Article
Microbiology
Aiyou Huang, Hejing Shi, Ruoxuan Cui, Xiaoni Cai, Zhenyu Xie
Summary: A study has found that taurine can significantly promote the growth and photosynthesis efficiency of Symbiodinium sp., as well as positively affect its biomass and major metabolites. Taurine may also influence the metabolic pathways and transcription processes of Symbiodinium sp. through various mechanisms, while controlling the population density and initiating a series of response mechanisms.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Yuki Yoshioka, Hiroshi Yamashita, Go Suzuki, Yuna Zayasu, Ipputa Tada, Miyuki Kanda, Noriyuki Satoh, Eiichi Shoguchi, Chuya Shinzato
Summary: Mutualistic relationships between reef-building corals and photosynthetic algae are crucial for supporting marine biodiversity. Specific gene expression changes, including duplications, in Acropora corals occur when they acquire native symbionts, indicating the importance of genomic novelties in coral-algae symbiosis.
GENOME BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Evelyn Abbott, Groves Dixon, Mikhail Matz
Summary: The study found that changes in the abundance of different symbiont genera within coral hosts can affect the gene expression of symbionts, particularly impacting expression of photosynthesis components and proteins related to cell movement. When both genera are represented in comparable proportions within the host, the mixed symbiosis state may lead to more intense competition but does not result in increased stress for the host. After heat treatment, corals with mixed symbiosis showed the lowest stress signatures compared to corals dominated by either Cladocopium or Durusdinium.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Eric J. Armstrong, Julie Le-Hoang, Quentin Carradec, Jean-Marc Aury, Benjamin Noel, Benjamin C. C. Hume, Christian R. Voolstra, Julie Poulain, Caroline Belser, David A. Paz-Garcia, Corinne Cruaud, Karine Labadie, Corinne Da Silva, Cle'mentine Moulin, Emilie Boissin, Guillaume Bourdin, Guillaume Iwankow, Sarah Romac, Sylvain Agostini, Bernard Banaigs, Emmanuel Boss, Chris Bowler, Colomban de Vargas, Eric Douville, Michel Flores, Didier Forcioli, Paola Furla, Pierre E. Galand, Eric Gilson, Fabien Lombard, Stephane Pesant, Stephanie Reynaud, Matthew B. Sullivan, Shinichi Sunagawa, Olivier P. Thomas, Romain Trouble, Rebecca Vega Thurber, Didier Zoccola, Serge Planes, Denis Allemand, Patrick Wincker
Summary: Heat waves are causing declines in coral reefs globally. Coral thermal responses depend on multiple, interacting drivers, such as past thermal exposure, endosymbiont community composition, and host genotype. This study used DNA and RNA analysis to investigate gene expression patterns in Pocillopora corals across a historical thermal gradient, revealing the importance of host-photosymbiont specificity and host transcriptomic plasticity in thermal acclimatization.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Jean-Charles Leclerc, Thibaut de Bettignies, Florian de Bettignies, Hartvig Christie, Joao N. Franco, Cedric Leroux, Dominique Davoult, Morten F. Pedersen, Karen Filbee-Dexter, Thomas Wernberg
Summary: The study found significant differences in diet and trophic levels of sea urchins at different latitudes, primarily influenced by local prey availability. Sea urchins adjust their foraging based on the small-scale distribution of food items, and changes in food source distribution may have important implications for food web dynamics and ecosystem functions.
Article
Agronomy
Zhongxi Ge, Jing Huang, Xufeng Wang, Xuguang Tang, Lei Fan, Yinjun Zhao, Mingguo Ma
Summary: This study investigated the peak photosynthesis timing (PPT) as a key factor affecting seasonal terrestrial carbon uptake. It found that there were no significant differences in PPT derived from different carbon flux partitioning methods, but fitting methods performed differently in various biomes. The study suggests that PGT is not a good proxy for PPT, and trends based on VIs should be viewed with caution.
AGRICULTURAL AND FOREST METEOROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Forestry
Xiaomao Wang, Ines Ibanez
Summary: Current climate envelope approaches fail to accurately predict forest responses to climate change due to the variation in responses among tree populations. This study investigated the growth of two common maple species at different latitudes and found divergent responses between species and populations. These findings provide valuable information for predicting future forest distribution.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Christian R. Voolstra, Jacob J. Valenzuela, Serdar Turkarslan, Anny Cardenas, Benjamin C. C. Hume, Gabriela Perna, Carol Buitrago-Lopez, Katherine Rowe, Monica Orellana, Nitin S. Baliga, Suman Paranjape, Guilhem Banc-Prandi, Jessica Bellworthy, Maoz Fine, Sarah Frias-Torres, Daniel J. Barshis
Summary: Corals from the northern Red Sea, particularly the Gulf of Aqaba, have exceptionally high bleaching thresholds, suggesting a historical selection process for increased heat tolerance. Gene expression and microbiome response differed significantly between Gulf of Aqaba and central Red Sea corals, indicating distinct thermal tolerance mechanisms that may impact coral populations' response to ocean warming.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Craig T. T. Michell, Natascha Wagner, Marko Mutanen, Kyung Min Lee, Tommi Nyman
Summary: Resource specialization and host-associated genetic differentiation (HAD) are important factors for the high diversity of plant-feeding insects. This study investigated the host-plant use and evolutionary patterns of leaf- and bud-galling sawflies collected from seven shared willow hosts. The results showed evidence for host specialization and HAD in both galler groups, but leaf gallers exhibited stronger specialization and cophylogenetic signal with their hosts compared to bud gallers. The findings suggest that evolutionary repeatability in host use and diversification of plant-feeding insects are influenced by stochasticity and lineage-specific effects.
Article
Microbiology
Zachary E. Holcomb, Julie M. Steinbrink, Aimee K. Zaas, Marisol Betancourt, Jennifer L. Tenor, Dena L. Toffaletti, J. Andrew Alspaugh, John R. Perfect, Micah T. McClain
Summary: This study investigated the host response to different strains of Cryptococcus infection using BALB/cJ mice. The findings showed that the fungal burden and gene expression profiles varied between C. neoformans and C. gattii infection. The host response mainly involved immune function pathways, including complement activation and TH2-skewed responses. A gene classifier was developed to distinguish cryptococcal infection from bacterial infection with high sensitivity and specificity.
Article
Ecology
Daniela de Angeli Dutra, Gabriel Moreira Felix, Robert Poulin
Summary: The geographical and environmental ranges of parasites are negatively associated with their host specificity and their local abundance. Local abundance restricts the geographical and environmental ranges of parasites, indicating a trade-off between these traits that becomes evident when considering heterogeneous host communities.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2021)
Article
Fisheries
Samuel D. Payet, Joseph D. DiBattista, Stephen J. Newman, Kelvin J. Rushworth, Corey B. Wakefield, Richard D. Evans, Michael J. Travers
Summary: Understanding connectivity patterns among remote atoll reefs is crucial for managing fishery target species. This study compared the population genomics of two sympatric species of coral trout within and between three isolated offshore atoll reef systems in north-western Australia. The results indicate high levels of connectivity within reef systems and limited connectivity between reef systems, suggesting that biological stocks primarily occur at the scale of each reef system.
REVIEWS IN FISH BIOLOGY AND FISHERIES
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Kelly D. Hannan, Shannon J. McMahon, Philip L. Munday, Jodie L. Rummer
Summary: Studies suggest that exposure to fluctuating or stable elevated pCO(2) can physiologically benefit some coral reef fishes, while other species, such as the examined cardinalfish, may be more sensitive to future OA conditions.
MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Dedmer B. van de Waal, Lauren A. White, Rebecca Everett, Lale Asik, Elizabeth T. Borer, Thijs Frenken, Angelica L. Gonzalez, Rachel Paseka, Eric W. Seabloom, Alexander T. Strauss, Angela Peace
Summary: Hosts' nutrient availability affects pathogen transmission and host immunity, with nutrient loads potentially promoting pathogen reproduction but also being used for defense against pathogens.
Article
Ecology
Mateusz Raczynski, Robby Stoks, Frank Johansson, Szymon Sniegula
Summary: Variation in hatching time may cause size differences within populations and shape size-mediated priority effects in intraspecific interactions. This study found that seasonal time constraints affect SMPEs through life history traits rather than physiology, and that phenology, time constraints, and latitude of origin have strong effects on life history.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Mikhail V. Matz, Eric A. Treml, Benjamin C. Haller
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Groves Dixon, Evelyn Abbott, Mikhail Matz
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Groves Dixon, Mikhail Matz
Summary: In this study, three different methods for measuring DNA methylation were evaluated, with MBD-seq and mdRAD identified as reliable and cost-effective alternatives to WGBS. The lower sequencing effort required for mdRAD to produce comparable methylation estimates makes it particularly useful for ecological epigenetics research. The three assays showed similar performance in measuring absolute methylation levels for gene bodies, exons, and 1 Kb windows, with mdRAD standing out as a promising method for ecological epigenetics.
MOLECULAR ECOLOGY RESOURCES
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
John P. Rippe, Groves Dixon, Zachary L. Fuller, Yi Liao, Mikhail Matz
Summary: The study revealed that two common coral species in the Florida Keys are each composed of four genetically distinct lineages, with two lineages specialized for deep habitats. Furthermore, corals migrating across reef zones are more likely to die before reaching adulthood.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Thomas L. Marshall, E. Anne Chambers, Mikhail V. Matz, David M. Hillis
Summary: This study utilized an approach that emphasized geographic sampling and genetic data analysis to differentiate intraspecific genetic clusters from species, uncovering evidence of mitonuclear discordance and geographically and genetically structured populations. The findings highlight the importance of thorough sampling and consideration of gene flow when delimiting species within widespread complexes containing parapatric lineages.
MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Emma R. Kelley, Robin S. Sleith, Mikhail V. Matz, Rachel M. Wright
Summary: Rampant coral disease threatens reefs, especially in the Caribbean, but physically isolated yet genetically connected reefs like FGBNMS may serve as refugia. Research on Montastraea cavernosa from FGBNMS shows resistance to Vibrio spp. with no trade-off between disease resistance and calcification. Gene expression associated with resistance and long-term growth can help inform strategic assessment of coral health parameters.
ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Joel A. Tripp, Alejandro Berrio, Lisa A. McGraw, Mikhail V. Matz, Jamie K. Davis, Kiyoshi Inoue, James W. Thomas, Larry J. Young, Steven M. Phelps
Summary: This study found that gene expression differences in species and brain regions play a key role in pair bonding behavior. Gene ontology analysis supported the hypothesis that the pair-bond formation involves transcriptional regulation and changes in neuronal structure. Overall, the results expand knowledge of the molecular mechanisms involved in bond formation.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Evelyn Abbott, Groves Dixon, Mikhail Matz
Summary: The study found that changes in the abundance of different symbiont genera within coral hosts can affect the gene expression of symbionts, particularly impacting expression of photosynthesis components and proteins related to cell movement. When both genera are represented in comparable proportions within the host, the mixed symbiosis state may lead to more intense competition but does not result in increased stress for the host. After heat treatment, corals with mixed symbiosis showed the lowest stress signatures compared to corals dominated by either Cladocopium or Durusdinium.
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Isaac Miller-Crews, Mikhail Matz, Hans A. Hofmann
Summary: Next-generation sequencing technology has transformed genotyping in various fields, but parentage analysis still often relies on costly microsatellite markers. 2b-RAD sequencing offers a cost-effective and efficient alternative for parentage analysis, enabling inference of familial relationships from mixed DNA samples and populations. Our novel genetic testing pipeline, utilizing 2b-RAD, overcomes obstacles faced by other methods and allows straightforward and cost-effective parentage analysis in any species.
FORENSIC SCIENCE INTERNATIONAL-GENETICS
(2021)
Article
Biology
N. G. Kriefall, M. R. Kanke, G. Aglyamova, S. W. Davies
Summary: There is increasing evidence that the composition of microorganisms within a host plays a crucial role in the overall health of the holobiont. This study used sequencing techniques to analyze the coral host and its associated algal and bacterial communities. The results showed that reef zones have an impact on the structure of these communities at different scales, and there may be genotype by genotype interactions between the host and bacteria in the coral. These findings highlight the importance of local reef conditions in shaping the unique combinations of host-microbial partnerships.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Groves Dixon, Mikhail Matz
Summary: This study does not support the direct involvement of GBM in regulating dynamic transcriptional responses in invertebrates and suggests the involvement of additional factors or regulatory influences.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Robert van Woesik, Tom Shlesinger, Andrea G. Grottoli, Rob J. Toonen, Rebecca Vega Thurber, Mark E. Warner, Ann Marie Hulver, Leila Chapron, Rowan H. McLachlan, Rebecca Albright, Eric Crandall, Thomas M. DeCarlo, Mary K. Donovan, Jose Eirin-Lopez, Hugo B. Harrison, Scott F. Heron, Danwei Huang, Adriana Humanes, Thomas Krueger, Joshua S. Madin, Derek Manzello, Lisa C. McManus, Mikhail Matz, Erinn M. Muller, Mauricio Rodriguez-Lanetty, Maria Vega-Rodriguez, Christian R. Voolstra, Jesse Zaneveld
Summary: The global impacts of climate change are evident in every marine ecosystem, particularly on coral reefs where mass coral bleaching and mortality are common responses. Linking information across scientific disciplines and scales is a major challenge, but adopting an integrative approach can advance coral-reef science and guide conservation efforts. Establishing networks of protected reefs across national boundaries may be the best chance for corals to persist through climate change.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Louis Schlecker, Christopher Page, Mikhail Matz, Rachel M. Wright
Summary: Microfragmentation is a technique to accelerate coral growth rates by cutting corals into small pieces. It has been successful in restoring Caribbean reefs, but the biological processes and tradeoffs involved are not well understood.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Carly B. Scott, Anny Cardenas, Matthew Mah, Vagheesh M. Narasimhan, Nadin Rohland, Lauren T. Toth, Christian R. Voolstra, David Reich, Mikhail Matz
Summary: For the first time, this study utilized aDNA from ancient fossil coral fragments to gain new insights into the declining western Atlantic reef ecosystem. The results showed the possibility of sequencing aDNA from reef cores and comparing it with modern-day genetic variation. The study also revealed the stability of the coral holobiont over time and laid the foundation for studying the impacts of environmental stress and evolutionary constraints.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Sarah Barfield, Sarah W. Davies, Mikhail V. Matz
Summary: This study investigated the possibility of sweepstakes reproductive success (SRS) in Acropora hyacinthus at Yap Island, Micronesia. The genetic diversity of adults and juveniles at different sites was compared, and a dip in genetic diversity was observed in juveniles compared to adults at two sites. However, there was no detectable genetic structure among juveniles. Nonetheless, a pair of juvenile siblings was identified at the site with the lowest genetic diversity, suggesting the existence of SRS.