Project description:We tested the thermal tolerance of coral larvae with heat-evolved and wild-type strains and explored the molecular mechanisms for the differential thermal tolerance with gene expression patterns. This archive provides the raw data of the RNA sequencing.
Project description:The goal of this study was to use heterologous microarray hybridization to determine genomic content shared among different vesicomyid symbionts. These symbionts are closely related and can be thought of as different strains of bacteria, facilitating the use of heterologous microarray hybridization to determine genomic content. Keywords: comparative genomic hybridization Microarrays were built off the Ruthia magnifica genome and two replicate hybridizations to this organism were used as a baseline for comparisons. Genomic DNA from two other vesicomyid symbionts (Calyptogena kilmeri and C. pacifica symbionts) was also hybridized to the array with three biological replicates for each sample.
Project description:The goal of this study was to use heterologous microarray hybridization to determine genomic content shared among different vesicomyid symbionts. These symbionts are closely related and can be thought of as different strains of bacteria, facilitating the use of heterologous microarray hybridization to determine genomic content. Keywords: comparative genomic hybridization
Project description:Heat-evolved Symbiodiniaceae can improve the physiological performances of their coral host under heat stress, but their gene expression responses to heat remained unknown. We explore here the transcriptomic basis of differential thermal stress responses between in hospite wild-type and heat-evolved Cladocopium proliferum strains and their coral host Platygyra daedealea.
Project description:Host-microbe interactions are virtually bidirectional, benefiting both the host and microbial sides. It is becoming increasingly recognized the influence of the microbe on many aspects of host physiology and diseases, but whether/how the host affects their symbionts is poorly characterized. Here, we reported that the host acts as a critical factor to shape the lifestyle of their symbionts in the Drosophila and bacteria model system. First, we observe that Drosophila larvae play a pivotal role in competing with pathogenic symbionts in the co-existing niche. More specifically, host larvae antagonize symbionts by deconstructing the surface slick, preventing outgrowth and antagonizing the pathogenicity of S. marcescens. Furthermore, Drosophila larvae cause the shift in the transcriptomic profile of S. marcescens, characterized with the upregulated expression of genes related to bacterial proliferation and growth and the downregulated expression of genes related to bacterial pathogenicity. More importantly, advances in bacterial single-cell RNA sequencing provide opportunities to reveal transcriptional variation, including toxic factors, across individual cells and a subpopulation clustering of isogenic bacterial populations. Finally, we found that AMPs from larvae recapitulated the response of S. marcescens to the presence of Drosophila larvae. Altogether, these findings provide an insight into the pivotal roles of the host in influencing the potential pathogens' lifecycle switching from commensalism to pathogenicity, opening the door to a better understanding of the ecological relationships between the host and microbe.
Project description:Host-microbe interactions are virtually bidirectional, benefiting both the host and microbial sides. It is becoming increasingly recognized the influence of the microbe on many aspects of host physiology and diseases, but whether/how the host affects their symbionts is poorly characterized. Here, we reported that the host acts as a critical factor to shape the lifestyle of their symbionts in the Drosophila and bacteria model system. First, we observe that Drosophila larvae play a pivotal role in competing with pathogenic symbionts in the co-existing niche. More specifically, host larvae antagonize symbionts by deconstructing the surface slick, preventing outgrowth and antagonizing the pathogenicity of S. marcescens. Furthermore, Drosophila larvae cause the shift in the transcriptomic profile of S. marcescens, characterized with the upregulated expression of genes related to bacterial proliferation and growth and the downregulated expression of genes related to bacterial pathogenicity. More importantly, advances in bacterial single-cell RNA sequencing provide opportunities to reveal transcriptional variation, including toxic factors, across individual cells and a subpopulation clustering of isogenic bacterial populations. Finally, we found that AMPs from larvae recapitulated the response of S. marcescens to the presence of Drosophila larvae. Altogether, these findings provide an insight into the pivotal roles of the host in influencing the potential pathogens' lifecycle switching from commensalism to pathogenicity, opening the door to a better understanding of the ecological relationships between the host and microbe.
Project description:Coral reefs worldwide are facing rapid decline due to coral bleaching. However, knowledge of the physiological characteristics and molecular mechanisms of coral symbionts respond to stress is scarce. Here, metagenomic and metaproteomic approach were utilized to shed light on the changes in the composition and functions of coral symbionts during coral bleaching. The results demonstrated that coral bleaching significantly affected the composition of symbionts, with bacterial communities dominating in bleached corals. Difference analysis of gene and protein indicated that symbiont functional disturbances in response to heat stress, resulting in abnormal energy metabolism that could potentially compromise symbiont health and resilience. Furthermore, our findings highlighted the highly diverse microbial communities of coral symbionts, with beneficial bacteria provide critical services to corals in stress responses, while pathogenic bacteria drive coral bleaching. This study provides comprehensive insights into the complex response mechanisms of coral symbionts under thermal stress and offers fundamental data for future monitoring of coral health.
Project description:A thermal stress experiment on Heron Island (Great Barrier Reef) which involved a slow ramp in temperature over one week and then sampling after 4 days at 32 degrees was completed. Control samples were maintained at 27C. The idea of the experiment was to study bleaching from a single cell perspective and thus look at cell condition (both animal and host) in symbio (inside the host tissue) and compare it with the physiological/macromolecular composition of the expelled symbionts (dinoflagellates). Are the cells expelled from the coral host during thermal stress are a result of host stress or algae stress. We took samples for proteomics from the extracted endoderm cells (in symbio) and also of expelled cells. Samples were collected as the symbio left the host. These were flash frozen. Are the symbiont cells expelled from the coral host during thermal stress are a result of host stress or algae stress?
Project description:Scleractinian corals acquire autotrophic nutrients via the photosynthetic activity of their symbionts and the subsequent transfer of photosynthates. Zooplankton predation by the animal (heterotrophy) is an additional food source. Under stress events, corals loose their symbionts, a phenomena known as bleaching, which eventually leads to starvation, unless corals increase their heterotrophic capacities. Molecular mechanisms by which heterotrophy sustains metabolism in stressed corals remain elusive. Here for the first time, we identify specific genes expressed in heterotrophically fed and unfed corals maintained under normal and light-stress conditions inducing bleaching. Physiological parameters and gene expression profiling showed ominously that fed corals better resisted the stress than unfed corals, by presenting less oxidative damage and protein/DNA degradation. Light stressed and unfed/starved corals (HLS) up-regulated by 140 and 13 times two genes (CP2U1 and CP1A2), which belong to the Cytochrome P450 superfamily, while these genes remained almost unchanged in fed corals (HLF). Other genes of redox regulation, DNA damage response, molecular chaperones, and protein degradation were also up-regulated in HLS corals, presenting higher bleaching, and strong decrease of the photosynthesis performance compared to HLF corals. Several pivotal genes associated with the calcification apparatus such as carbonic anhydrases, calcium-transporting ATPase, calcium channel subunit, and bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs), were significantly down-regulated only in HLS corals. A parallel decrease in the calcification rates of these later corals was also observed. All together, these results show clearly that heterotrophy helps preventing oxidative stress in corals, and thus avoid the cascade of metabolic problems downstream this stress.