Measuring mucus thickness in reef corals using a technique devised for vertebrate applications
Measuring mucus thickness in reef corals using a technique devised for vertebrate applications
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使用为脊椎动物应用设计的技术测量珊瑚礁中的粘液厚度
DOI：
10.1007/s00227-009-1313-z
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发表时间：
2010
期刊：
影响因子：
2.4
通讯作者：
Jeffery P. Pearson
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Amita A. Jatkar;B. Brown;J. Bythell;Reia Guppy;N. Morris;Jeffery P. Pearson
一种以前用于测量哺乳动物胃肠道表面粘液层（SML）厚度的方法已被应用于礁珊瑚的SML。它涉及使用显微操作器和细玻璃针（微量吸管）手动测量粘液厚度，并且对珊瑚无破坏性，这意味着可以重复测量。在研究中，所有病例都记录了可测量的粘液层，其中包括来自四种珊瑚的450个个体厚度测量值。粘液厚度范围为145 - 700 μm。因此，无论动态过程控制粘液合成、分泌到组织表面以及随后释放到水柱中，都维持了连续的粘膜屏障。在SML厚度的变化被记录为响应在自然潮汐周期和太阳辐射引起的漂白空气暴露，虽然由于漂白的反应不同的两个研究物种之间。该技术快速、成本效益高，是评估珊瑚底界线厚度的一种简单手段，而底界线厚度是一个随环境条件变化很大的变量，很可能是这些生物体的一个重要健康指标。
A method previously used to measure thickness of the surface mucus layer (SML) of the mammalian gastrointestinal tract has been applied to the SML of reef corals. It involves manual measurement of mucus thickness using a micromanipulator and fine glass needle (micropipette) and is non-destructive to the coral, meaning that repeated measurements can be taken. A measurable mucus layer was recorded in all cases in the study, which comprised 450 individual thickness measurements from four coral species. Mucus thickness ranged from 145 to 700 μm. Thus, whatever dynamic processes control mucus synthesis, secretion to the tissue surface and subsequent release into the water column, a continuous mucosal barrier is maintained. A change in SML thickness was recorded as a response to aerial exposure during the natural tidal cycle and to solar exposure-induced bleaching, although the response due to bleaching varied between two studied species. The technique is rapid, cost-effective and a simple means of assessing coral SML thickness, a variable that shows significant variation in relation to environmental conditions and is likely to be an important health indicator in these organisms.