Class Anthozoa Research Articles

Revize paleontologických nálezů z lokality Úsobrno

The Úsobrno locality is known on the basis of fossil fauna findings, which were documented and published by Vašíček (1941). Field research has not been able to find the original locality yet. In this reason paleontological material which is deposited in the collections of ÚGV PřF MU was researched. We identified a total of 573 species which belonged mainly to the classes Gastropoda, Bivalvia, Anthozoa and Scaphopoda and compared with the original findings mentioned by Vašíček (1941). The age of the samples was determined to be the Lower Badenian.Based on the findings, especially hermatypal corals, it can be assumed that the sea was warm (above 20 °C), well oxygenated with a soft and hard bottom and mostly shallow. Some findings of fauna from deeper marine areas (Ranella fragment, ahermatypal corals) indicate mixing or postmortem transport during sedimentation.

Toxicity of crude oil: a systematic review of the acute impacts on Cnidaria

Cnidarians are ecosystem engineers that play a fundamental role in food webs. However, they are increasingly threatened by anthropogenic activities, such as oil spills, which can cause acute sublethal effects and in some cases, mortality. The literature on this theme is limited and fragmented, with diverse objectives and methodologies, making it challenging to identify consistent patterns and knowledge gaps. This article aims to provide a systematic review of the acute impacts of crude oil and petroleum hydrocarbons on members of the Phylum Cnidaria, to synthesize and integrate the available data. The research followed the PRISMA 2020 guidelines, and employed the search terms: “ crude oil” AND “acute” AND (Cnidaria OR coral), along with the names of each Cnidarian class. The search was restricted to articles published in English from 2013 to 2023, excluding studies that did not directly address the core topic. The number of records collected was relatively low, with only 30 articles identified from 20 studies. The highest number of publications occurred in 2022, and the USA was the most represented country. The Class Anthozoa, particularly corals (order Scleractinia), was the most studied. Research focused on the effects of crude oil on gametes, embryos, larvae, and adults, with most studies examining adult organisms. The majority (56.6%) utilized mixtures of crude oil hydrocarbons, while a smaller proportion (36.6%) focused on pure aromatic hydrocarbons. Most experiments employed water accommodated fractions (36.6%) and continuous flow system (20%). The most common exposure durations (30%) were 96 and 48 h, with exposure times ranging from 18 h to several days. There was significant variation in methodological approaches, underscoring the need for standardized protocols. Research on adult cnidarians primarily assessed health and morphology, lethality, genetic alterations, and symbiont efficiency. In contrast, studies on early life stages focused on lethality, larval metamorphosis, and settlement. Overall, the results indicate that responses vary considerably, particularly concerning exposure time and oil concentration, with sublethal effects at different levels. Further studies incorporating a broader range of species, novel approaches, and the combined effects of elevated temperature and UV radiation are crucial to advancing our understanding of oil impacts on cnidarians.

Elucidation of Medusozoan (Jellyfish) Venom Constituent Activities Using Constellation Pharmacology

Within the phylum Cnidaria, sea anemones (class Anthozoa) express a rich diversity of ion-channel peptide modulators with biomedical applications, but corollary discoveries from jellyfish (subphylum Medusozoa) are lacking. To bridge this gap, bioactivities of previously unexplored proteinaceous and small molecular weight (~15 kDa to 5 kDa) venom components were assessed in a mouse dorsal root ganglia (DRG) high-content calcium-imaging assay, known as constellation pharmacology. While the addition of crude venom led to nonspecific cell death and Fura-2 signal leakage due to pore-forming activity, purified small molecular weight fractions of venom demonstrated three main, concentration-dependent and reversible effects on defined heterogeneous cell types found in the primary cultures of mouse DRG. These three phenotypic responses are herein referred to as phenotype A, B and C: excitatory amplification (A) or inhibition (B) of KCl-induced calcium signals, and test compound-induced disturbances to baseline calcium levels (C). Most notably, certain Alatina alata venom fractions showed phenotype A effects in all DRG neurons; Physalia physalis and Chironex fleckeri fractions predominantly showed phenotype B effects in small- and medium-diameter neurons. Finally, specific Physalia physalis and Alatina alata venom components induced direct excitatory responses (phenotype C) in glial cells. These findings demonstrate a diversity of neuroactive compounds in jellyfish venom potentially targeting a constellation of ion channels and ligand-gated receptors with broad physiological implications.

Bioactive Compounds from Omani Soft Corals Belonging to Genera Sarcophyton and Sinularia

Soft corals are marine invertebrates belonging to the class Anthozoa and are rich in bioactive substances that provide their defense and protection from predators, pathogens, and other unfavorable organisms. Seven soft coral species belonging to the genera Sarcophyton and Sinularia were collected from Omani water and extracted and their antibacterial and antifungal properties were tested using the agar-disk diffusion method and a MicroResp technique. Potential compounds that were present in the species were characterized using GC-MS analysis. The results showed that the soft coral species have anti-bacterial activity against Gram-negative bacteria Pseudomonas putida and Pseudomonas tunicata. The GC-MS analysis found the presence of antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, anticancer, antioxidant agents, agrochemicals, and medicine chemicals. Three novel compounds were found in a Sarcophyton sp. In addition, the compound Andrographolide found in a Sarcophyton sp. has been recently studied as an antiviral agent against SAR-CoV-2. Moreover, the compound Decosane which is found in Sinularia sp. has been used as an anti-parasitic agent against the female Anopheles mosquito to treat malaria in Pakistan. This study highlighted the importance of Omani soft corals as a source of novel bioactive compounds.

Abundance and distribution pattern of macroinvertebrates at Watu Lumbung Beach, Gunungkidul, Yogyakarta

Macroinvertebrates are one of the bioindicators in aquatic ecosystems. The diversity and distribution patterns of functional groups of macroinvertebrate communities are assessed to determine water quality. The objective of this research was to figure out the abundance and distribution of macroinvertebrates in Watu Lumbung Beach, Gunungkidul, Yogyakarta. This study was conducted in May 2022 with the quadrat transect method using 1×1 m quadrats along Watu Lumbung Beach, Gunungkidul, Yogyakarta. Sampling was conducted at two randomly determined stations from the lowest low tide to the middle of the sea. The first station is located near Watu Lumbung reef, which has a distance of 50 m, while the second station is 250 m from the reef, so the distance between stations is 200 m. The Shannon-Weiner diversity index (H') was calculated by analyzing the data. The data obtained in this study are the results of the inventory of macroinvertebrate species at each sampling point and the number of individuals of each species. The results showed the abundance of macroinvertebrates on Watu Lumbung beach found as many as 16 species belonging to 13 families and classified into nine classes (Polychaeta, Malacostraca, Anthozoa, Echinoidea, Ophiuridae, Gastropoda, Polyplacophora, Pilidiophora and Demospongia). The family Ophiocomidae (Ophiocoma erinaceus and Ophiocoma scolopendrina) were the most abundant species at both observation stations. The diversity index is 1.94, which shows that the diversity of macroinvertebrates on Watu Lumbung Beach is categorized as moderate.

EDNA Reveals the Associated Metazoan Diversity of Mediterranean Seagrass Sediments

Anthropogenic impacts on marine ecosystems have led to a decline of biodiversity across the oceans, threatening invaluable ecosystem services on which we depend. Ecological temporal data to track changes in diversity are relatively rare, and the few long-term datasets that exist often only date back a few decades or less. Here, we use eDNA taken from dated sediment cores to investigate changes over approximately the last 100 years of metazoan communities in native (Cymodocea nodosa and Posidonia oceanica) and exotic (Halophila stipulacea) seagrass meadows within the eastern Mediterranean Sea, at two locations in Greece and two in Cyprus. Overall, metazoan communities showed a high turnover of taxa during the past century, where losses of individual taxa in a seagrass meadow were compensated by the arrival of new taxa, probably due to the arrival of exotic species introduced in the Mediterranean Sea from the Suez Canal or the Gibraltar Strait. Specifically, bony fishes (Class Actinopteri) and soft corals (Class Anthozoa) presented significantly higher richness in the past (before the 1980s) than in the most recent time periods (from 1980–2017) and some Cnidarian orders were solely found in the past, whereas sponges and Calanoids (Class Hexanauplia), an order of copepods, showed an increase in richness since the 1980s. Moreover, the Phyla Porifera, Nematoda and the Classes Staurozoa, Hydrozoa and Ophiuroidea were detected in P. oceanica meadows but not in C. nodosa and H. stipulacea, which led to P. oceanica meadows having twice the richness of other seagrasses. The greater richness resulted from the more complex habitat provided by P. oceanica. The combination of eDNA and sediment cores allowed us to reconstruct temporal patterns of metazoan community diversity and provides a novel approach to follow natural communities back in time in the absence of time series and baseline data. The ongoing loss of P. oceanica meadows, likely to be compounded with future warming, might lead to a major loss of biodiversity and the replacement by other seagrass species, whether native or exotic, does not compensate for the loss.

Embryonic development of the moon jellyfish Aurelia aurita (Cnidaria, Scyphozoa): another variant on the theme of invagination

BackgroundAurelia aurita (Scyphozoa, Cnidaria) is an emblematic species of the jellyfish. Currently, it is an emerging model of Evo-Devo for studying evolution and molecular regulation of metazoans’ complex life cycle, early development, and cell differentiation. For Aurelia, the genome was sequenced, the molecular cascades involved in the life cycle transitions were characterized, and embryogenesis was studied on the level of gross morphology. As a reliable representative of the class Scyphozoa, Aurelia can be used for comparative analysis of embryonic development within Cnidaria and between Cnidaria and Bilateria. One of the intriguing questions that can be posed is whether the invagination occurring during gastrulation of different cnidarians relies on the same cellular mechanisms. To answer this question, a detailed study of the cellular mechanisms underlying the early development of Aurelia is required.MethodsWe studied the embryogenesis of A. aurita using the modern methods of light microscopy, immunocytochemistry, confocal laser microscopy, scanning and transmission electron microscopy.ResultsIn this article, we report a comprehensive study of the early development of A. aurita from the White Sea population. We described in detail the embryonic development of A. aurita from early cleavage up to the planula larva. We focused mainly on the cell morphogenetic movements underlying gastrulation. The dynamics of cell shape changes and cell behavior during invagination of the archenteron (future endoderm) were characterized. That allowed comparing the gastrulation by invagination in two cnidarian species—scyphozoan A. aurita and anthozoan Nematostella vectensis. We described the successive stages of blastopore closure and found that segregation of the germ layers in A. aurita is linked to the ’healing’ of the blastopore lip. We followed the developmental origin of the planula body parts and characterized the planula cells’ ultrastructure. We also found that the planula endoderm consists of three morphologically distinct compartments along the oral-aboral axis.ConclusionsEpithelial invagination is a fundamental morphogenetic movement that is believed as highly conserved across metazoans. Our data on the cell shaping and behaviours driving invagination in A. aurita contribute to understanding of morphologically similar morphogenesis in different animals. By comparative analysis, we clearly show that invagination may differ at the cellular level between cnidarian species belonging to different classes (Anthozoa and Scyphozoa). The number of cells involved in invagination, the dynamics of the shape of the archenteron cells, the stage of epithelial-mesenchymal transition that these cells can reach, and the fate of blastopore lip cells may vary greatly between species. These results help to gain insight into the evolution of morphogenesis within the Cnidaria and within Metazoa in general.

Multiple Losses of MSH1, Gain of mtMutS, and Other Changes in the MutS Family of DNA Repair Proteins in Animals.

MutS is a key component of the mismatch repair (MMR) pathway. Members of the MutS protein family are present in prokaryotes, eukaryotes, and viruses. Six MutS homologs (MSH1–6) have been identified in yeast, of which three function in nuclear MMR, while MSH1 functions in mitochondrial DNA repair. MSH proteins are believed to be well conserved in animals, except for MSH1—which is thought to be lost. Two intriguing exceptions to this general picture have been found, both in the class Anthozoa within the phylum Cnidaria. First, an ortholog of the yeast-MSH1 was reported in one hexacoral species. Second, a MutS homolog (mtMutS) has been found in the mitochondrial genome of all octocorals. To understand the origin and potential functional implications of these exceptions, we investigated the evolution of the MutS family both in Cnidaria and in animals in general. Our study confirmed the acquisition of octocoral mtMutS by horizontal gene transfer from a giant virus. Surprisingly, we identified MSH1 in all hexacorals and several sponges and placozoans. By contrast, MSH1 orthologs were lacking in other cnidarians, ctenophores, and bilaterian animals. Furthermore, while we identified MSH2 and MSH6 in nearly all animals, MSH4, MSH5, and, especially, MSH3 were missing in multiple species. Overall, our analysis revealed a dynamic evolution of the MutS family in animals, with multiple losses of MSH1, MSH3, some losses of MSH4 and MSH5, and a gain of the octocoral mtMutS. We propose that octocoral mtMutS functionally replaced MSH1 that was present in the common ancestor of Anthozoa.

New data on the fauna and the biogeographic structure of the Hydrozoa, Scyphozoa, Staurozoa and Alcyonacea (Anthozoa) of the Kara Sea

The paper considers the species composition of the fauna of several cnidarian groups of the Kara Sea. The author presents a list of species of the studied groups and indicates the types of habitat for each species. The analysis was based on the literature data, the collections of the Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences and material collected in the Kara Sea during the expedition to the R/V Professor Multanovsky in 2019. In total, 87 species of Hydrozoa, 3 species of Scyphozoa, 4 species of Staurozoa, and 5 species of the order Alcyonacea from the class Anthozoa were recorded for the fauna of the Kara Sea, based on the new material obtained by the author and published literature data. The report presents the biogeographic structure of the discussed cnidarian groups. According to the types of biogeographic ranges, the fauna of the above-mentioned cnidarian groups in the Kara Sea mostly consists of representatives of the Boreal-Arctic type of habitat (63%), the Boreal and Amphiboreal biogeographic groups each containing 12% of the total number of described species, and the Panoceanic and Arctic groups together accounting for only 9% and 4% of the fauna of the Kara Sea. Two species new for the Kara Sea, Neoturris pileata (Forsskål, 1775) and Neoturris pileata (Forsskål, 1775), are described. Neoturris pileata is an element of the warm-water Atlantic fauna that penetrated into the Kara Sea with waters of Atlantic genesis. Nausithoe werneri is an element of the cold-water Arctic fauna that penetrated into the Novaya Zemlya Trough of the Kara Sea from the north-western side from the St. Anna Trough, which was open to the Polar Basin.

The Biology and Evolution of Calcite and Aragonite Mineralization in Octocorallia

Octocorallia (class Anthozoa, phylum Cnidaria) is a group of calcifying corals displaying a wide diversity of mineral skeletons. This includes skeletal structures composed of different calcium carbonate polymorphs (aragonite and calcite). This represents a unique feature among anthozoans, as scleractinian corals (subclass Hexacorallia), main reef builders and focus of biomineralization research, are all characterized by an aragonite exoskeleton. From an evolutionary perspective, the presence of aragonitic skeletons in Octocorallia is puzzling as it is observed in very few species and has apparently originated during a Calcite sea (i.e., time interval characterized by calcite-inducing seawater conditions). Despite this, octocorals have been systematically overlooked in biomineralization studies. Here we review what is known about octocoral biomineralization, focusing on the evolutionary and biological processes that underlie calcite and aragonite formation. Although differences in research focus between octocorals and scleractinians are often mentioned, we highlight how strong variability also exists between different octocoral groups. Different main aspects of octocoral biomineralization have been in fact studied in a small set of species, including the (calcitic) gorgonianLeptogorgia virgulataand/or the precious coralCorallium rubrum.These include descriptions of calcifying cells (scleroblasts), calcium transport and chemistry of the calcification fluids. With the exception of few histological observations, no information on these features is available for aragonitic octocorals. Availability of sequencing data is also heterogeneous between groups, with no transcriptome or genome available, for instance, for the clade Calcaxonia. Although calcite represents by far the most common polymorph deposited by octocorals, we argue that studying aragonite-forming could provide insight on octocoral, and more generally anthozoan, biomineralization. First and foremost it would allow to compare calcification processes between octocoral groups, highlighting homologies and differences. Secondly, similarities (exoskeleton) betweenHelioporaand scleractinian skeletons, would provide further insight on which biomineralization features are driven by skeleton characteristics (shared by scleractinians and aragonitic octocorals) and those driven by taxonomy (shared by octocorals regardless of skeleton polymorph). Including the diversity of anthozoan mineralization strategies into biomineralization studies remains thus essential to comprehensively study how skeletons form and evolved within this ecologically important group of marine animals.

An enhanced target-enrichment bait set for Hexacorallia provides phylogenomic resolution of the staghorn corals (Acroporidae) and close relatives

An enhanced target-enrichment bait set for Hexacorallia provides phylogenomic resolution of the staghorn corals (Acroporidae) and close relatives

Characterising Functional Venom Profiles of Anthozoans and Medusozoans within Their Ecological Context.

This review examines the current state of knowledge regarding toxins from anthozoans (sea anemones, coral, zoanthids, corallimorphs, sea pens and tube anemones). We provide an overview of venom from phylum Cnidaria and review the diversity of venom composition between the two major clades (Medusozoa and Anthozoa). We highlight that the functional and ecological context of venom has implications for the temporal and spatial expression of protein and peptide toxins within class Anthozoa. Understanding the nuances in the regulation of venom arsenals has been made possible by recent advances in analytical technologies that allow characterisation of the spatial distributions of toxins. Furthermore, anthozoans are unique in that ecological roles can be assigned using tissue expression data, thereby circumventing some of the challenges related to pharmacological screening.

Abundance and distribution pattern of Zoantharians (Cnidaria: Zoanthidea) in intertidal zone of Hormuz Island, the Persian Gulf

Abundance and distribution pattern of Zoantharians (Cnidaria: Zoanthidea) in intertidal zone of Hormuz Island, the Persian Gulf

Mutagenic, genotoxic and cytotoxic studies of invasive corals Tubastraea coccinea and Tubastraea tagusensis.

The high diversity of species in the marine environment gives rise to compounds with unique structural patterns not found as natural products in other systems and with great potential for pharmacological, cosmetic and nutritional use. The genus Tubastraea (Class Anthozoa, Order Scleractinia, Family Dendrophylliidae) is characterized as a hard coral without the presence of zooxanthellae. In species of this genus alkaloids derived from the compound aplysinopsin with pharmacological activity are known. In Brazil T. coccinea and T. tagusensis are characterized as non-indigenous and invasive and are currently found along the Brazilian coast, from Santa Catarina to Bahia states. This study aims to analyze the mutagenic, cytotoxic and genotoxic potential of methanolic and ethanolic extracts from T. coccinea and T. tagusensis collected in Ilha Grande Bay, Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil. Bacterial reverse mutation assay on the standard strains TA97, TA98, TA100, TA102 and TA104, in vitro micronucleus formation test and colorimetric assays for cytotoxic signals on the cell lines HepG2 and RAW264.7 were used. We also synthesized an oxoaplysinopsin derivate alkaloid (APL01) for comparative purposes. No mutagenic (250; 312.5; 375; 437.5 and 500μg/plate) or genotoxic (0.05; 0.5; 5.0; 50 and 500μg/mL) effects were observed in any sample tested for all measured concentrations. Cytotoxic responses were observed for eukaryotic cells in all tested samples at 500 and 5000μg/mL concentrations. Cytotoxicity found in the WST-1 assay was independent of the metabolism of substances present in samples compositions. The cytotoxicity observed in the LDH release assay depended on metabolism.

Global Neuropeptide Annotations From the Genomes and Transcriptomes of Cubozoa, Scyphozoa, Staurozoa (Cnidaria: Medusozoa), and Octocorallia (Cnidaria: Anthozoa).

During animal evolution, ancestral Cnidaria and Bilateria diverged more than 600 million years ago. The nervous systems of extant cnidarians are strongly peptidergic. Neuropeptides have been isolated and sequenced from a few model cnidarians, but a global investigation of the presence of neuropeptides in all cnidarian classes has been lacking. Here, we have used a recently developed software program to annotate neuropeptides in the publicly available genomes and transcriptomes from members of the classes Cubozoa, Scyphozoa, and Staurozoa (which all belong to the subphylum Medusozoa) and contrasted these results with neuropeptides present in the subclass Octocorallia (belonging to the class Anthozoa). We found three to six neuropeptide preprohormone genes in members of the above-mentioned cnidarian classes or subclasses, each coding for several (up to thirty-two) similar or identical neuropeptide copies. Two of these neuropeptide preprohormone genes are present in all cnidarian classes/subclasses investigated, so they are good candidates for being among the first neuropeptide genes evolved in cnidarians. One of these primordial neuropeptide genes codes for neuropeptides having the C-terminal sequence GRFamide (pQGRFamide in Octocorallia; pQWLRGRFamide in Cubozoa and Scyphozoa; pQFLRGRFamide in Staurozoa). The other primordial neuropeptide gene codes for peptides having RPRSamide or closely resembling amino acid sequences. In addition to these two primordial neuropeptide sequences, cnidarians have their own class- or subclass-specific neuropeptides, which probably evolved to serve class/subclass-specific needs. When we carried out phylogenetic tree analyses of the GRFamide or RPRSamide preprohormones from cubozoans, scyphozoans, staurozoans, and octocorallia, we found that their phylogenetic relationships perfectly agreed with current models of the phylogeny of the studied cnidarian classes and subclasses. These results support the early origins of the GRFamide and RPRSamide preprohormone genes.

Comparative Analysis of the Soluble Proteome and the Cytolytic Activity of Unbleached and Bleached Millepora complanata (“Fire Coral”) from the Mexican Caribbean

Coral bleaching caused by global warming has resulted in massive damage to coral reefs worldwide. Studies addressing the consequences of elevated temperature have focused on organisms of the class Anthozoa, and up to now, there is little information regarding the mechanisms by which reef forming Hydrozoans face thermal stress. In this study, we carried out a comparative analysis of the soluble proteome and the cytolytic activity of unbleached and bleached Millepora complanata (“fire coral”) that inhabited reef colonies exposed to the 2015–2016 El Niño-Southern Oscillation in the Mexican Caribbean. A differential proteomic response involving proteins implicated in key cellular processes, such as glycolysis, DNA repair, stress response, calcium homeostasis, exocytosis, and cytoskeleton organization was found in bleached hydrocorals. Four of the proteins, whose levels increased in bleached specimens, displayed sequence similarity to a phospholipase A2, an astacin-like metalloprotease, and two pore forming toxins. However, a protein, which displayed sequence similarity to a calcium-independent phospholipase A2, showed lower levels in bleached cnidarians. Accordingly, the hemolytic effect of the soluble proteome of bleached hydrocorals was significantly higher, whereas the phospholipase A2 activity was significantly reduced. Our results suggest that bleached M. complanata is capable of increasing its toxins production in order to balance the lack of nutrients supplied by its symbionts.

Microbiomes of stony and soft deep-sea corals share rare core bacteria

BackgroundNumerous studies have shown that bacteria form stable associations with host corals and have focused on identifying conserved “core microbiomes” of bacterial associates inferred to be serving key roles in the coral holobiont. Because studies tend to focus on only stony corals (order Scleractinia) or soft corals (order Alcyonacea), it is currently unknown if there are conserved bacteria that are shared by both. A meta-analysis was done of 16S rRNA amplicon data from multiple studies generated via identical methodology to allow direct comparisons of bacterial associates across seven deep-sea corals, including both stony and soft species: Anthothela grandiflora, Anthothela sp., Lateothela grandiflora, Lophelia pertusa, Paramuricea placomus, Primnoa pacifica, and Primnoa resedaeformis.ResultsTwenty-three operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were consistently present in greater than 50% of the coral samples. Seven amplicon sequence variants (ASVs), five of which corresponded to a conserved OTU, were consistently present in greater than 30% of the coral samples including five or greater coral species. A majority of the conserved sequences had close matches with previously identified coral-associated bacteria. While known to dominate tropical and temperate coral microbiomes, Endozoicomonas were extremely rare or absent from these deep-sea corals. An Endozoicomonas OTU associated with Lo. pertusa in this study was most similar to those from shallow-water stony corals, while an OTU associated with Anthothela spp. was most similar to those from shallow-water gorgonians.ConclusionsBacterial sequences have been identified that are conserved at the level of class Anthozoa (i.e., found in both stony and soft corals, shallow and deep). These bacterial associates are therefore hypothesized to play important symbiotic roles and are highlighted for targeted future study. These conserved bacterial associates include taxa with the potential for nitrogen and sulfur cycling, detoxification, and hydrocarbon degradation. There is also some overlap with kit contaminants that need to be resolved. Rarely detected Endozoicomonas sequences are partitioned by whether the host is a stony coral or a soft coral, and the finer clustering pattern reflects the hosts’ phylogeny.

Digging for DNA at depth: rapid universal metabarcoding surveys (RUMS) as a tool to detect coral reef biodiversity across a depth gradient

BackgroundEffective biodiversity monitoring is fundamental in tracking changes in ecosystems as it relates to commercial, recreational, and conservation interests. Current approaches to survey coral reef ecosystems center on the use of indicator species and repeat surveying at specific sites. However, such approaches are often limited by the narrow snapshot of total marine biodiversity that they describe and are thus hindered in their ability to contribute to holistic ecosystem-based monitoring. In tandem, environmental DNA (eDNA) and next-generation sequencing metabarcoding methods provide a new opportunity to rapidly assess the presence of a broad spectrum of eukaryotic organisms within our oceans, ranging from microbes to macrofauna.MethodsWe here investigate the potential for rapid universal metabarcoding surveys (RUMS) of eDNA in sediment samples to provide snapshots of eukaryotic subtropical biodiversity along a depth gradient at two coral reefs in Okinawa, Japan based on 18S rRNA.ResultsUsing 18S rRNA metabarcoding, we found that there were significant separations in eukaryotic community assemblages (at the family level) detected in sediments when compared across different depths ranging from 10 to 40 m (p = 0.001). Significant depth zonation was observed across operational taxonomic units assigned to the class Demospongiae (sponges), the most diverse class (contributing 81% of species) within the phylum Porifera; the oldest metazoan phylum on the planet. However, zonation was not observed across the class Anthozoa (i.e., anemones, stony corals, soft corals, and octocorals), suggesting that the former may serve as a better source of indicator species based on sampling over fine spatial scales and using this universal assay. Furthermore, despite their abundance on the examined coral reefs, we did not detect any octocoral DNA, which may be due to low cellular shedding rates, assay sensitivities, or primer biases.DiscussionOverall, our pilot study demonstrates the importance of exploring depth effects in eDNA and suggest that RUMS may be applied to provide a baseline of information on eukaryotic marine taxa at coastal sites of economic and conservation importance.

A Novel ShK-Like Toxic Peptide from the Transcriptome of the Cnidarian Palythoa caribaeorum Displays Neuroprotection and Cardioprotection in Zebrafish

Palythoa caribaeorum (class Anthozoa) is a zoantharian which, together with other cnidarians, like jellyfishes, hydra, and sea anemones, possesses specialized structures in its tissues, the cnidocytes, which deliver an array of toxins in order to capture prey and deter predators. The whole transcriptome of P. caribaeroum was deep sequenced, and a diversity of toxin-related peptide sequences were identified, and some retrieved for functional analysis. In this work, a peptide precursor containing a ShK domain, named PcShK3, was analyzed by means of computational processing, comprising structural phylogenetic analysis, model prediction, and dynamics simulation of peptide-receptor interaction. The combined data indicated that PcShK3 is a distinct peptide which is homologous to a cluster of peptides belonging to the ShK toxin family. In vivo, PcShK3 distributed across the vitelline membrane and accumulated in the yolk sac stripe of zebrafish larvae. Notably, it displayed a significant cardio-protective effect in zebrafish in concentrations inferior to the IC50 (<43.53 ± 6.45 µM), while in high concentrations (>IC50), it accumulated in the blood and caused pericardial edema, being cardiotoxic to zebrafish larvae. Remarkably, PcShK3 suppressed the 6-OHDA-induced neurotoxicity on the locomotive behavior of zebrafish. The present results indicated that PcShK3 is a novel member of ShK toxin family, and has the intrinsic ability to induce neuro- and cardio-protective effects or cause cardiac toxicity, according to its effective concentration.

Novel Kunitz-like Peptides Discovered in the Zoanthid Palythoa caribaeorum through Transcriptome Sequencing.

Palythoa caribaeorum (class Anthozoa) is a zoanthid that together jellyfishes, hydra, and sea anemones, which are venomous and predatory, belongs to the Phyllum Cnidaria. The distinguished feature in these marine animals is the cnidocytes in the body tissues, responsible for toxin production and injection that are used majorly for prey capture and defense. With exception for other anthozoans, the toxin cocktails of zoanthids have been scarcely studied and are poorly known. Here, on the basis of the analysis of P. caribaeorum transcriptome, numerous predicted venom-featured polypeptides were identified including allergens, neurotoxins, membrane-active, and Kunitz-like peptides (PcKuz). The three predicted PcKuz isotoxins (1-3) were selected for functional studies. Through computational processing comprising structural phylogenetic analysis, molecular docking, and dynamics simulation, PcKuz3 was shown to be a potential voltage gated potassium-channel inhibitor. PcKuz3 fitted well as new functional Kunitz-type toxins with strong antilocomotor activity as in vivo assessed in zebrafish larvae, with weak inhibitory effect toward proteases, as evaluated in vitro. Notably, PcKuz3 can suppress, at low concentration, the 6-OHDA-induced neurotoxicity on the locomotive behavior of zebrafish, which indicated PcKuz3 may have a neuroprotective effect. Taken together, PcKuz3 figures as a novel neurotoxin structure, which differs from known homologous peptides expressed in sea anemone. Moreover, the novel PcKuz3 provides an insightful hint for biodrug development for prospective neurodegenerative disease treatment.