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

造礁珊瑚是珊瑚动物与其包括藻类在内的许多微生物伙伴之间的共生关系。气候变化正在威胁世界各地的珊瑚，导致一种名为珊瑚漂白的现象，这是在热应激期间可能导致死亡的共生关系的破坏。然而，一些珊瑚对漂白表现出天生的抵抗力。该项目旨在了解共生藻类的分子如何影响珊瑚的耐热性。初步研究表明，耐热珊瑚含有独特的脂类，而那些易漂白的珊瑚中没有这种脂类。这个项目将探索这些脂质在珊瑚对热应激的反应中的作用。在水族馆和夏威夷活珊瑚礁的热应激实验期间，将使用包括DNA和RNA测序和质谱分析在内的方法来表征珊瑚中的数千个分子。最终目标是了解这些脂类如何有助于抵抗漂白，并使用这些方法来识别抗热储备，以恢复受到威胁的夏威夷珊瑚礁。将根据这些数据有选择地培育珊瑚，并在该项目完成后对漂白的年份进行监测，以确定这些珊瑚是否仍能抵抗与气候变化有关的热应力。纳入该项目的是让STEM领域历史上代表性不足的群体参与的方案，包括来自夏威夷和密歇根州的个人。总体而言，该项目将对珊瑚礁恢复产生更广泛的影响，同时协同增加未被充分代表的群体进入令人兴奋的海洋生物领域的机会。造礁珊瑚是珊瑚礁宿主、藻类共生体和无数微生物的共生组合。由于珊瑚白化，热应力正在威胁着世界各地的珊瑚礁，这是这种共生关系的破坏，可能导致珊瑚死亡。然而，一些珊瑚表现出对热应力的固有抵抗力，这是由共生成分之间的相互作用驱动的。这个合作项目的目标是了解共生藻类和其他生物化学物质中独特的脂类如何对珊瑚的耐热性做出贡献。初步数据显示，抗性珊瑚含有丰富的饱和甜菜碱脂，特别是DGCC类，这是一组新的单细胞藻类特有的无磷膜脂。该项目将使用先进的代谢组学和质谱学方法来表征共生藻和它们的珊瑚宿主之间的生化关系，并表征产生饱和甜菜碱脂的生物合成途径。抗性珊瑚种群将根据它们的脂类分布进行选择性繁殖，以改善恢复工作。最终目的是了解珊瑚在热应激期间的动态和/或可塑性，并提供珊瑚将如何应对气候变化的生化理解。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

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.