Heritability of the Symbiodinium community in vertically- and horizontally-transmitting broadcast spawning corals.

ABSTRACT: The dinoflagellate-coral partnership influences the coral holobiont's tolerance to thermal stress and bleaching. However, the comparative roles of host genetic versus environmental factors in determining the composition of this symbiosis are largely unknown. Here we quantify the heritability of the initial Symbiodinium communities for two broadcast-spawning corals with different symbiont transmission modes: Acropora tenuis has environmental acquisition, whereas Montipora digitata has maternal transmission. Using high throughput sequencing of the ITS-2 region to characterize communities in parents, juveniles and eggs, we describe previously undocumented Symbiodinium diversity and dynamics in both corals. After one month of uptake in the field, Symbiodinium communities associated with A. ten

SUBMITTER: Quigley KM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5557748 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature