NSF-BSF: Live Cellular Immune Mechanisms In Corals Under Heat Stress

珊瑚礁是世界上最重要的海洋栖息地之一。它们对人类健康很重要，因为它们保护海岸线，并为许多沿海和岛屿社区提供粮食和经济保障。尽管如此重要，但由于海洋沃茨变暖，珊瑚礁正受到威胁。珊瑚动物由许多细胞组成，包括免疫细胞和胃胚层细胞。腹皮细胞内生活着藻类，这种共生关系对维持珊瑚健康很重要。当水温升高时，珊瑚就会白化。珊瑚和藻类停止生活在一起。在漂白过程中，珊瑚的免疫系统受到损害，使其更有可能生病和死亡。 因此，这项研究旨在了解珊瑚的免疫系统如何对热量做出反应。这项研究对生物经济很重要：如果知道珊瑚是如何抵御疾病的，那么这些信息就可以用来制作诊断工具来识别生病的珊瑚。 我们还可以创造治疗方法来帮助拯救珊瑚。 这些工具将保护珊瑚礁，从而保护海岸线，并为美国沿海社区提供粮食和经济安全。这项研究利用资金来培训研究生和本科生，包括代表性不足的学生。因此，这笔资金正在培养下一代科学领导人。该研究通过与佛罗里达的迈阿密弗罗斯特科学博物馆的合作，利用资金教育家庭了解珊瑚。先天免疫和互利共生是两个基本的重要过程，它们相互联系，但也是相互对立的生存机制。一个生态上重要的例子是石珊瑚。石珊瑚的先天免疫系统在与共生菌共生菌保持有益关系的同时，还必须识别潜在的病原体。科学界缺乏关于负责先天免疫反应的珊瑚细胞和/或负责共生的细胞的可塑性和功能的信息。这项资助的总体目标是应用一种独特的方法，荧光激活细胞分选（FACS），以确定免疫细胞和Symbiodiniaceae相互作用的细胞群在热应激和控制条件下的功能。这一提议的总体假设是，珊瑚拥有专门的免疫细胞群，这些细胞不同于吞噬共生藻科的细胞。使用流式细胞仪和RNA测序，这个国际团队将确定在控制和热应激条件下分离的珊瑚细胞群的形态和基因表达。确定在对照和热应激条件下免疫细胞的功能，并确定热应激诱导漂白期间免疫信号的来源。通过了解这些细胞相互作用，将更好地了解珊瑚免疫系统的细胞机制，特别是在热应激期间。这项研究利用资金来培训研究生和本科生，包括代表性不足的学生。因此，这笔资金正在培养下一代科学领导人。该研究通过与佛罗里达的迈阿密弗罗斯特科学博物馆合作，利用资金教育家庭了解珊瑚。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。

Coral reefs are one of the most important marine habitats in the world. They are important for human health because they protect shorelines, and provide food and economic security for many coastal and island communities. Despite this great importance, coral reefs are under threat due to warming ocean waters. The coral animal consists of many cells including immune cells and gastrodermal cells. Gastrodermal cells have algae that live within them, and this symbiotic relationship is important to maintain coral health. When water temperature increases, coral bleaching occurs. The coral and algae stop living together. During bleaching the coral’s immune system is compromised making it more likely for it to get sick and die. Thus, this research aims to understand how the immune system of corals responds to heat. This research is important for the bioeconomy: if it is known how corals defend against disease, then this information could be used to make diagnostic tools to identify sick corals. We could also create therapeutics to help save corals. These tools would protect coral reefs, which would protect shorelines, and provide food and economic security for coastal communities in the USA. The research uses funding to train graduate and undergraduate students, including under-represented students. As such this funding is training the next generation of leaders in science. The research uses funding to educate families about coral through a partnership with the Miami, Florida Frost Science Museum.Innate immunity and mutualistic symbiosis are two fundamentally important processes that are connected but also opposing mechanisms for survival. An ecologically important example of this exists in stony corals. While also maintaining a beneficial relationship with an endosymbiotic alga, Symbiodiniaceae, stony coral innate immune system must also identify potential pathogens. The scientific community lacks information on the plasticity and function of the coral cells responsible for the innate immune reaction, and/or the cells responsible for symbiosis. The overall goal of this grant is to apply a unique approach, fluorescent activated cell sorting (FACS) to determine the function of immune cells and Symbiodiniaceae-interacting cell populations in heat stressed and control conditions. The overall hypothesis of this proposal is that corals possess specialized populations of immune cells unique from the cells which engulf the Symbiodiniaceae. Using FACS and RNA sequencing, this international team will determine the morphology and gene expression of isolated coral cell populations under control and heat stress conditions. Determine what the function of immune cells during control and heat stress conditions and determine the source of the immune signal during heat stress induced bleaching. By understanding these cellular interactions, a better understand the cellular mechanisms of the coral immune system, especially during heat stress will be gained. The research uses funding to train graduate and undergraduate students, including under-represented students. As such this funding is training the next generation of leaders in science. The research uses funding to educate families about coral through a partnership with the Miami, Florida Frost Science Museum.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.