Frontloading of stress response genes enhances robustness to environmental change in chimeric corals.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Chimeras are genetically mixed entities resulting from the fusion of two or more conspecifics. This phenomenon is widely distributed in nature and documented in a variety of animal and plant phyla. In corals, chimerism initiates at early ontogenic states (larvae to young spat) and results from the fusion between two or more closely settled conspecifics. When compared to genetically homogenous colonies (non-chimeras), the literature has listed ecological and evolutionary benefits for traits at the chimeric state, further positioning coral chimerism as an evolutionary rescue instrument. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying this suggestion remain unknown.

Results

To address this question, we developed field monitoring and multi-omics approaches to compare the

SUBMITTER: Vidal-Dupiol J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9316358 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature