Variation in measures of immunocompetence of sea fan coral, Gorgonia ventalina, in the Florida Keys
Variation in measures of immunocompetence of sea fan coral, Gorgonia ventalina, in the Florida Keys
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DOI：
10.1007/s00227-008-1024-x
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发表时间：
2008-09-01
期刊：
影响因子：
2.4
通讯作者：
Douglas, N. L.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Couch, C. S.;Mydlarz, L. D.;Douglas, N. L.
珊瑚虫病是一种广泛传播的疾病，影响了加勒比海扇珊瑚Gorgonia ventalina的人口统计。先天珊瑚免疫防御可以测量为免疫蛋白（过氧化物酶[POX]、酚氧化酶原[PPO]、溶菌酶样活性[LYS]、外几丁质酶[EXOC]）、抗氧化剂（超氧化物歧化酶[SOD]）和抗微生物（抗细菌[AB]和抗真菌[AF]）活性的组成水平。因此，这些参数在一个地理区域的变化可以为环境在疾病中的作用提供线索。这项研究检查了健康的海扇收集在2005年7月从六个近海站点在佛罗里达群岛之间的24.569度N和25.220度N，距离类似于145公里。与预期相反，在任何测量参数中，小菌落（< 15 cm）与大菌落（> 15 cm）在基于蛋白质的活性水平方面没有显著差异。然而，有显着差异，在许多参数之间的网站，糖蜜礁和Looe关键礁是最不同的POX，PPO，SOD和AF活性。这表明，有潜在的特定位点的环境因素，塑造殖民地的免疫生理。环境压力的几个代理也对免疫参数的水平进行了回归。代理包括10年平均的底栖生物群落组成，5年平均的水质，以及历史上曲霉病的患病率和严重程度。关于环境驱动因素的一般性受到仅测定六个地点的限制，但确实出现了几种模式。超氧化物歧化酶，EXOC和AF活性都与裸露的基板覆盖百分比，这表明某些免疫成分可能会被激活，在低珊瑚环境。LYS和EXOC活性与溶解性无机氮（DIN），水质的一个代理呈正相关。任何测量的免疫参数与既往疾病患病率和严重程度之间均无相关性。这项研究是评估珊瑚免疫力的内部和站点之间变化水平和调查可能的环境驱动因素的第一步。
Aspergillosis is a widespread disease that has impacted the demography of the Caribbean sea fan coral, Gorgonia ventalina. The innate coral immune defenses can be measured as constitutive levels of immune proteins (peroxidase [POX], prophenoloxidase [PPO], lysozyme-like activity [LYS], exochitinase [EXOC]), antioxidant (superoxide dismutase [SOD]), and antimicrobial (antibacterial [AB] and antifungal [AF]) activity. Therefore, variations in these parameters across a geographic region could provide clues to the role of environment in disease. This study examined healthy sea fans collected in July 2005 from six offshore sites in the Florida Keys lying between 24.569 degrees N and 25.220 degrees N, a distance of similar to 145 km. Contrary to expectations, small (< 15 cm) colonies did not differ significantly from large colonies (> 15 cm) in the protein-based levels of activity in any of the measured parameters. However, there were significant differences in many of the parameters among sites, and Molasses Reef and Looe Key Reef were the most different in POX, PPO, SOD, and AF activity. This suggests that there are potential site-specific environmental factors that shape the immune physiology of colonies. Several proxies of environmental stress were also regressed against levels of the immune parameters. The proxies included 10 year averages of benthic community composition, 5 year averages of water quality, and historic aspergillosis disease prevalence and severity. Generality about environmental drivers was limited by assaying only six sites, but several patterns did emerge. SOD, EXOC, and AF activity were all correlated with percent bare substrate cover, suggesting that certain immune components may be activated in low coral environments. LYS and EXOC activity were positively correlated with dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN), one proxy of water quality. There were no relationships between any of the measured immune parameters and previous disease prevalence and severity. This study is a first step in evaluating levels of within- and between-site variation in coral immunity and investigating possible environmental drivers.