Molecular assessment of the effect of light and heterotrophy in the scleractinian coral Stylophora pistillata.

ABSTRACT: Corals acquire nutrients via the transfer of photosynthates by their endosymbionts (autotrophy), or via zooplankton predation by the animal (heterotrophy). During stress events, corals lose their endosymbionts, and undergo starvation, unless they increase their heterotrophic capacities. Molecular mechanisms by which heterotrophy sustains metabolism in stressed corals remain elusive. Here for the first time, to the best of our knowledge, we identified specific genes expressed in heterotrophically fed and unfed colonies of the scleractinian coral Stylophora pistillata, maintained under normal and light-stress conditions. Physiological parameters and gene expression profiling demonstrated that fed corals better resisted stress than unfed ones by exhibiting less oxidative damage and protein de

SUBMITTER: Levy O 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4855378 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature