Expression plasticity regulates intraspecific variation in the acclimatization potential of a reef-building coral.

ABSTRACT: Phenotypic plasticity is an important ecological and evolutionary response for organisms experiencing environmental change, but the ubiquity of this capacity within coral species and across symbiont communities is unknown. We exposed ten genotypes of the reef-building coral Montipora capitata with divergent symbiont communities to four thermal pre-exposure profiles and quantified gene expression before stress testing 4 months later. Here we show two pre-exposure profiles significantly enhance thermal tolerance despite broadly different expression patterns and substantial variation in acclimatization potential based on coral genotype. There was no relationship between a genotype's basal thermal sensitivity and ability to acquire heat tolerance, including in corals harboring naturally tolera

SUBMITTER: Drury C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9378650 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature