Abstract
BackgroundChemosensation is a critical signalling process for all organisms and is achieved through the interaction between chemosensory receptors and their ligands. The Crown-of-thorns starfish, Acanthaster planci species complex (COTS), is a predator of coral polyps and Acanthaster cf. solaris is currently considered to be one of the main drivers of coral loss on the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland, Australia.ResultsThis study reveals the presence of putative variant Ionotropic Receptors (IRs) which are differentially expressed in the olfactory organs of COTS. Several other types of G protein-coupled receptors such as adrenergic, metabotropic glutamate, cholecystokinin, trace-amine associated, GRL101 and GPCR52 receptors have also been identified. Several receptors display male-biased expression within the sensory tentacles, indicating possible reproductive significance.ConclusionsMany of the receptors identified in this study may have a role in reproduction and are therefore key targets for further investigation. Based on their differential expression within the olfactory organs and presence in multiple tissues, it is possible that several of these receptor types have expanded within the Echinoderm lineage. Many are likely to be species-specific with novel ligand-binding affinity and a diverse range of functions. This study is the first to describe the presence of variant Ionotropic Glutamate Receptors in any Echinoderm, and is only the second study to investigate chemosensory receptors in any starfish or marine pest. These results represent a significant step forward in understanding the chemosensory abilities of COTS.
Highlights
Chemosensation is a critical signalling process for all organisms and is achieved through the interaction between chemosensory receptors and their ligands
Differential gene expression analysis was performed on the three sets of experimental groups (Additional file 2: File S1a-c), and hierarchical clustering placed samples into distinct clusters based on their level of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and condition (Fig. 1)
A significant challenge moving forward will be to elucidate the function of these receptors. These findings provide an important step forward in the development of control methods for Crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS), as the identification of receptors which can be targeted by specific ligands could be the key to manipulating COTS behaviours
Summary
Chemosensation is a critical signalling process for all organisms and is achieved through the interaction between chemosensory receptors and their ligands [1]. Amongst the complexity of environmental molecules, ORs can be specific to pheromones, which are crucial for regulating mate attraction in many species from invertebrates to mammals [6]. Pheromone receptors and their corresponding ligands are often differentially expressed in specific tissues between the males and females of the same species. While there is an extensive base of knowledge about olfaction in terrestrial species, comparatively little is known about these processes in aquatic organisms
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