Transcription Factors in Cnidarian Immunity, Symbiosis, and Bleaching

刺胞动物免疫、共生和漂白中的转录因子

• 批准号: 1937650
• 负责人: Thomas Gilmore
• 金额: $ 92.1万
• 依托单位: Trustees of Boston University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2020-03-01 至 2025-02-28
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1937650&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Transcription; Factors; Cnidarian; Immunity; Symbiosis

The research to be carried out in this project will provide increased knowledge of the molecular factors (genes and proteins) that are involved in immunity and stress responses in a group of natural and model marine organisms, including corals and sea anemones. This project will investigate the role of a cellular transcription factor, NF-kappaB, which is important for immunity. The research will identify genes that are activated by NF-kappaB when an algal symbiont is removed from its host coral or when coral is stressed by bleaching. This information will be helpful in understanding how corals and sea anemones are affected by changes in their environments. It will also identify how the algal symbiont of a coral helps the coral stay healthy. Finally, it will enhance the understanding of the NF-kappaB protein, which is a highly conserved protein and important for immunity in other animals, including humans. Thus, these results could also lead to new insights with implications for human health. The interdisciplinary research team comprises a junior scientist with expertise in areas of marine ecology and gene expression and a senior scientist with expertise in molecular pathway analysis. In addition, the research will provide training to students (especially undergraduate and graduate students) who will be able to pursue careers in related areas in academia, the private sector, or government.This research will further the understanding of molecular processes that regulate a key symbiosis, and how disruption of those processes can lead to dysbiosis. The marine symbiosis to be studied is that which occurs between certain cnidarian hosts (sea anemones and corals) and algae of the family Symbiodiniaceae. Specifically, this research will provide insights into the function of NF-kappaB and other signaling pathways in cnidarian immunity, and the biological significance of modulation of NF-kappaB and other transcription factors for cnidarian-algal symbiosis. The conserved NF-kappaB transcription factor controls innate immune and stress responses in a variety of organisms. NF-kappaB carries out its biological effects by regulating the expression of genes that program relevant biological responses. As such, three major experimental goals will be addressed. (1) To identify target genes of NF-kappaB that are affected by loss of symbiosis in laboratory controlled experiments in the sea anemone model Aiptasia, as well as the regulation of NF-kappaB by internal and external cues. (2) Using a novel high-throughput approach, additional transcription factors altered by loss of symbiosis in Aiptasia will also be identified. (3) The effects of the establishment and loss of symbiosis on NF-kappaB, and other signaling pathways in corals, using laboratory and field collected specimens, will also be pursued. The research will enhance the understanding of the evolutionary underpinnings of a key signal transduction pathway (NF-kappaB), its role in symbiosis, and how such signaling pathways can direct biological outcomes in response to environmental changes.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

本项目将进行的研究将提供更多的知识，使人们了解一组自然和模式海洋生物，包括珊瑚和海葵的免疫和应激反应所涉及的分子因素（基因和蛋白质）。该项目将研究细胞转录因子NF-κ B的作用，NF-κ B对免疫力很重要。这项研究将确定当藻类共生体从宿主珊瑚中移除或珊瑚因漂白而受到压力时，NF-κ B激活的基因。这些信息将有助于了解珊瑚和海葵如何受到环境变化的影响。它还将确定珊瑚的藻类共生体如何帮助珊瑚保持健康。 最后，它将增强对NF-κ B蛋白的理解，NF-κ B蛋白是一种高度保守的蛋白质，对包括人类在内的其他动物的免疫力非常重要。因此，这些结果也可能导致对人类健康产生影响的新见解。该跨学科研究团队由一名在海洋生态学和基因表达领域具有专长的初级科学家和一名在分子途径分析方面具有专长的高级科学家组成。此外，该研究还将为学生（特别是本科生和研究生）提供培训，使他们能够在学术界、私营部门或政府的相关领域从事职业。该研究将进一步了解调节关键共生关系的分子过程，以及这些过程的破坏如何导致生态失调。要研究的海洋共生现象是某些刺胞动物宿主（海葵和珊瑚）与共生藻科藻类之间的共生现象。具体而言，这项研究将提供深入了解核因子-κ B和其他信号通路在刺胞免疫中的功能，以及核因子-κ B和其他转录因子的调节对刺胞藻共生的生物学意义。保守的NF-κ B转录因子在多种生物体中控制先天免疫和应激反应。NF-κ B通过调节编程相关生物反应的基因的表达来实现其生物学效应。因此，将解决三个主要的实验目标。(1)在实验室对照实验中，在海葵模型Aiptasia中鉴定受共生丧失影响的NF-κ B的靶基因，以及NF-κ B通过内部和外部线索的调节。(2)使用一种新的高通量方法，在Aiptasia的共生关系的损失改变了额外的转录因子也将被确定。(3)还将利用实验室和现场收集的标本，研究共生关系对NF-κ B和珊瑚中其他信号通路的建立和丧失的影响。该研究将增强对关键信号转导通路（NF-κ B）的进化基础、其在共生中的作用以及此类信号通路如何在应对环境变化时指导生物结果的理解。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

项目成果

Characterizing environmental stress responses of aposymbiotic Astrangia poculata to divergent thermal challenges

• DOI: 10.1111/mec.16108
• 发表时间: 2021-08
• 期刊: Molecular Ecology
• 影响因子: 4.9
• 作者: D. Wuitchik;A. Almanzar;Brooke Elizabeth Benson;S. Brennan;J. Chávez;M. Liesegang;J. Reavis;C. L. Reyes;M. Schniedewind;I. Trumble;S. Davies

Heat challenge elicits stronger physiological and gene expression responses than starvation in symbiotic Oculina arbuscula

在共生的 Oculina arbuscula 中，热挑战比饥饿引发更强的生理和基因表达反应

• DOI: 10.1093/jhered/esac068
• 发表时间: 2023
• 期刊: Journal of Heredity
• 影响因子: 3.1
• 作者: Rivera, Hanny E;Tramonte, Carlos A;Samaroo, Jason;Dickerson, Hayden;Davies, Sarah W
• 通讯作者: Davies, Sarah W

An innate ability: How do basal invertebrates manage their chronic exposure to microbes?

• DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1010897
• 发表时间: 2022-10
• 期刊: PLoS pathogens
• 影响因子: 6.7

Help Me, Symbionts, You're My Only Hope: Approaches to Accelerate our Understanding of Coral Holobiont Interactions

• DOI: 10.1093/icb/icac141
• 发表时间: 2022-09-13
• 期刊: INTEGRATIVE AND COMPARATIVE BIOLOGY
• 影响因子: 2.6
• 作者: Bove，Colleen B.;Ingersoll，Maria Valadez;Davies，Sarah W.
• 通讯作者: Davies，Sarah W.