ORCC: The Role of Betaine Lipid Biochemistry in Coral Thermal Tolerance

ORCC：甜菜碱脂质生物化学在珊瑚耐热性中的作用

• 批准号: 2307516
• 负责人: Robert Quinn
• 金额: $ 182.91万
• 依托单位: Michigan State University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2023-08-15 至 2026-07-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2307516&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: ORCC; Role; Betaine; Lipid; Biochemistry

Reef building corals are a symbiotic association between a coral animal and its many microbial associates, including algae. Climate change is threatening corals worldwide by causing a phenomenon called coral bleaching, which is a breakdown of the symbiosis that can lead to death during thermal stress. However, some corals show an inherent resistance to bleaching. This project will aim to understand how molecules from symbiotic algae contribute to coral thermal resistance. Preliminary work has shown that thermally resistant corals contain unique lipids that are not present in those susceptible to bleaching. This project will explore the role of these lipids in the response of corals to thermal stress. Methods, including DNA and RNA sequencing and mass spectrometry, will be used to characterize thousands of molecules from corals during thermal stress experiments in aquaria and on live reefs in Hawai’i. The ultimate goal is to understand how these lipids contribute to bleaching resistance and to use these methods to identify thermally resistant stock for restoring threatened Hawaiian reefs. Corals will be selectively bred based on this data and monitored for bleaching years after the project’s completion to determine whether these corals remain resistant to thermal stress associated with climate change. Integrated into the project are programs to involve historically underrepresented groups in the STEM fields, including individuals from Hawai’i and Michigan. Collectively, this project will have broader impacts on coral reef restoration while synergistically increasing access of underrepresented groups to the exciting field of marine biology.Reef building corals are a symbiotic association of a Cnidarian host, algal symbionts, and myriad microorganisms. Thermal stress is threatening reefs worldwide due to coral bleaching, which is a breakdown of this symbiosis that can lead to coral death. However, some corals show an inherent resistance to thermal stress, driven by interactions among its symbiotic constituents. This collaborative project will aim to understand how unique lipids from symbiotic algae and other biochemicals contribute to coral thermal resistance. Preliminary data has shown that resistant corals contain abundant, saturated ‘betaine lipids’, specifically the DGCC class, which are a novel group of phosphate-free membrane lipids unique to unicellular algae. This project will use advanced metabolomics and mass spectrometry methods to characterize the biochemical relationships between symbiotic algae and their coral hosts and characterize the biosynthetic pathway for the production of the saturated betaine lipids. Resistant coral stock will be selectively bred based on their lipid profiles to improve restoration efforts. The ultimate aim is to understand the dynamism and/or plasticity of corals during thermal stress and provide a biochemical understanding of how corals will respond to climate change.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.

造礁珊瑚是珊瑚动物与包括藻类在内的许多微生物之间的共生关系。气候变化正在威胁着全世界的珊瑚，它导致了一种叫做珊瑚漂白的现象，这是一种共生关系的破坏，可能导致热应力期间的死亡。然而，一些珊瑚显示出对漂白的固有抵抗力。该项目旨在了解共生藻类的分子如何有助于珊瑚耐热性。初步工作表明，耐热珊瑚含有独特的脂质，这些脂质在那些容易白化的珊瑚中不存在。这个项目将探讨这些脂质在珊瑚对热应力的反应中的作用。包括DNA和RNA测序以及质谱分析在内的方法将用于在水族馆和夏威夷活珊瑚礁的热应力实验期间表征珊瑚的数千个分子。最终目标是了解这些脂质如何有助于抗漂白，并使用这些方法来确定耐热股票恢复受威胁的夏威夷珊瑚礁。珊瑚将根据这些数据进行选择性繁殖，并在项目完成后数年内监测珊瑚的漂白情况，以确定这些珊瑚是否能够抵抗与气候变化相关的热应力。纳入该项目的是涉及STEM领域历史上代表性不足的群体的计划，包括来自夏威夷和密歇根州的个人。总的来说，这个项目将对珊瑚礁恢复产生更广泛的影响，同时协同增加代表性不足的群体进入令人兴奋的海洋生物学领域。造礁珊瑚是刺胞动物宿主，藻类共生体和无数微生物的共生协会。由于珊瑚白化，热应力正在威胁着世界各地的珊瑚礁，这是一种可能导致珊瑚死亡的共生关系的崩溃。然而，一些珊瑚显示出对热应力的内在抵抗力，这是由其共生成分之间的相互作用驱动的。该合作项目旨在了解共生藻类和其他生物化学物质的独特脂质如何有助于珊瑚耐热性。初步数据表明，耐药珊瑚含有丰富的饱和“甜菜碱脂质”，特别是DGCC类，这是一组新的无磷酸盐膜脂质，是单细胞藻类所独有的。该项目将使用先进的代谢组学和质谱分析方法来确定共生藻类与其珊瑚宿主之间的生物化学关系，并确定生产饱和甜菜碱脂质的生物合成途径。将根据耐抗性珊瑚种群的脂质分布情况，有选择地培育耐抗性珊瑚种群，以改善恢复工作。最终目的是了解珊瑚在热应力期间的动力学和/或可塑性，并提供珊瑚如何应对气候变化的生物化学理解。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。