OCE-PRF: Carbon dioxide, pH and bicarbonate sensing pathways in reef-building corals and regulation of homeostasis in response to ocean acidification

OCE-PRF：造礁珊瑚中的二氧化碳、pH 值和碳酸氢盐传感途径以及响应海洋酸化的稳态调节

• 批准号: 1226396
• 负责人: Katie Barott
• 金额: $ 17万
• 依托单位: Barott Katie L
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2012
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2012-08-01 至 2014-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1226396&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: OCE; PRF; Carbon; dioxide; pH

The investigator will study the cellular mechanisms of how reef-building corals sense changes in pH in the surrounding seawater and how the regulation of this pathway affects coral physiological responses to ocean acidification (OA). This project builds on the recent discovery that a bicarbonate (HCO3-) sensing enzyme (soluble adenylyl cyclase [sAC]) involved in the regulation of pH homeostasis in vertebrates is expressed in corals. This enzyme produces cAMP, a universal messenger molecule used in organisms from bacteria to mammals. The investigator's hypothesis is that the sAC pathway is involved in coral pH sensing and regulation of pH homeostasis through the production of cAMP. Coral sAC is stimulated in response to HCO3- concentrations relevant to coral physiology, and differences in sAC activity and regulation will affect coral physiological responses to OA. To test her hypothesis, the investigator will: 1. Characterize the activity and expression of the sAC pathway and its response to CO2, HCO3- and pH in multiple coral species, 2. Determine how the sAC pathway affects coral physiology, including maintenance of pH homeostasis, respiration, photosynthesis, and calcification, 3. Determine how chronic exposure to projected OA conditions affect the regulation of the sAC pathway in corals and how these differences affect coral physiology. The broader impacts of the project include developing a bilingual, multimedia exhibit showcasing the significance of ocean acidification and its effects on the marine environment at the Birch Aquarium in San Diego, reaching a large Latino population, and mentoring two female doctoral students and undergraduates. This project is supported under the NSF Ocean Sciences Postdoctoral Research Fellowship (OCE PRF) program, with goals to support novel research by early career scientists and increase the diversity of the U.S. ocean sciences workforce and research community. With OCE-PRF support, this project will enable a promising early career researcher to establish themselves in an independent research career related to ocean sciences and broaden participation of under-represented groups in the ocean sciences.

研究人员将研究造礁珊瑚如何感知周围海水 pH 值变化的细胞机制，以及该途径的调节如何影响珊瑚对海洋酸化 (OA) 的生理反应。该项目基于最近的发现，即参与脊椎动物 pH 稳态调节的碳酸氢盐 (HCO3-) 传感酶（可溶性腺苷酸环化酶 [sAC]）在珊瑚中表达。这种酶产生 cAMP，这是一种通用信使分子，用于从细菌到哺乳动物的生物体中。研究人员的假设是，sAC 途径通过产生 cAMP 参与珊瑚 pH 值传感和 pH 稳态调节。珊瑚 sAC 受到与珊瑚生理学相关的 HCO3- 浓度的刺激，sAC 活性和调节的差异将影响珊瑚对 OA 的生理反应。为了检验她的假设，研究人员将： 1. 表征 sAC 通路的活性和表达及其对多种珊瑚物种中 CO2、HCO3- 和 pH 的响应， 2. 确定 sAC 通路如何影响珊瑚生理学，包括 pH 值的维持体内平衡、呼吸、光合作用和钙化，3. 确定长期暴露于预计的 OA 条件如何影响珊瑚中 sAC 途径的调节以及这些差异如何影响珊瑚生理学。该项目更广泛的影响包括在圣地亚哥伯奇水族馆开发一个双语多媒体展览，展示海洋酸化的重要性及其对海洋环境的影响，影响大量拉丁裔人口，并指导两名女博士生和本科生。该项目得到了 NSF 海洋科学博士后研究奖学金 (OCE PRF) 计划的支持，其目标是支持早期职业科学家的新颖研究，并增加美国海洋科学劳动力和研究界的多样性。在 OCE-PRF 的支持下，该项目将使有前途的早期职业研究人员能够在与海洋科学相关的独立研究生涯中建立自己的地位，并扩大海洋科学领域代表性不足群体的参与。