental/Earth Sciences, but here we illustrate the power of this approach to unpick the "vital effects" in D. dianthus, and by extension, other scleractinian corals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher D Standish
- School of Ocean and Earth Sciences, National Oceanography Centre, University of Southampton, European Way, Southampton, SO14 3ZH, UK.
| | - Jacob Trend
- School of Ocean and Earth Sciences, National Oceanography Centre, University of Southampton, European Way, Southampton, SO14 3ZH, UK
| | - Jacob Kleboe
- Department of Chemistry and Institute for Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Highfield Campus, University Road, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UK
| | - Thomas B Chalk
- School of Ocean and Earth Sciences, National Oceanography Centre, University of Southampton, European Way, Southampton, SO14 3ZH, UK
- Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, IRD, INRAE, Coll France, CEREGE, Aix-en-Provence, France
| | - Sumeet Mahajan
- Department of Chemistry and Institute for Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Highfield Campus, University Road, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UK
| | - J Andy Milton
- School of Ocean and Earth Sciences, National Oceanography Centre, University of Southampton, European Way, Southampton, SO14 3ZH, UK
| | - Tessa M Page
- School of Ocean and Earth Sciences, National Oceanography Centre, University of Southampton, European Way, Southampton, SO14 3ZH, UK
| | - Laura F Robinson
- School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Queens Road, Bristol, BS8 1RJ, UK
| | - Joseph A Stewart
- School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Queens Road, Bristol, BS8 1RJ, UK
| | - Gavin L Foster
- School of Ocean and Earth Sciences, National Oceanography Centre, University of Southampton, European Way, Southampton, SO14 3ZH, UK
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2
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Foster B, Hugosson F, Scucchia F, Enjolras C, Babonis LS, Hoaen W, Martindale MQ. A novel in vivo system to study coral biomineralization in the starlet sea anemone, Nematostella vectensis. iScience 2024; 27:109131. [PMID: 38384856 PMCID: PMC10879693 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2023] [Revised: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Coral conservation requires a mechanistic understanding of how environmental stresses disrupt biomineralization, but progress has been slow, primarily because corals are not easily amenable to laboratory research. Here, we highlight how the starlet sea anemone, Nematostella vectensis, can serve as a model to interrogate the cellular mechanisms of coral biomineralization. We have developed transgenic constructs using biomineralizing genes that can be injected into Nematostella zygotes and designed such that translated proteins may be purified for physicochemical characterization. Using fluorescent tags, we confirm the ectopic expression of the coral biomineralizing protein, SpCARP1, in Nematostella. We demonstrate via calcein staining that SpCARP1 concentrates calcium ions in Nematostella, likely initiating the formation of mineral precursors, consistent with its suspected role in corals. These results lay a fundamental groundwork for establishing Nematostella as an in vivo system to explore the evolutionary and cellular mechanisms of coral biomineralization, improve coral conservation efforts, and even develop novel biomaterials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brent Foster
- The Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32080, USA
| | - Fredrik Hugosson
- The Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32080, USA
| | - Federica Scucchia
- The Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32080, USA
| | - Camille Enjolras
- The Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32080, USA
- Institute of Human Genetics, CNRS, Montpellier 34090, France
| | - Leslie S. Babonis
- The Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32080, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - William Hoaen
- School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3AT, UK
| | - Mark Q. Martindale
- The Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32080, USA
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3
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Milita S, Zaquin T, Fermani S, Montroni D, Pinkas I, Barba L, Falini G, Mass T. Assembly of the Intraskeletal Coral Organic Matrix during Calcium Carbonate Formation. CRYSTAL GROWTH & DESIGN 2023; 23:5801-5811. [PMID: 37547884 PMCID: PMC10401569 DOI: 10.1021/acs.cgd.3c00401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2023] [Revised: 07/01/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
Scleractinia coral skeleton formation occurs by a heterogeneous process of nucleation and growth of aragonite in which intraskeletal soluble organic matrix molecules, usually referred to as SOM, play a key role. Several studies have demonstrated that they influence the shape and polymorphic precipitation of calcium carbonate. However, the structural aspects that occur during the growth of aragonite have received less attention. In this research, we study the deposition of calcium carbonate on a model substrate, silicon, in the presence of SOM extracted from the skeleton of two coral species representative of different living habitats and colonization strategies, which we previously characterized. The study is performed mainly by grazing incidence X-ray diffraction with the support of Raman spectroscopy and electron and optical microscopies. The results show that SOM macromolecules once adsorbed on the substrate self-assembled in a layered structure and induced the oriented growth of calcite, inhibiting the formation of vaterite. Differently, when SOM macromolecules were dispersed in solution, they induced the deposition of amorphous calcium carbonate (ACC), still preserving a layered structure. The entity of these effects was species-dependent, in agreement with previous studies. In conclusion, we observed that in the setup required by the experimental procedure, the SOM from corals appears to present a 2D lamellar structure. This structure is preserved when the SOM interacts with ACC but is lost when the interaction occurs with calcite. This knowledge not only is completely new for coral biomineralization but also has strong relevance in the study of biomineralization on other organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Milita
- CNR—Institute
for Microelectronic and Microsystems, via Gobetti 101, Bologna 40129, Italy
| | - Tal Zaquin
- Department
of Marine Biology, The Leon H. Charney School of Marine Sciences, University of Haifa, Mt. Carmel, Haifa 3498838, Israel
| | - Simona Fermani
- Department
of Chemistry “Giacomo Ciamician”, University of Bologna, via Selmi 2, Bologna 40126, Italy
- Interdepartmental
Centre for Industrial Research Health Sciences & Technologie, University of Bologna, Bologna 40064, Italy
| | - Devis Montroni
- Department
of Chemistry “Giacomo Ciamician”, University of Bologna, via Selmi 2, Bologna 40126, Italy
| | - Iddo Pinkas
- Department
of Chemical Research Support, Weizmann Institute
of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Luisa Barba
- CNR
-Institute
of Crystallography, Elettra Synchrotron, Trieste I-34100, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Falini
- Department
of Chemistry “Giacomo Ciamician”, University of Bologna, via Selmi 2, Bologna 40126, Italy
- CNR,
Institute for Nanostructured
Materials, via Gobetti
101, Bologna 40129, Italy
| | - Tali Mass
- Department
of Marine Biology, The Leon H. Charney School of Marine Sciences, University of Haifa, Mt. Carmel, Haifa 3498838, Israel
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4
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Tan CD, Hähner G, Fitzer S, Cole C, Finch AA, Hintz C, Hintz K, Allison N. The response of coral skeletal nano structure and hardness to ocean acidification conditions. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2023; 10:230248. [PMID: 37538739 PMCID: PMC10394408 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.230248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 08/05/2023]
Abstract
Ocean acidification typically reduces coral calcification rates and can fundamentally alter skeletal morphology. We use atomic force microscopy (AFM) and microindentation to determine how seawater pCO2 affects skeletal structure and Vickers hardness in a Porites lutea coral. At 400 µatm, the skeletal fasciculi are composed of tightly packed bundles of acicular crystals composed of quadrilateral nanograins, approximately 80-300 nm in dimensions. We interpret high adhesion at the nanograin edges as an organic coating. At 750 µatm the crystals are less regular in width and orientation and composed of either smaller/more rounded nanograins than observed at 400 µatm or of larger areas with little variation in adhesion. Coral aragonite may form via ion-by-ion attachment to the existing skeleton or via conversion of amorphous calcium carbonate precursors. Changes in nanoparticle morphology could reflect variations in the sizes of nanoparticles produced by each crystallization pathway or in the contributions of each pathway to biomineralization. We observe no significant variation in Vickers hardness between skeletons cultured at different seawater pCO2. Either the nanograin size does not affect skeletal hardness or the effect is offset by other changes in the skeleton, e.g. increases in skeletal organic material as reported in previous studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Dun Tan
- EaStCHEM School of Chemistry, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews KY16 9TS, UK
| | - Georg Hähner
- EaStCHEM School of Chemistry, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews KY16 9TS, UK
| | - Susan Fitzer
- Institute of Aquaculture, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, UK
| | - Catherine Cole
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews KY16 9TS, UK
| | - Adrian A. Finch
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews KY16 9TS, UK
| | - Chris Hintz
- Department of Marine and Environmental Sciences, Savannah State University, Savannah, GA USA
| | - Ken Hintz
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USA
| | - Nicola Allison
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews KY16 9TS, UK
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5
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Tinoco A, Mitchison-Field L, Bradford J, Renicke C, Perrin D, Bay L, Pringle J, Cleves P. Role of the bicarbonate transporter SLC4γ in stony-coral skeleton formation and evolution. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2216144120. [PMID: 37276409 PMCID: PMC10268325 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2216144120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Coral reefs are highly diverse ecosystems of immense ecological, economic, and aesthetic importance built on the calcium-carbonate-based skeletons of stony corals. The formation of these skeletons is threatened by increasing ocean temperatures and acidification, and a deeper understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved may assist efforts to mitigate the effects of such anthropogenic stressors. In this study, we focused on the role of the predicted bicarbonate transporter SLC4γ, which was suggested in previous studies to be a product of gene duplication and to have a role in coral-skeleton formation. Our comparative-genomics study using 30 coral species and 15 outgroups indicates that SLC4γ is present throughout the stony corals, but not in their non-skeleton-forming relatives, and apparently arose by gene duplication at the onset of stony-coral evolution. Our expression studies show that SLC4γ, but not the closely related and apparently ancestral SLC4β, is highly upregulated during coral development coincident with the onset of skeleton deposition. Moreover, we show that juvenile coral polyps carrying CRISPR/Cas9-induced mutations in SLC4γ are defective in skeleton formation, with the severity of the defect in individual animals correlated with their frequencies of SLC4γ mutations. Taken together, the results suggest that the evolution of the stony corals involved the neofunctionalization of the newly arisen SLC4γ for a unique role in the provision of concentrated bicarbonate for calcium-carbonate deposition. The results also demonstrate the feasibility of reverse-genetic studies of ecologically important traits in adult corals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda I. Tinoco
- Department of Embryology, Carnegie Institution for Science, Baltimore, MD21218
- Applied BioSciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW2109, Australia
| | - Lorna M. Y. Mitchison-Field
- Department of Embryology, Carnegie Institution for Science, Baltimore, MD21218
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA94305
| | - Jacob Bradford
- Centre for Data Science, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD4001, Australia
- School of Computer Science, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD4001, Australia
| | - Christian Renicke
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA94305
| | - Dimitri Perrin
- Centre for Data Science, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD4001, Australia
- School of Computer Science, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD4001, Australia
| | - Line K. Bay
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, QLD4810, Australia
| | - John R. Pringle
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA94305
| | - Phillip A. Cleves
- Department of Embryology, Carnegie Institution for Science, Baltimore, MD21218
- Applied BioSciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW2109, Australia
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA94305
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6
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Acclimatization of a coral-dinoflagellate mutualism at a CO 2 vent. Commun Biol 2023; 6:66. [PMID: 36653505 PMCID: PMC9849335 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-04327-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2022] [Accepted: 12/01/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Ocean acidification caused by shifts in ocean carbonate chemistry resulting from increased atmospheric CO2 concentrations is threatening many calcifying organisms, including corals. Here we assessed autotrophy vs heterotrophy shifts in the Mediterranean zooxanthellate scleractinian coral Balanophyllia europaea acclimatized to low pH/high pCO2 conditions at a CO2 vent off Panarea Island (Italy). Dinoflagellate endosymbiont densities were higher at lowest pH Sites where changes in the distribution of distinct haplotypes of a host-specific symbiont species, Philozoon balanophyllum, were observed. An increase in symbiont C/N ratios was observed at low pH, likely as a result of increased C fixation by higher symbiont cell densities. δ13C values of the symbionts and host tissue reached similar values at the lowest pH Site, suggesting an increased influence of autotrophy with increasing acidification. Host tissue δ15N values of 0‰ strongly suggest that diazotroph N2 fixation is occurring within the coral tissue/mucus at the low pH Sites, likely explaining the decrease in host tissue C/N ratios with acidification. Overall, our findings show an acclimatization of this coral-dinoflagellate mutualism through trophic adjustment and symbiont haplotype differences with increasing acidification, highlighting that some corals are capable of acclimatizing to ocean acidification predicted under end-of-century scenarios.
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7
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Optimising a method for aragonite precipitation in simulated biogenic calcification media. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0278627. [PMID: 36459517 PMCID: PMC9718392 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0278627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 11/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Resolving how factors such as temperature, pH, biomolecules and mineral growth rate influence the geochemistry and structure of biogenic CaCO3, is essential to the effective development of palaeoproxies. Here we optimise a method to precipitate the CaCO3 polymorph aragonite from seawater, under tightly controlled conditions that simulate the saturation state (Ω) of coral calcification fluids. We then use the method to explore the influence of aspartic acid (one of the most abundant amino acids in coral skeletons) on aragonite structure and morphology. Using ≥200 mg of aragonite seed (surface area 0.84 m2), to provide a surface for mineral growth, in a 330 mL seawater volume, generates reproducible estimates of precipitation rate over Ωaragonite = 6.9-19.2. However, unseeded precipitations are highly variable in duration and do not provide consistent estimates of precipitation rate. Low concentrations of aspartic acid (1-10 μM) promote aragonite formation, but high concentrations (≥ 1 mM) inhibit precipitation. The Raman spectra of aragonite precipitated in vitro can be separated from the signature of the starting seed by ensuring that at least 60% of the analysed aragonite is precipitated in vitro (equivalent to using a seed of 200 mg and precipitating 300 mg aragonite in vitro). Aspartic acid concentrations ≥ 1mM caused a significant increase in the full width half maxima of the Raman aragonite v1 peak, reflective of increased rotational disorder in the aragonite structure. Changes in the organic content of coral skeletons can drive variations in the FWHM of the Raman aragonite ν1 peak, and if not accounted for, may confuse the interpretation of calcification fluid saturation state from this parameter.
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8
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Different skeletal protein toolkits achieve similar structure and performance in the tropical coral Stylophora pistillata and the temperate Oculina patagonica. Sci Rep 2022; 12:16575. [PMID: 36195656 PMCID: PMC9532382 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-20744-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2022] [Accepted: 09/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Stony corals (order: Scleractinia) differ in growth form and structure. While stony corals have gained the ability to form their aragonite skeleton once in their evolution, the suite of proteins involved in skeletogenesis is different for different coral species. This led to the conclusion that the organic portion of their skeleton can undergo rapid evolutionary changes by independently evolving new biomineralization-related proteins. Here, we used liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry to sequence skeletogenic proteins extracted from the encrusting temperate coral Oculina patagonica. We compare it to the previously published skeletal proteome of the branching subtropical corals Stylophora pistillata as both are regarded as highly resilient to environmental changes. We further characterized the skeletal organic matrix (OM) composition of both taxa and tested their effects on the mineral formation using a series of overgrowth experiments on calcite seeds. We found that each species utilizes a different set of proteins containing different amino acid compositions and achieve a different morphology modification capacity on calcite overgrowth. Our results further support the hypothesis that the different coral taxa utilize a species-specific protein set comprised of independent gene co-option to construct their own unique organic matrix framework. While the protein set differs between species, the specific predicted roles of the whole set appear to underline similar functional roles. They include assisting in forming the extracellular matrix, nucleation of the mineral and cell signaling. Nevertheless, the different composition might be the reason for the varying organization of the mineral growth in the presence of a particular skeletal OM, ultimately forming their distinct morphologies.
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9
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Kramer N, Guan J, Chen S, Wangpraseurt D, Loya Y. Morpho-functional traits of the coral Stylophora pistillata enhance light capture for photosynthesis at mesophotic depths. Commun Biol 2022; 5:861. [PMID: 36002592 PMCID: PMC9402581 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03829-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Accepted: 08/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
The morphological architecture of photosynthetic corals modulates the light capture and functioning of the coral-algal symbiosis on shallow-water corals. Since corals can thrive on mesophotic reefs under extreme light-limited conditions, we hypothesized that microskeletal coral features enhance light capture under low-light environments. Utilizing micro-computed tomography scanning, we conducted a novel comprehensive three-dimensional (3D) assessment of the small-scale skeleton morphology of the depth-generalist coral Stylophora pistillata collected from shallow (4–5 m) and mesophotic (45–50 m) depths. We detected a high phenotypic diversity between depths, resulting in two distinct morphotypes, with calyx diameter, theca height, and corallite marginal spacing contributing to most of the variation between depths. To determine whether such depth-specific morphotypes affect coral light capture and photosynthesis on the corallite scale, we developed 3D simulations of light propagation and photosynthesis. We found that microstructural features of corallites from mesophotic corals provide a greater ability to use solar energy under light-limited conditions; while corals associated with shallow morphotypes avoided excess light through self-shading skeletal architectures. The results from our study suggest that skeleton morphology plays a key role in coral photoadaptation to light-limited environments. Micro-computed tomography scanning and 3D light simulation models reveals distinct morphotypes of the coral species Stylophora pistillata depending on depth, and suggest that coral skeletal micromorphology plays a key role in coral photoadaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Netanel Kramer
- School of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
| | - Jiaao Guan
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California San Diego, San Diego, USA
| | - Shaochen Chen
- Department of Nanoengineering, University of California San Diego, San Diego, USA
| | - Daniel Wangpraseurt
- Department of Nanoengineering, University of California San Diego, San Diego, USA.,Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, San Diego, USA
| | - Yossi Loya
- School of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
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10
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Strain-Induced Self-Rolling of Electrochemically Deposited Co(OH)2 Films into Organic–Inorganic Microscrolls. CRYSTALS 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/cryst12081072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/10/2022]
Abstract
Strain-induced self-folding is a ubiquitous phenomenon in biology, but is rarely seen in brittle geological or synthetic inorganic materials. We here apply this concept for the preparation of three-dimensional free-standing microscrolls of cobalt hydroxide. Electrodeposition in the presence of structure-directing water-soluble polyelectrolytes interfering with solid precipitation is used to generate thin polymer/inorganic hybrid films, which undergo self-rolling upon drying. Mechanistically, we propose that heterogeneities with respect to the nanostructural motifs along the surface normal direction lead to substantial internal strain. A non-uniform response to the release of water then results in a bending motion of the two-dimensional Co(OH)2 layer accompanied by dewetting from the substrate. Pseudomorphic conversion into Co3O4 affords the possibility to generate hierarchically structured solids with inherent catalytic activity. Hence, we present an electrochemically controllable precipitation system, in which the biological concepts of organic matrix-directed mineralization and strain-induced self-rolling are combined and translated into a functional material.
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11
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Stewart JA, Strawson I, Kershaw J, Robinson LF. Stylasterid corals build aragonite skeletons in undersaturated water despite low pH at the site of calcification. Sci Rep 2022; 12:13105. [PMID: 35907926 PMCID: PMC9339005 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-16787-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2022] [Accepted: 07/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Anthropogenic carbon emissions are causing seawater pH to decline, yet the impact on marine calcifiers is uncertain. Scleractinian corals and coralline algae strongly elevate the pH of their calcifying fluid (CF) to promote calcification. Other organisms adopt less energetically demanding calcification approaches but restrict their habitat. Stylasterid corals occur widely (extending well below the carbonate saturation horizon) and precipitate both aragonite and high-Mg calcite, however, their mode of biocalcification and resilience to ocean acidification are unknown. Here we measure skeletal boron isotopes (δ11B), B/Ca, and U/Ca to provide the first assessment of pH and rate of seawater flushing of stylasterid CF. Remarkably, both aragonitic and high-Mg calcitic stylasterids have low δ11B values implying little modification of internal pH. Collectively, our results suggest stylasterids have low seawater exchange rates into the calcifying space or rely on organic molecule templating to facilitate calcification. Thus, despite occupying similar niches to Scleractinia, Stylasteridae exhibit highly contrasting biocalcification, calling into question their resilience to ocean acidification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph A Stewart
- School of Earth Sci. Univ. of Bristol, Queens Road, Bristol, BS8 1RJ, UK.
| | - Ivo Strawson
- School of Earth Sci. Univ. of Bristol, Queens Road, Bristol, BS8 1RJ, UK.,Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EQ, UK
| | - James Kershaw
- School of Earth Sci. Univ. of Bristol, Queens Road, Bristol, BS8 1RJ, UK
| | - Laura F Robinson
- School of Earth Sci. Univ. of Bristol, Queens Road, Bristol, BS8 1RJ, UK
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12
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Piwoni-Piórewicz A, Strekopytov S, Humphreys-Williams E, Najorka J, Szymczycha B, Kukliński P. Polymorphism of CaCO 3 and the variability of elemental composition of the calcareous skeletons secreted by invertebrates along the salinity gradient of the Baltic Sea. GEOBIOLOGY 2022; 20:575-596. [PMID: 35610771 DOI: 10.1111/gbi.12496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2021] [Revised: 03/24/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Biomineralization is of great importance in ecosystem functioning and for the use of carbonate skeleton as environmental proxies. Skeletal formation is controlled to different degrees by environmental parameters and biological mechanisms. While salinity is one of the most important factors affecting ecological processes and ocean physiochemistry, the goal of this investigation was to identify how salinity influences the mineral type and the concentrations of chemical elements in the whole skeleton of invertebrates from the Baltic Sea. In this model system, the surface salinity decreases from marine values (27.2) to almost fresh water (6.1). The selected organisms, mussels (Mytilus spp.), bryozoans (Einhornia crustulenta, Cribrilina cryptooecium, Cryptosula pallasiana, Electra pilosa, Escharella immersa), barnacles (Amphibalanus improvisus, Semibalanus balanoides), and polychaetes (Spirorbis tridentatus), precipitated skeleton composed of calcite and aragonite, most likely as a result of various interacting environmental and biological factors. The concentrations of all elements in bulk skeleton were highly variable between species from the same location, underlining the role of the biological mechanisms in skeletal formation. The concentration of Ca, Mg, Sr, and Na increased in the bulk skeleton of stenohaline organisms with increasing salinity, while in the bulk skeleton of euryhaline species, only the concentration of Na increased with increasing salinity. The concentrations of Mn, Ba, Cu, Pb, Y, V, Cd, and U in the skeleton of euryhaline species generally decreased at higher salinities, most likely reflecting the lower bioavailability of elements at higher salinity. However, the concentrations of elements in the skeleton of stenohaline organisms were highly variable with no clear salinity impact. This study suggests that, although the composition of skeleton of calcifying organisms along the salinity gradient of the Baltic Sea is to a large extent affected by biological mechanisms, it also reflects the responses to environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Piwoni-Piórewicz
- Institute of Oceanology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Sopot, Poland
- Institute of Oceanography, University of Gdansk, Gdynia, Poland
| | | | | | - Jens Najorka
- Imaging and Analysis Centre, Natural History Museum, London, UK
| | - Beata Szymczycha
- Institute of Oceanology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Sopot, Poland
| | - Piotr Kukliński
- Institute of Oceanology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Sopot, Poland
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, UK
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13
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Fietzke J, Wall M. Distinct fine-scale variations in calcification control revealed by high-resolution 2D boron laser images in the cold-water coral Lophelia pertusa. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabj4172. [PMID: 35302850 PMCID: PMC8932653 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abj4172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2021] [Accepted: 01/26/2022] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Coral calcification is a complex biologically controlled process of hard skeleton formation, and it is influenced by environmental conditions. The chemical composition of coral skeletons responds to calcification conditions and can be used to gain insights into both the control asserted by the organism and the environment. Boron and its isotopic composition have been of particular interest because of links to carbon chemistry and pH. In this study, we acquired high-resolution boron images (concentration and isotopes) in a skeleton sample of the azooxanthellate cold-water coral Lophelia pertusa. We observed high boron variability at a small spatial scale related to skeletal structure. This implies differences in calcification control during different stages of skeleton formation. Our data point to bicarbonate active transport as a critical pathway during early skeletal growth, and the variable activity rates explain the majority of the observed boron systematic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Fietzke
- GEOMAR Helmholtz Center for Ocean Research Kiel, Wischhofstr. 1-3, 24148 Kiel, Germany
- Corresponding author.
| | - Marlene Wall
- GEOMAR Helmholtz Center for Ocean Research Kiel, Wischhofstr. 1-3, 24148 Kiel, Germany
- Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI), Am Handelshafen 12, 27570 Bremerhaven, Germany
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14
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Gilbert PUPA, Bergmann KD, Boekelheide N, Tambutté S, Mass T, Marin F, Adkins JF, Erez J, Gilbert B, Knutson V, Cantine M, Hernández JO, Knoll AH. Biomineralization: Integrating mechanism and evolutionary history. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabl9653. [PMID: 35263127 PMCID: PMC8906573 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abl9653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Calcium carbonate (CaCO3) biomineralizing organisms have played major roles in the history of life and the global carbon cycle during the past 541 Ma. Both marine diversification and mass extinctions reflect physiological responses to environmental changes through time. An integrated understanding of carbonate biomineralization is necessary to illuminate this evolutionary record and to understand how modern organisms will respond to 21st century global change. Biomineralization evolved independently but convergently across phyla, suggesting a unity of mechanism that transcends biological differences. In this review, we combine CaCO3 skeleton formation mechanisms with constraints from evolutionary history, omics, and a meta-analysis of isotopic data to develop a plausible model for CaCO3 biomineralization applicable to all phyla. The model provides a framework for understanding the environmental sensitivity of marine calcifiers, past mass extinctions, and resilience in 21st century acidifying oceans. Thus, it frames questions about the past, present, and future of CaCO3 biomineralizing organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pupa U. P. A. Gilbert
- Departments of Physics, Chemistry, Geoscience, and Materials Science, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
- Chemical Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- Corresponding author. (P.U.P.A.G.); (A.H.K.)
| | - Kristin D. Bergmann
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Nicholas Boekelheide
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Sylvie Tambutté
- Centre Scientifique de Monaco, Department of Marine Biology, 98000 Monaco, Principality of Monaco
| | - Tali Mass
- University of Haifa, Marine Biology Department, Mt. Carmel, Haifa 31905, Israel
| | - Frédéric Marin
- Université de Bourgogne–Franche-Comté (UBFC), Laboratoire Biogéosciences, UMR CNRS 6282, Bâtiment des Sciences Gabriel, 21000 Dijon, France
| | - Jess F. Adkins
- Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, MS 100-23, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Jonathan Erez
- The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Institute of Earth Sciences, Jerusalem 91904, Israel
| | - Benjamin Gilbert
- Energy Geoscience Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- Department of Earth and Planetary Science, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Vanessa Knutson
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Marjorie Cantine
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
- Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Javier Ortega Hernández
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Andrew H. Knoll
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Corresponding author. (P.U.P.A.G.); (A.H.K.)
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15
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Juszkiewicz DJ, White NE, Stolarski J, Benzoni F, Arrigoni R, Baird AH, Hoeksema BW, Wilson NG, Bunce M, Richards ZT. Full Title: Phylogeography of recent Plesiastrea (Scleractinia: Plesiastreidae) based on an integrated taxonomic approach. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2022; 172:107469. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2022.107469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2021] [Revised: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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16
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Soper DM, Villafranca N, Dieffenthaller JP, Dieffenthaller M, Tompkins H, Weglarz M, Vaughan D, Hamlyn SB, Stenesen D. Growth and Cyclin-E Expression in the Stony Coral Species Orbicella faveolata Post-Microfragmentation. THE BIOLOGICAL BULLETIN 2022; 242:40-47. [PMID: 35245162 DOI: 10.1086/717926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
AbstractCoral growth is critical to reef health, resilience under rapidly changing environmental conditions, and restoration efforts. Although fragmenting coral has been occurring for many years in an effort to restore reefs, recently it was discovered that microfragmenting, the process of cutting one piece of coral into many small pieces (about three to five polyps), induces exponential growth. Our study investigates the process by which microfragments of nine different genotypes from the stony coral species Orbicella faveolata grow and exhibit Cyclin-E expression. Microfragments were examined by using a high-powered dissecting microscope with a camera to document the precise areas of tissue exhibiting exponential growth. We found that new polyp formation occurs only on the microfragment edges and that edge polyp growth rates varied between different genotypes. We then extracted tissue from both the edge and the center of five genotypes for genetic analysis. We chose to analyze Cyclin-E expression because it is involved with stimulating mitotic division and is a conserved signaling pathway that is known to exist in Drosophila, mammals, and Cnidaria. Two primers for Cyclin-E were utilized to examine the level of expression for center and edge tissue. We found that Cyclin-E is expressed differentially between O. faveolata polyps, with a tendency for increased expression of the Cyclin-E in edge versus center tissue in each of five genotypes, although this result was not significant. Despite consistently higher levels of Cyclin-E expression within an organism's edge tissue, genotypes varied significantly in the degree of increased expression. This variation positively correlated with growth rate, suggesting the potential for molecular selection in aid of more rapid reef restoration. Future work will focus on deciphering the specific growth pathways involved in microfragmented coral growth and analyzing expression patterns in injured tissues.
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17
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Naredla M, Osmani RA, S M, Gupta MS, Gowda DV. Potential applications of coral sand in bone healing and drug delivery. J Drug Deliv Sci Technol 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jddst.2022.103150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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18
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Dellaert Z, Vargas PA, La Riviere PJ, Roberson LM. Uncovering the Effects of Symbiosis and Temperature on Coral Calcification. THE BIOLOGICAL BULLETIN 2022; 242:62-73. [PMID: 35245159 DOI: 10.1086/716711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
AbstractWe tested the impact of temperature and symbiont state on calcification in corals, using the facultatively symbiotic coral Astrangia poculata as a model system. Symbiotic and aposymbiotic colonies of A. poculata were reared in 15, 20, and 27 °C conditions. We used scanning electron microscopy to quantify how these physiological and environmental conditions impact skeletal structure. Buoyant weight data over time revealed that temperature significantly affects calcification rates. Scanning electron microscopy of A. poculata skeletons showed that aposymbiotic colonies appear to have a lower density of calcium carbonate in actively growing septal spines. We describe a novel approach to analyze the roughness and texture of scanning electron microscopy images. Quantitative analysis of the roughness of septal spines revealed that aposymbiotic colonies have a rougher surface than symbiotic colonies in tropical conditions (27 °C). This trend reversed at 15 °C, a temperature at which the symbionts of A. poculata may exhibit parasitic properties. Analysis of surface texture patterns showed that temperature impacts the spatial variance of crystals on the spine surface. Few published studies have examined the skeleton of A. poculata by using scanning electron microscopy. Our approach provides a way to study detailed changes in skeletal microstructure in response to environmental parameters and can serve as a proxy for more expensive and time-consuming analyses. Utilizing a facultatively symbiotic coral that is native to both temperate and tropical regions provides new insights into the impact of both symbiosis and temperature on calcification in corals.
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19
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Drake JL, Varsano N, Mass T. Genetic basis of stony coral biomineralization: History, trends and future prospects. J Struct Biol 2021; 213:107782. [PMID: 34455069 PMCID: PMC7611647 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsb.2021.107782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2021] [Revised: 08/19/2021] [Accepted: 08/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Despite their simple body plan, stony corals (order Scleractinia, phylum Cnidaria) can produce massive and complex exoskeletal structures in shallow, tropical and subtropical regions of Earth's oceans. The species-specific macromorphologies of their aragonite skeletons suggest a highly coordinated biomineralization process that is rooted in their genomes, and which has persisted across major climatic shifts over the past 400 + million years. The mechanisms by which stony corals produce their skeletons has been the subject of interest for at least the last 160 years, and the pace of understanding the process has increased dramatically in the past decade since the sequencing of the first coral genome in 2011. In this review, we detail what is known to date about the genetic basis of the stony coral biomineralization process, with a focus on advances in the last several years as well as ways that physical and chemical tools can be combined with genetics, and then propose next steps forward for the coming decade.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeana L Drake
- Department of Marine Biology, Leon H. Charney School of Marine Sciences, University of Haifa, Mt. Carmel, Haifa 3498838, Israel
| | - Neta Varsano
- Department of Chemical and Structural Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Tali Mass
- Department of Marine Biology, Leon H. Charney School of Marine Sciences, University of Haifa, Mt. Carmel, Haifa 3498838, Israel; Morris Kahn Marine Research Station, The Leon H. Charney School of Marine Sciences, University of Haifa, Sdot Yam, Israel.
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20
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Drake JL, Benayahu Y, Polishchuk I, Pokroy B, Pinkas I, Mass T. Sclerites of the soft coral Ovabunda macrospiculata (Xeniidae) are predominantly the metastable CaCO 3 polymorph vaterite. Acta Biomater 2021; 135:663-670. [PMID: 34492373 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2021.08.051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2021] [Revised: 08/24/2021] [Accepted: 08/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Soft corals (Cnidaria, Anthozoa, Octocorallia, Alcyonacea) produce internal sclerites of calcium carbonate previously shown to be composed of calcite, the most stable calcium carbonate polymorph. Here we apply multiple imaging and physical chemistry analyses to extracted and in-vivo sclerites of the abundant Red Sea soft coral, Ovabunda macrospiculata, to detail their mineralogy. We show that this species' sclerites are comprised predominantly of the less stable calcium carbonate polymorph vaterite (> 95%), with much smaller components of aragonite and calcite. Use of this mineral, which is typically considered to be metastable, by these soft corals has implications for how it is formed as well as how it will persist during the anticipated anthropogenic climate change in the coming decades. This first documentation of vaterite dominating the mineral composition of O. macrospiculata sclerites is likely just the beginning of establishing its presence in other soft corals. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Vaterite is typically considered to be a metastable polymorph of calcium carbonate. While calcium carbonate structures formed within the tissues of octocorals (phylum Cnidaria), have previously been reported to be composed of the more stable polymorphs aragonite and calcite, we observed that vaterite dominates the mineralogy of sclerites of Ovabunda macrospiculata from the Red Sea. Based on electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction analysis, vaterite appears to be the dominant polymorph in sclerites both in the tissue and after extraction and preservation. Although this is the first documentation of vaterite in soft coral sclerites, it likely will be found in sclerites of other related taxa as well.
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21
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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.
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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
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22
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Scucchia F, Malik A, Zaslansky P, Putnam HM, Mass T. Combined responses of primary coral polyps and their algal endosymbionts to decreasing seawater pH. Proc Biol Sci 2021; 288:20210328. [PMID: 34157872 PMCID: PMC8220278 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.0328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
With coral reefs declining globally, resilience of these ecosystems hinges on successful coral recruitment. However, knowledge of the acclimatory and/or adaptive potential in response to environmental challenges such as ocean acidification (OA) in earliest life stages is limited. Our combination of physiological measurements, microscopy, computed tomography techniques and gene expression analysis allowed us to thoroughly elucidate the mechanisms underlying the response of early-life stages of corals, together with their algal partners, to the projected decline in oceanic pH. We observed extensive physiological, morphological and transcriptional changes in surviving recruits, and the transition to a less-skeleton/more-tissue phenotype. We found that decreased pH conditions stimulate photosynthesis and endosymbiont growth, and gene expression potentially linked to photosynthates translocation. Our unique holistic study discloses the previously unseen intricate net of interacting mechanisms that regulate the performance of these organisms in response to OA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federica Scucchia
- Department of Marine Biology, The Leon H. Charney School of Marine Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa 3498838, Israel.,The Interuniversity Institute of Marine Sciences, Eilat 88103, Israel
| | - Assaf Malik
- Department of Marine Biology, The Leon H. Charney School of Marine Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa 3498838, Israel
| | - Paul Zaslansky
- Department for Operative and Preventive Dentistry, Charité-Center for Dental and Craniofacial Sciences, Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin 14197, Germany
| | - Hollie M Putnam
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI 02881, USA
| | - Tali Mass
- Department of Marine Biology, The Leon H. Charney School of Marine Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa 3498838, Israel.,Morris Kahn Marine Research Station, The Leon H. Charney School of Marine Sciences, University of Haifa, Sdot Yam, Israel
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23
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Levy S, Elek A, Grau-Bové X, Menéndez-Bravo S, Iglesias M, Tanay A, Mass T, Sebé-Pedrós A. A stony coral cell atlas illuminates the molecular and cellular basis of coral symbiosis, calcification, and immunity. Cell 2021; 184:2973-2987.e18. [PMID: 33945788 PMCID: PMC8162421 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2021.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2020] [Revised: 02/24/2021] [Accepted: 04/05/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Stony corals are colonial cnidarians that sustain the most biodiverse marine ecosystems on Earth: coral reefs. Despite their ecological importance, little is known about the cell types and molecular pathways that underpin the biology of reef-building corals. Using single-cell RNA sequencing, we define over 40 cell types across the life cycle of Stylophora pistillata. We discover specialized immune cells, and we uncover the developmental gene expression dynamics of calcium-carbonate skeleton formation. By simultaneously measuring the transcriptomes of coral cells and the algae within them, we characterize the metabolic programs involved in symbiosis in both partners. We also trace the evolution of these coral cell specializations by phylogenetic integration of multiple cnidarian cell type atlases. Overall, this study reveals the molecular and cellular basis of stony coral biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shani Levy
- Department of Marine Biology, The Leon H. Charney School of Marine Sciences, University of Haifa, Mt. Carmel, Haifa 3498838, Israel; Morris Kahn Marine Research Station, The Leon H. Charney School of Marine Sciences, University of Haifa, Sdot Yam, Israel
| | - Anamaria Elek
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Xavier Grau-Bové
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Simón Menéndez-Bravo
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marta Iglesias
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Amos Tanay
- Department of Computer Science and Applied Mathematics and Department of Biological Regulation, Weizmann Institute of Science, 76100 Rehovot, Israel
| | - Tali Mass
- Department of Marine Biology, The Leon H. Charney School of Marine Sciences, University of Haifa, Mt. Carmel, Haifa 3498838, Israel; Morris Kahn Marine Research Station, The Leon H. Charney School of Marine Sciences, University of Haifa, Sdot Yam, Israel.
| | - Arnau Sebé-Pedrós
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain.
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24
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Ulrich RN, Guillermic M, Campbell J, Hakim A, Han R, Singh S, Stewart JD, Román-Palacios C, Carroll HM, De Corte I, Gilmore RE, Doss W, Tripati A, Ries JB, Eagle RA. Patterns of Element Incorporation in Calcium Carbonate Biominerals Recapitulate Phylogeny for a Diverse Range of Marine Calcifiers. FRONTIERS IN EARTH SCIENCE 2021; 9:641760. [PMID: 36381649 PMCID: PMC9645792 DOI: 10.3389/feart.2021.641760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Elemental ratios in biogenic marine calcium carbonates are widely used in geobiology, environmental science, and paleoenvironmental reconstructions. It is generally accepted that the elemental abundance of biogenic marine carbonates reflects a combination of the abundance of that ion in seawater, the physical properties of seawater, the mineralogy of the biomineral, and the pathways and mechanisms of biomineralization. Here we report measurements of a suite of nine elemental ratios (Li/Ca, B/Ca, Na/Ca, Mg/Ca, Zn/Ca, Sr/Ca, Cd/Ca, Ba/Ca, and U/Ca) in 18 species of benthic marine invertebrates spanning a range of biogenic carbonate polymorph mineralogies (low-Mg calcite, high-Mg calcite, aragonite, mixed mineralogy) and of phyla (including Mollusca, Echinodermata, Arthropoda, Annelida, Cnidaria, Chlorophyta, and Rhodophyta) cultured at a single temperature (25°C) and a range of pCO2 treatments (ca. 409, 606, 903, and 2856 ppm). This dataset was used to explore various controls over elemental partitioning in biogenic marine carbonates, including species-level and biomineralization-pathway-level controls, the influence of internal pH regulation compared to external pH changes, and biocalcification responses to changes in seawater carbonate chemistry. The dataset also enables exploration of broad scale phylogenetic patterns of elemental partitioning across calcifying species, exhibiting high phylogenetic signals estimated from both uni- and multivariate analyses of the elemental ratio data (univariate: λ = 0-0.889; multivariate: λ = 0.895-0.99). Comparing partial R 2 values returned from non-phylogenetic and phylogenetic regression analyses echo the importance of and show that phylogeny explains the elemental ratio data 1.4-59 times better than mineralogy in five out of nine of the elements analyzed. Therefore, the strong associations between biomineral elemental chemistry and species relatedness suggests mechanistic controls over element incorporation rooted in the evolution of biomineralization mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert N. Ulrich
- Department of Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Center for Diverse Leadership in Science, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Maxence Guillermic
- Department of Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Center for Diverse Leadership in Science, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Julia Campbell
- Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Abbas Hakim
- Center for Diverse Leadership in Science, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Rachel Han
- Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Center for Diverse Leadership in Science, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Shayleen Singh
- Center for Diverse Leadership in Science, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Justin D. Stewart
- Department of Ecological Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Cristian Román-Palacios
- Center for Diverse Leadership in Science, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States
| | - Hannah M. Carroll
- Department of Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Center for Diverse Leadership in Science, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Ilian De Corte
- Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Center for Diverse Leadership in Science, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Institut Universitaire Européen de la Mer, Plouzané, France
| | - Rosaleen E. Gilmore
- Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Whitney Doss
- Department of Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Institut Universitaire Européen de la Mer, Plouzané, France
| | - Aradhna Tripati
- Department of Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Center for Diverse Leadership in Science, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Institut Universitaire Européen de la Mer, Plouzané, France
- American Indian Studies Center, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Justin B. Ries
- Department of Marine and Environmental Sciences, Marine Science Center, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Robert A. Eagle
- Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Center for Diverse Leadership in Science, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Institut Universitaire Européen de la Mer, Plouzané, France
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25
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Mummadisetti MP, Drake JL, Falkowski PG. The spatial network of skeletal proteins in a stony coral. J R Soc Interface 2021; 18:20200859. [PMID: 33622149 PMCID: PMC8086859 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2020.0859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Coral skeletons are materials composed of inorganic aragonitic fibres and organic molecules including proteins, sugars and lipids that are highly organized to form a solid biomaterial upon which the animals live. The skeleton contains tens of proteins, all of which are encoded in the animal genome and secreted during the biomineralization process. While recent advances are revealing the functions and evolutionary history of some of these proteins, how they are spatially arranged in the skeleton is unknown. Using a combination of chemical cross-linking and high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry, we identify, for the first time, the spatial interactions of the proteins embedded within the skeleton of the stony coral Stylophora pistillata. Our subsequent network analysis revealed that several coral acid-rich proteins are invariably associated with carbonic anhydrase(s), alpha-collagen, cadherins and other calcium-binding proteins. These spatial arrangements clearly show that protein-protein interactions in coral skeletons are highly coordinated and are key to understanding the formation and persistence of coral skeletons through time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manjula P Mummadisetti
- Environmental Biophysics and Molecular Biology Program, Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, 71 Dudley Rd, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
| | - Jeana L Drake
- Department of Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, 595 Charles E. Young Drive East, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.,Department of Marine Biology, University of Haifa, 199 Aba Khoushy Avenue, Mount Carmel, Haifa 2498838, Israel
| | - Paul G Falkowski
- Environmental Biophysics and Molecular Biology Program, Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, 71 Dudley Rd, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA.,Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
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26
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Zaquin T, Malik A, Drake JL, Putnam HM, Mass T. Evolution of Protein-Mediated Biomineralization in Scleractinian Corals. Front Genet 2021; 12:618517. [PMID: 33633782 PMCID: PMC7902050 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.618517] [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] [Received: 10/17/2020] [Accepted: 01/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
While recent strides have been made in understanding the biological process by which stony corals calcify, much remains to be revealed, including the ubiquity across taxa of specific biomolecules involved. Several proteins associated with this process have been identified through proteomic profiling of the skeletal organic matrix (SOM) extracted from three scleractinian species. However, the evolutionary history of this putative “biomineralization toolkit,” including the appearance of these proteins’ throughout metazoan evolution, remains to be resolved. Here we used a phylogenetic approach to examine the evolution of the known scleractinians’ SOM proteins across the Metazoa. Our analysis reveals an evolutionary process dominated by the co-option of genes that originated before the cnidarian diversification. Each one of the three species appears to express a unique set of the more ancient genes, representing the independent co-option of SOM proteins, as well as a substantial proportion of proteins that evolved independently. In addition, in some instances, the different species expressed multiple orthologous proteins sharing the same evolutionary history. Furthermore, the non-random clustering of multiple SOM proteins within scleractinian-specific branches suggests the conservation of protein function between distinct species for what we posit is part of the scleractinian “core biomineralization toolkit.” This “core set” contains proteins that are likely fundamental to the scleractinian biomineralization mechanism. From this analysis, we infer that the scleractinians’ ability to calcify was achieved primarily through multiple lineage-specific protein expansions, which resulted in a new functional role that was not present in the parent gene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tal Zaquin
- Department of Marine Biology, The Leon H. Charney School of Marine Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Assaf Malik
- Department of Marine Biology, The Leon H. Charney School of Marine Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Jeana L Drake
- Department of Marine Biology, The Leon H. Charney School of Marine Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Hollie M Putnam
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, United States
| | - Tali Mass
- Department of Marine Biology, The Leon H. Charney School of Marine Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
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27
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Tambutté E, Ganot P, Venn AA, Tambutté S. A role for primary cilia in coral calcification? Cell Tissue Res 2020; 383:1093-1102. [PMID: 33330957 PMCID: PMC7960582 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-020-03343-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2020] [Accepted: 11/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Cilia are evolutionarily conserved organelles that extend from the surface of cells and are found in diverse organisms from protozoans to multicellular organisms. Motile cilia play various biological functions by their beating motion, including mixing fluids and transporting food particles. Non-motile cilia act as sensors that signal cells about their microenvironment. In corals, cilia have been described in some of the cell layers but never in the calcifying epithelium, which is responsible for skeleton formation. In the present study, we used scanning electron microscopy and immunolabelling to investigate the cellular ciliature of the different tissue layers of the coral Stylophora pistillata, with a focus on the calcifying calicoblastic ectoderm. We show that the cilium of the calcifying cells is different from the cilium of the other cell layers. It is much shorter, and more importantly, its base is structurally distinct from the base observed in cilia of the other tissue layers. Based on these structural observations, we conclude that the cilium of the calcifying cells is a primary cilium. From what is known in other organisms, primary cilia are sensors that signal cells about their microenvironment. We discuss the implications of the presence of a primary cilium in the calcifying epithelium for our understanding of the cellular physiology driving coral calcification and its environmental sensitivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Tambutté
- Marine Biology Department, Centre Scientifique de Monaco, 8 Quai Antoine 1°, 98000, Monaco, Monaco
| | - Philippe Ganot
- Marine Biology Department, Centre Scientifique de Monaco, 8 Quai Antoine 1°, 98000, Monaco, Monaco
| | - Alexander A Venn
- Marine Biology Department, Centre Scientifique de Monaco, 8 Quai Antoine 1°, 98000, Monaco, Monaco
| | - Sylvie Tambutté
- Marine Biology Department, Centre Scientifique de Monaco, 8 Quai Antoine 1°, 98000, Monaco, Monaco.
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28
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Abstract
Until now, all of the ca. 1,800 known modern scleractinian coral species were thought to produce skeletons exclusively of aragonite. Asymbiotic Paraconotrochus antarcticus living in the Southern Ocean is the first example of an extant scleractinian that forms a two-component carbonate skeleton, with an inner structure made of high-Mg calcite and an outer structure composed of aragonite. This discovery adds support to the notion that the coral skeletal formation process is strongly biologically controlled. Mitophylogenomic analysis shows that P. antarcticus represents an ancient scleractinian clade, suggesting that skeletal mineralogy/polymorph of a taxon, once established, is a trait conserved throughout the evolution of that clade. One of the most conserved traits in the evolution of biomineralizing organisms is the taxon-specific selection of skeletal minerals. All modern scleractinian corals are thought to produce skeletons exclusively of the calcium-carbonate polymorph aragonite. Despite strong fluctuations in ocean chemistry (notably the Mg/Ca ratio), this feature is believed to be conserved throughout the coral fossil record, spanning more than 240 million years. Only one example, the Cretaceous scleractinian coral Coelosmilia (ca. 70 to 65 Ma), is thought to have produced a calcitic skeleton. Here, we report that the modern asymbiotic scleractinian coral Paraconotrochus antarcticus living in the Southern Ocean forms a two-component carbonate skeleton, with an inner structure made of high-Mg calcite and an outer structure composed of aragonite. P. antarcticus and Cretaceous Coelosmilia skeletons share a unique microstructure indicating a close phylogenetic relationship, consistent with the early divergence of P. antarcticus within the Vacatina (i.e., Robusta) clade, estimated to have occurred in the Mesozoic (ca. 116 Mya). Scleractinian corals thus join the group of marine organisms capable of forming bimineralic structures, which requires a highly controlled biomineralization mechanism; this capability dates back at least 100 My. Due to its relatively prolonged isolation, the Southern Ocean stands out as a repository for extant marine organisms with ancient traits.
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29
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Teixidó N, Caroselli E, Alliouane S, Ceccarelli C, Comeau S, Gattuso JP, Fici P, Micheli F, Mirasole A, Monismith SG, Munari M, Palumbi SR, Sheets E, Urbini L, De Vittor C, Goffredo S, Gambi MC. Ocean acidification causes variable trait-shifts in a coral species. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2020; 26:6813-6830. [PMID: 33002274 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2020] [Revised: 09/12/2020] [Accepted: 09/14/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
High pCO2 habitats and their populations provide an unparalleled opportunity to assess how species may survive under future ocean acidification conditions, and help to reveal the traits that confer tolerance. Here we utilize a unique CO2 vent system to study the effects of exposure to elevated pCO2 on trait-shifts observed throughout natural populations of Astroides calycularis, an azooxanthellate scleractinian coral endemic to the Mediterranean. Unexpected shifts in skeletal and growth patterns were found. Colonies shifted to a skeletal phenotype characterized by encrusting morphology, smaller size, reduced coenosarc tissue, fewer polyps, and less porous and denser skeletons at low pH. Interestingly, while individual polyps calcified more and extended faster at low pH, whole colonies found at low pH site calcified and extended their skeleton at the same rate as did those at ambient pH sites. Transcriptomic data revealed strong genetic differentiation among local populations of this warm water species whose distribution range is currently expanding northward. We found excess differentiation in the CO2 vent population for genes central to calcification, including genes for calcium management (calmodulin, calcium-binding proteins), pH regulation (V-type proton ATPase), and inorganic carbon regulation (carbonic anhydrase). Combined, our results demonstrate how coral populations can persist in high pCO2 environments, making this system a powerful candidate for investigating acclimatization and local adaptation of organisms to global environmental change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Núria Teixidó
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Deptartment of Integrative Marine Ecology, Ischia Marine Centre, Naples, Italy
- Laboratoire d'Océanographie de Villefranche, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Villefranche-sur-mer, France
| | - Erik Caroselli
- Marine Science Group, Department of Biological, Geological, and Environmental Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Samir Alliouane
- Laboratoire d'Océanographie de Villefranche, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Villefranche-sur-mer, France
| | - Chiara Ceccarelli
- Marine Science Group, Department of Biological, Geological, and Environmental Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Steeve Comeau
- Laboratoire d'Océanographie de Villefranche, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Villefranche-sur-mer, France
| | - Jean-Pierre Gattuso
- Laboratoire d'Océanographie de Villefranche, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Villefranche-sur-mer, France
- Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations, Paris, France
| | - Pietro Fici
- Marine Science Group, Department of Biological, Geological, and Environmental Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Fiorenza Micheli
- Department of Biology, Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA, USA
- Stanford Center for Ocean Solutions, Pacific Grove, CA, USA
| | - Alice Mirasole
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Deptartment of Integrative Marine Ecology, Ischia Marine Centre, Naples, Italy
| | - Stephen G Monismith
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Marco Munari
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Deptartment of Integrative Marine Ecology, Ischia Marine Centre, Naples, Italy
| | - Stephen R Palumbi
- Department of Biology, Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA, USA
| | - Elizabeth Sheets
- Department of Biology, Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA, USA
| | - Lidia Urbini
- National Institute of Oceanography and Applied Geophysics - OGS, Trieste, Italy
| | - Cinzia De Vittor
- National Institute of Oceanography and Applied Geophysics - OGS, Trieste, Italy
| | - Stefano Goffredo
- Marine Science Group, Department of Biological, Geological, and Environmental Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- Fano Marine Center, The Inter-Institute Center for Research on Marine Biodiversity, Resources and Biotechnologies, Fano, Italy
| | - Maria Cristina Gambi
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Deptartment of Integrative Marine Ecology, Ischia Marine Centre, Naples, Italy
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30
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Sun CY, Stifler CA, Chopdekar RV, Schmidt CA, Parida G, Schoeppler V, Fordyce BI, Brau JH, Mass T, Tambutté S, Gilbert PUPA. From particle attachment to space-filling coral skeletons. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:30159-30170. [PMID: 33188087 PMCID: PMC7720159 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2012025117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Reef-building corals and their aragonite (CaCO3) skeletons support entire reef ecosystems, yet their formation mechanism is poorly understood. Here we used synchrotron spectromicroscopy to observe the nanoscale mineralogy of fresh, forming skeletons from six species spanning all reef-forming coral morphologies: Branching, encrusting, massive, and table. In all species, hydrated and anhydrous amorphous calcium carbonate nanoparticles were precursors for skeletal growth, as previously observed in a single species. The amorphous precursors here were observed in tissue, between tissue and skeleton, and at growth fronts of the skeleton, within a low-density nano- or microporous layer varying in thickness from 7 to 20 µm. Brunauer-Emmett-Teller measurements, however, indicated that the mature skeletons at the microscale were space-filling, comparable to single crystals of geologic aragonite. Nanoparticles alone can never fill space completely, thus ion-by-ion filling must be invoked to fill interstitial pores. Such ion-by-ion diffusion and attachment may occur from the supersaturated calcifying fluid known to exist in corals, or from a dense liquid precursor, observed in synthetic systems but never in biogenic ones. Concomitant particle attachment and ion-by-ion filling was previously observed in synthetic calcite rhombohedra, but never in aragonite pseudohexagonal prisms, synthetic or biogenic, as observed here. Models for biomineral growth, isotope incorporation, and coral skeletons' resilience to ocean warming and acidification must take into account the dual formation mechanism, including particle attachment and ion-by-ion space filling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chang-Yu Sun
- Department of Physics, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706
| | - Cayla A Stifler
- Department of Physics, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706
| | - Rajesh V Chopdekar
- Advanced Light Source, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720
| | - Connor A Schmidt
- Department of Physics, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706
| | - Ganesh Parida
- Department of Physics, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706
| | - Vanessa Schoeppler
- B CUBE-Center for Molecular Bioengineering, Technische Universität Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | | | - Jack H Brau
- Department of Physics, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706
| | - Tali Mass
- Marine Biology Department, University of Haifa, 31905 Haifa, Israel
| | - Sylvie Tambutté
- Marine Biology Department, Centre Scientifique de Monaco, 98000 Monaco, Principality of Monaco
| | - Pupa U P A Gilbert
- Department of Physics, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706;
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706
- Department of Geoscience, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706
- Department of Materials Science, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706
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31
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Drake JL, Whitelegge JP, Jacobs DK. First sequencing of ancient coral skeletal proteins. Sci Rep 2020; 10:19407. [PMID: 33173075 PMCID: PMC7655939 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-75846-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2020] [Accepted: 10/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Here we report the first recovery, sequencing, and identification of fossil biomineral proteins from a Pleistocene fossil invertebrate, the stony coral Orbicella annularis. This fossil retains total hydrolysable amino acids of a roughly similar composition to extracts from modern O. annularis skeletons, with the amino acid data rich in Asx (Asp + Asn) and Glx (Glu + Gln) typical of invertebrate skeletal proteins. It also retains several proteins, including a highly acidic protein, also known from modern coral skeletal proteomes that we sequenced by LC-MS/MS over multiple trials in the best-preserved fossil coral specimen. A combination of degradation or amino acid racemization inhibition of trypsin digestion appears to limit greater recovery. Nevertheless, our workflow determines optimal samples for effective sequencing of fossil coral proteins, allowing comparison of modern and fossil invertebrate protein sequences, and will likely lead to further improvements of the methods. Sequencing of endogenous organic molecules in fossil invertebrate biominerals provides an ancient record of composition, potentially clarifying evolutionary changes and biotic responses to paleoenvironments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeana L Drake
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, USA.
- Department of Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, USA.
- Department of Marine Biology, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel.
| | | | - David K Jacobs
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, USA.
- Department of Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, USA.
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32
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Venn AA, Bernardet C, Chabenat A, Tambutté E, Tambutté S. Paracellular transport to the coral calcifying medium: effects of environmental parameters. J Exp Biol 2020; 223:jeb227074. [PMID: 32675232 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.227074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2020] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Coral calcification relies on the transport of ions and molecules to the extracellular calcifying medium (ECM). Little is known about paracellular transport (via intercellular junctions) in corals and other marine calcifiers. Here, we investigated whether the permeability of the paracellular pathway varied in different environmental conditions in the coral Stylophora pistillata Using the fluorescent dye calcein, we characterised the dynamics of calcein influx from seawater to the ECM and showed that increases in paracellular permeability (leakiness) induced by hyperosmotic treatment could be detected by changes in calcein influx rates. We then used the calcein-imaging approach to investigate the effects of two environmental stressors on paracellular permeability: seawater acidification and temperature change. Under conditions of seawater acidification (pH 7.2) known to depress pH in the ECM and the calcifying cells of S. pistillata, we observed a decrease in half-times of calcein influx, indicating increased paracellular permeability. By contrast, high temperature (31°C) had no effect, whereas low temperature (20°C) caused decreases in paracellular permeability. Overall, our study establishes an approach to conduct further in vivo investigation of paracellular transport and suggests that changes in paracellular permeability could form an uncharacterised aspect of the physiological response of S. pistillata to seawater acidification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander A Venn
- Marine Biology Department, Centre Scientifique de Monaco, 8 Quai Antoine 1er, 98000 Monaco
| | - Coralie Bernardet
- Marine Biology Department, Centre Scientifique de Monaco, 8 Quai Antoine 1er, 98000 Monaco
| | - Apolline Chabenat
- Marine Biology Department, Centre Scientifique de Monaco, 8 Quai Antoine 1er, 98000 Monaco
| | - Eric Tambutté
- Marine Biology Department, Centre Scientifique de Monaco, 8 Quai Antoine 1er, 98000 Monaco
| | - Sylvie Tambutté
- Marine Biology Department, Centre Scientifique de Monaco, 8 Quai Antoine 1er, 98000 Monaco
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33
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Palaeoclimate ocean conditions shaped the evolution of corals and their skeletons through deep time. Nat Ecol Evol 2020; 4:1531-1538. [DOI: 10.1038/s41559-020-01291-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2020] [Accepted: 07/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
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34
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Von Euw S, Azaïs T, Manichev V, Laurent G, Pehau-Arnaudet G, Rivers M, Murali N, Kelly DJ, Falkowski PG. Solid-State Phase Transformation and Self-Assembly of Amorphous Nanoparticles into Higher-Order Mineral Structures. J Am Chem Soc 2020; 142:12811-12825. [PMID: 32568532 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.0c05591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Materials science has been informed by nonclassical pathways to crystallization, based on biological processes, about the fabrication of damage-tolerant composite materials. Various biomineralizing taxa, such as stony corals, deposit metastable, magnesium-rich, amorphous calcium carbonate nanoparticles that further assemble and transform into higher-order mineral structures. Here, we examine a similar process in abiogenic conditions using synthetic, amorphous calcium magnesium carbonate nanoparticles. Applying a combination of high-resolution imaging and in situ solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, we reveal the underlying mechanism of the solid-state phase transformation of these amorphous nanoparticles into crystals under aqueous conditions. These amorphous nanoparticles are covered by a hydration shell of bound water molecules. Fast chemical exchanges occur: the hydrogens present within the nanoparticles exchange with the hydrogens from the surface-bound H2O molecules which, in turn, exchange with the hydrogens of the free H2O molecule of the surrounding aqueous medium. This cascade of chemical exchanges is associated with an enhanced mobility of the ions/molecules that compose the nanoparticles which, in turn, allow for their rearrangement into crystalline domains via solid-state transformation. Concurrently, the starting amorphous nanoparticles aggregate and form ordered mineral structures through crystal growth by particle attachment. Sphere-like aggregates and spindle-shaped structures were, respectively, formed from relatively high or low weights per volume of the same starting amorphous nanoparticles. These results offer promising prospects for exerting control over such a nonclassical pathway to crystallization to design mineral structures that could not be achieved through classical ion-by-ion growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stanislas Von Euw
- Environmental Biophysics and Molecular Ecology Program, Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University, 71 Dudley Road, New Brunswick, New Jersey 08901, United States.,Trinity Centre for Bioengineering, Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, D02 R590, Ireland
| | - Thierry Azaïs
- Laboratoire de Chimie de la Matière Condensée de Paris, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, 4 place Jussieu, F-75005, Paris, France
| | - Viacheslav Manichev
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rutgers University, 123 Bevier Road, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, United States.,Institute of Advanced Materials, Devices, and Nanotechnology, Rutgers University, 607 Taylor Road, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, United States
| | - Guillaume Laurent
- Laboratoire de Chimie de la Matière Condensée de Paris, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, 4 place Jussieu, F-75005, Paris, France
| | - Gérard Pehau-Arnaudet
- UMR 3528 and UTech UBI, Institut Pasteur, 28 rue du Docteur Roux, F-75015 Paris, France
| | - Margarita Rivers
- Institute of Advanced Materials, Devices, and Nanotechnology, Rutgers University, 607 Taylor Road, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, United States.,Department of Physics, Wellesley College, 106 Central Street, Wellesley, Massachusetts 02481, United States
| | - Nagarajan Murali
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rutgers University, 123 Bevier Road, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, United States
| | - Daniel J Kelly
- Trinity Centre for Bioengineering, Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, D02 R590, Ireland
| | - Paul G Falkowski
- Environmental Biophysics and Molecular Ecology Program, Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University, 71 Dudley Road, New Brunswick, New Jersey 08901, United States.,Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rutgers University, 123 Bevier Road, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, United States
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35
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Long SP. Twenty-five years of GCB: Putting the biology into global change. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2020; 26:1-2. [PMID: 31898877 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.14921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2019] [Accepted: 11/12/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Stephen P Long
- Departments of Plant Biology and of Crop Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK
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