Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms Governing Cnidarian/Dinoflagellate Mutualisms: Cell Biology, Innate Immunity, Functional Genomics

刺胞/甲藻共生的细胞与分子机制：细胞生物学、先天免疫、功能基因组学。俄勒冈州州立大学的Virginia Weis博士获得了一笔赠款，用于研究刺胞动物（如造礁珊瑚）与其组织内的单细胞共生甲藻之间的细胞和分子相互作用。 Weis的研究小组将确定和表征宿主珊瑚和密切相关的海葵中的基因和细胞通路，这些基因和细胞通路在建立和维持这些重要的互利相互作用中发挥作用。 越来越多的证据表明，在微生物寄生虫和病原体入侵动物宿主时起作用的细胞途径与建立有益共生体（如珊瑚）时使用的细胞途径相同。 该奖项将：1）在显微镜下从周围环境中获得共生体的珊瑚幼虫中，检查共生开始期间的伴侣间分子信号，2）使用最先进的基因组学技术在世界数据库中搜索在对抗入侵者中重要的刺胞动物基因，然后确定这些相同的基因是否在这种有益的共生过程中起作用，3）检查细胞信号通路的功能，在其他系统中，它在控制共生中起着细胞生长的作用。2在每个生态系统中，两个或多个不相关的生物体之间存在共生关系。 这些关系包括一系列的生活方式，从互利到寄生，从细胞外到细胞内。 最重要的海洋互惠关系是珊瑚与其藻类共生体之间的互惠关系，它们共同构成整个珊瑚礁生态系统的营养和结构基础。 人们对珊瑚在宏观尺度上的了解很多，例如它们的全球分布和生态。 然而，在启动，建立和维持这些共生过程中发生的合作伙伴间的沟通和监管的微观过程仍然在很大程度上未被探索。 由于缺乏对这些过程的基本知识，人们难以理解珊瑚白化这一全球现象，这是共生关系破裂的结果。 大范围的白化导致珊瑚死亡和珊瑚礁退化，被认为是一个严重的环境威胁。 这项研究将采取多层次的方法来检查周围的珊瑚和它们的共生藻类之间的共生的启动，建立和维持的事件。

Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms Governing Cnidarian/Dinoflagellate Mutualisms: Cell Biology, Innate Immunity, Functional GenomicsVirginia M. Weis, Oregon State UniversityA grant has been awarded to Dr. Virginia Weis of Oregon State University to examine the cellular and molecular interactions between cnidarians, such as reef-building corals, and their single-celled symbiotic dinoflagellate algae resident within their tissues. Weis' group will identify and characterize genes and cellular pathways in host corals and closely related anemones that function in the establishment and maintenance of these important mutualistic interactions. These is increasing evidence that the cellular pathways that function in the invasion by microbial parasites and pathogens of animals hosts are the same ones used in the establishment of beneficial symbioses such as corals. This award will: 1) examine inter-partner molecular signaling during the onset of symbiosis in microscopic larval corals that acquire their symbionts from their surroundings, 2) use state-of-the-art genomics techniques to search the world's databases for cnidarian genes important in fighting off invaders and then determine if these same genes are at play during this beneficial symbiosis, 3) examine the function of a cellular signaling pathway, that is known to function in cell growth in other systems, in the control of the symbiosis.Symbiotic associations between two or more unrelated organisms are found throughout every ecosystem. These relationships encompass a spectrum of lifestyles, from mutualistic to parasitic, and from extracellular to intracellular. Among the most significant marine mutualisms are those between corals and their algal symbionts, which together form both the trophic and structural foundation of the entire coral reef ecosystem. A great deal is known about corals on a macroscale level, such as their global distribution and ecology. However, microscale processes of inter-partner communication and regulation that occur during the initiation, establishment and maintenance of these symbioses remain largely unexplored. A lack of basic knowledge of these processes has hampered efforts to understand the global phenomenon of coral bleaching, which is the result of the breakdown of the symbiosis. Widespread bleaching, which leads to coral death and reef degradation, is considered a serious environmental threat. This study will take a multileveled approach to the examination of the events surrounding the initiation, establishment and maintenance of symbioses between corals and their symbiotic algae.