Release of Symbiotic Dinoflagellates from Coral Reef Anthozoans: Effect of Elevated Temperature, Mode of Release,Cellular Mechanisms

本项目将研究温度升高对热带珊瑚和海葵释放共生动物（虫黄藻）的影响。在野外，研究将试图确定哪些分类群易受高温诱导的释放，引起释放的时间-温度参数以及释放模式。在实验室中，研究将利用海葵（Aiptasia pulchella）和选定的珊瑚礁珊瑚，研究温度升高引起宿主细胞释放虫黄藻的细胞机制。免疫荧光和药理学试剂将用于表征游离细胞内钙的水平，细胞中选定的骨骼蛋白的完整性，以及钙依赖性粘附蛋白的合成。个体宿主细胞将通过浸渍获得。温度升高的电池将与环境温度下的对照进行比较。研究结果将从生态学的角度说明温度升高对珊瑚礁珊瑚虫的潜在影响，从细胞的角度说明温度升高如何导致细胞分离、虫黄藻的丧失和主导热带珊瑚礁的海洋共生体的不稳定。

This project will investigate the effect of elevated temperature on release of symbiotic animals (zooxanthellae) by tropical corals and sea anemones. In the field, studies will attempt to determine which taxa are susceptible to elevated temperature-induced release, the time-temperature parameters which evoke release, and the mode of release. In the laboratory, studies will investigate the cellular mechanism by which elevated temperature evokes release of zooxanthellae by host cells, using the sea anemone Aiptasia pulchella and selected reef corals. Immunofluorescence and pharmacological agents will be used to characterize levels of free intracellular calcium, integrity of selected skeletal proteins in the cell, and synthesis of calcium-dependent adhesion proteins. Individual host cells will be obtained by maceration. Cells subjected to elevated temperature will be compared to controls at ambient temperature. The results will indicate in ecological terms the potential impact of elevated temperature on coral reef anthozoans, and in cellular terms how elevated temperature causes cell detachment, loss of zooxanthellae and destabilizaiton of marine symbioses which dominate tropical coral reefs.