Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jacob G. D. Rogers, Eva E. Plaganyi
Summary: This study uses multispecies modelling to show that the management of a coral predator, the crown-of-thorns starfish, could help corals recover following bleaching events. They show that management was most effective when heat stress severity for corals was low to moderate, when corals had lower heat sensitivity and when the recruitment rate of starfish was high.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Nurjannatul Naim Kamaruddin, Nor Azwin Hajri, Yosie Andriani, Aina Farahiyah Abdul Manan, Tengku Sifzizul Tengku Muhammad, Habsah Mohamad
Summary: Atherosclerosis, caused by elevated plasma cholesterols, is a major factor in global cardiovascular disease mortality. While statins are commonly used to lower cholesterol levels, they may have adverse effects, prompting the search for new treatments. Research on the marine invertebrate Acanthaster planci suggests its potential in reducing cholesterol levels without causing harm to the liver.
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Nurjannatul Naim Kamaruddin, Lukman Hakim Mohd Din, Allicia Jack, Aina Farahiyah Abdul Manan, Habsah Mohamad, Tengku Sifzizul Tengku Muhammad
Summary: This study investigated the effects of a selected fraction of A. planci on PCSK9 gene expression, LDLR protein level, and LDL-C uptake. The results showed that the selected fraction reduced PCSK9 gene expression, increased LDLR protein level, and promoted LDL-C uptake. These findings suggest that the selected fraction has the potential to lower circulating LDL-C levels and may be a promising therapeutic intervention for preventing the progression of atherosclerosis.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Sara E. Cannon, Erietera Aram, Toaea Beiateuea, Aranteiti Kiareti, Max Peter, Simon D. Donner
Summary: Coral reefs in the Gilbert Islands of Kiribati have experienced multiple acute disturbances in the past fifteen years, including coral bleaching and outbreaks of Crown-of-Thorns sea stars. The study shows that coral communities have adapted to heat stress events by shifting to more temperature-tolerant taxa and individuals. In addition, recovery from acute disturbances varies across different levels of human influence, with densely populated areas showing different response compared to less populated areas.
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Mohamed S. M. Abd El Hafez, Mohamed Abd El Aziz Okbah, Hassan A. H. Ibrahim, Ahmed Abd El Rahim Hussein, Nadia Ahmed Abd El Moneim, Athar Ata
Summary: The chemical studies on Acanthaster planci led to the discovery of two steroids with strong antibacterial, anticancer, and anti-alpha-glucosidase activities, indicating their potential medicinal value.
NATURAL PRODUCT RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Chinnarajan Ravindran, Haritha P. Raveendran, Lawrance Irudayarajan
Summary: Various microbial infections contribute to coral disease progression and mortality. The holobiont and external surfaces of coral create a diverse microenvironment that attracts ciliates based on their feeding preferences. Ciliates can enter corals through injuries or interact indirectly with other microbes, affecting coral health. Ciliates are associated with 12 different diseases globally, with diverse ciliate associations observed in white syndrome disease lesions and diseased Acropora genera. Some ciliate species ingest coral Symbiodiniaceae and histophagous ciliates as secondary invaders, leading to tissue loss. However, the nature of ciliate association with coral disease remains unclear.
MICROBIAL PATHOGENESIS
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Lawrance Irudayarajan, Chinnarajan Ravindran, Haritha P. Raveendran
Summary: Microbial infection can severely affect immune-compromised corals and lead to coral mortality. However, beneficial bacteria associated with corals have the ability to produce antimicrobial compounds that can inhibit the growth of potential pathogens. In this study, beneficial bacteria isolated from coral Porites lutea were found to produce bioactive secondary metabolites that showed significant antagonism against various coral pathogens and also inhibited protozoan ciliates and zooplankton involved in coral disease progression. These findings contribute to the understanding of the role of coral-associated beneficial bacteria in reducing coral disease severity.
JOURNAL OF BASIC MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Frederieke J. Kroon, Diego R. Barneche, Michael J. Emslie
Summary: This study demonstrates that removing predatory fish through commercial and recreational fisheries may contribute to outbreaks of Crown-of-Thorns Starfish (CoTS). Additionally, the research suggests that designing targeted fisheries management strategies, taking into account CoTS population dynamics, could help reduce the detrimental impacts of CoTS outbreaks in the Indo-Pacific region.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Russell Milne, Madhur Anand, Chris T. Bauch
Summary: Crown-of-thorns starfish (CoTS) outbreaks pose a major threat to coral reefs in the Indo-Pacific region. The combined effects of overfishing and nutrient loading on stressed reefs increase the severity of CoTS outbreaks, though the extent of this impact is still uncertain. This study focuses on the outbreak damage in Cebu City, Philippines, and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where CoTS management strategies are less well-studied. The findings highlight the importance of long-term planning for reef management, providing guidelines for effective CoTS management strategies, and demonstrating the potential unforeseen interactions between reef stressors.
ECOLOGICAL MODELLING
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yumi Sasayama, Takayoshi Mamiya, Jianhua Qi, Takahiro Shibata, Koji Uchida, Toshitaka Nabeshima, Makoto Ojika
Summary: Novel steroid glycosides, acanthasterosides A1, B1, and B3, extracted from crown-of-thorns starfish, have the potential to induce neurite outgrowth and may serve as potential drug candidates for neurodegenerative diseases.
BIOORGANIC & MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Marie Morin, Mathias Joesson, Conan K. Wang, David J. Craik, Sandie M. Degnan, Bernard M. Degnan
Summary: This study investigates the impact of captivity on the physiology and health of crown-of-thorns starfish by comparing gene expression in wild and captive individuals. The results show significant differences in gene expression between wild and captive starfish, with genes involved in oxidative stress and energy metabolism upregulated in captivity. This suggests that caution should be taken when extrapolating results from captive marine animals to their wild counterparts.
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Dinh T. Ha, Alla A. Kicha, Anatoly I. Kalinovsky, Timofey V. Malyarenko, Roman S. Popov, Olesya S. Malyarenko, Svetlana P. Ermakova, Tran T. T. Thuy, Pham Q. Long, Natalia V. Ivanchina
Summary: A new asterosaponin, acanthaglycoside G, was isolated from the starfish Acanthaster planci collected off the coast of Vietnam, along with three known steroidal oligoglycosides. Compounds 3 and 4 showed cytotoxic activities against certain cancer cell lines, while compounds 1 and 2 were less active or inactive. The structure of compound 1 was elucidated using NMR and ESIMS techniques.
NATURAL PRODUCT RESEARCH
(2021)
Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Chinnarajan Ravindran, Lawrance Irudayarajan, Haritha P. Raveendran
Summary: Microbial interactions play a significant role in coral health, and there is a need for further understanding of the beneficial associations between ciliates and corals.
APPLIED AND ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Carolina Doran, David Bierbach, Juliane Lukas, Pascal Klamser, Tim Landgraf, Haider Klenz, Marie Habedank, Lenin Arias-Rodriguez, Stefan Krause, Pawel Romanczuk, Jens Krause
Summary: The collective behavior of animals has been a topic of interest, particularly in understanding how local interactions can lead to global group properties. This field study investigates the anti-predator benefits of fish waves when diving in response to avian predator attacks. The results show that experimentally induced fish waves significantly delayed bird attacks, suggesting an anti-predator function of this collective behavior.
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Sarah L. T. Kwong, Cecilia Villacorta-Rath, Jason Doyle, Sven Uthicke
Summary: The shedding rate of CoTS eDNA was influenced by feeding treatment but not temperature, with coral accessible treatment resulting in a significantly higher shedding rate. The presence of coral reduced the shedding rate by half. The degradation rate of CoTS eDNA was rapid and not affected by temperature, indicating that eDNA surveillance likely reflects recent and local occurrence of CoTS.
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Gaelle Quere, Maggy M. Nugues
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Hannah J. Brocke, Frank Wenzhoefer, Dirk de Beer, Benjamin Mueller, Fleur C. van Duyl, Maggy M. Nugues
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2015)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Gaelle Quere, Anne-Leila Meistertzheim, Robert S. Steneck, Maggy M. Nugues
Article
Biology
Hendrikje Jorissen, Christina Skinner, Ronald Osinga, Dirk de Beer, Maggy M. Nugues
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2016)
Article
Microbiology
Anne-Leila Meistertzheim, Maggy M. Nugues, Gaelle Quere, Pierre E. Galand
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2017)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
David Lecchini, Frederic Bertucci, Camille Gache, Adam Khalife, Marc Besson, Natacha Roux, Cecile Berthe, Shubha Singh, Eric Parmentier, Maggy M. Nugues, Rohan M. Brooker, Danielle L. Dixson, Laetitia Hedouin
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2018)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
G. Quere, R. S. Steneck, M. M. Nugues
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Alexander T. Wolf, Maggy M. Nugues, Christian Wild
Article
Ecology
Anna Fricke, Mirta Teichberg, Maggy M. Nugues, Svenja Beilfuss, Kai Bischof
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL MARINE BIOLOGY AND ECOLOGY
(2014)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
George Roff, Sonia Bejarano, Yves-Marie Bozec, Maggy Nugues, Robert S. Steneck, Peter J. Mumby
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Hannah J. Brocke, Lubos Polerecky, Dirk de Beer, Miriam Weber, Joachim Claudet, Maggy M. Nugues
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Chantale Begin, Christiane K. Schelten, Maggy M. Nugues, Julie Hawkins, Callum Roberts, Isabelle M. Cote
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Andreas Eich, Amanda K. Ford, Maggy M. Nugues, Ryan S. McAndrews, Christian Wild, Sebastian C. A. Ferse
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Hendrikje Jorissen, Maggy M. Nugues
Summary: Oxygen plays a crucial role in coral reef ecosystems, affecting coral physiological processes, larval swimming, and settlement behavior. Low-oxygen environments may negatively impact the settlement success of coral larvae.
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Didier M. de Bakker, Fleur C. van Duyl, Rolf P. M. Bak, Maggy M. Nugues, Gerard Nieuwland, Erik H. Meesters