Molecular diversity and gene expression analyses of stony corals showing different degree of bleaching stages from the Hainan Island (South China Sea)

海南岛不同程度白化阶段石珊瑚的分子多样性和基因表达分析

• 批准号: 218385097
• 负责人: Dr. Marleen Perseke
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: South China Sea Institut of Oceanology
• 依托单位国家: 德国
• 项目类别: Research Fellowships
• 财政年份: 2012
• 资助国家: 德国
• 起止时间: 2011-12-31 至 2014-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gepris.dfg.de/gepris/projekt/218385097?language=en
• 关键词: Molecular; diversity; gene; expression; analyses

Coral reefs are biological diverse and high productive ecosystems in marine waters that contain few nutrients. The structural foundations of most coral reefs are tiny polyps of stony coral colonies forming a obligate symbioses to unicellular ‚zooxanthella‘ for nutrition exchange. Stony corals (Scleractinia) belong to the taxon Anthozoa (Cnidaria) representing a basal member of Metazoa. The rapid economic development and population growth in the coastal regions of South China Sea over the last several decades leaded to serious degration of many Chinese Coral Reefs. Furthermore, the breakdown of the delicate symbioses is called ‚coral bleaching‘, which actually threatens the vitality and productivity of coral reefs worldwide. Detailed studies on the molecular understanding of bleaching process as well as the dependences to the scleractinian and symbiont diversity are urgently needed for sustainable protection measures of the coral reefs and their productions.The present study is designed to investigate the molecular diversity of stony corals and their endosymbionts from Hainan Island (South China Sea). The expression pattern of possible key-genes of the bleaching process, especially variant histone gene, will be determined to analyze their roles in the bleaching process. The expression level variability within a colony as well as their correlations to coral and symbiont diversity will be analyzed using a DNA- and RNA-extraction methods that enables the analyses of individual polyps of a colony.Thus, this study will give important insights in the molecular process of bleaching take place in natural populations and can show genetic relationships between different coral reefs in the South China Sea. Additionally, it could be an innovative work to detect suitable markers for scleractinian phylogeny. The results will support effective coral reef management especially on the chinese coast and enable a better evaluation of the threat of corals reefs worldwide.

珊瑚礁是海洋沃茨中的生物多样性和高生产力生态系统，营养物质很少。大多数珊瑚礁的结构基础是石珊瑚群落的微小息肉，它们与单细胞的“虫黄藻”形成专性共生体，进行营养交换。石珊瑚（石珊瑚属）属于珊瑚纲（刺胞动物门），代表后生动物门的基部成员.近几十年来，南海沿海地区经济的快速发展和人口的迅速增长，导致了我国许多珊瑚礁的严重退化。此外，这种微妙的共生关系的破坏被称为“珊瑚漂白”，这实际上威胁着全球珊瑚礁的生命力和生产力。为了更好地保护珊瑚礁及其生物资源，深入研究珊瑚礁漂白过程的分子机制及其与石珊瑚和共生体多样性的关系，本研究对海南岛石珊瑚及其共生体的分子多样性进行了研究。本研究将通过对可能的漂白过程关键基因，特别是变异组蛋白基因的表达模式的研究，分析其在漂白过程中的作用。通过DNA和RNA的提取方法，可以分析群体内单个珊瑚虫的基因表达水平的变化及其与珊瑚和共生体多样性的相关性，从而为研究自然群体中发生的白化的分子过程提供重要的信息，并揭示南海不同珊瑚礁之间的遗传关系。此外，寻找合适的石蟹幼体发生的分子标记也是一项创新性的工作。研究结果将为有效的珊瑚礁管理提供支持，特别是在中国沿海，并使人们能够更好地评估全球珊瑚礁的威胁。