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

ORCC：甜菜碱脂质生物化学在珊瑚耐热性中的作用

• 批准号: 2307516
• 负责人: Robert Quinn
• 金额: $ 182.91万
• 依托单位: Michigan State University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2023-08-15 至 2026-07-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2307516&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: ORCC; Role; Betaine; Lipid; Biochemistry

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.

珊瑚礁建筑珊瑚是珊瑚动物及其许多微生物关联（包括藻类）之间的共生关联。气候变化通过引起称为珊瑚漂白的现象来威胁全世界的珊瑚，这是共生的分解，在热应激期间可能导致死亡。但是，一些珊瑚显示出对漂白的继承抵抗。该项目将旨在了解共生藻类的分子如何促进珊瑚的热耐药性。初步工作表明，耐热珊瑚包含在容易漂白的人中不存在的独特脂质。该项目将探讨这些脂质在珊瑚对热应激的反应中的作用。包括DNA和RNA测序和质谱在内的方法将用于表征在水族箱和夏威夷的活礁上进行热应力实验期间珊瑚的数千个分子。最终目标是了解这些脂质如何促进漂白抗性，并使用这些方法来识别耐热库存以恢复受威胁的夏威夷礁。珊瑚将根据此数据有选择性地繁殖，并在项目完成后对漂白年的几年进行监测，以确定这些珊瑚是否对与气候变化相关的热应力有抵抗力。整合到该项目中的计划是使历史上代表性不足的群体参与STEM领域，包括来自夏威夷和密歇根州的个人。总的来说，该项目将对珊瑚礁的恢复产生更大的影响，同时协同增加代表性不足的群体对海洋生物学令人兴奋的领域的访问。Reef建筑珊瑚是CNIDARIAN HOST，藻类符号，藻类符号和众多微生物的共生关联。热应力由于珊瑚漂白而威胁着全世界的礁石，这是这种共生的崩溃，可能导致珊瑚死亡。然而，一些珊瑚显示出对热应力的遗传性，这是由于其共生成分之间的相互作用所驱动的。该协作项目将旨在了解共生藻类和其他生物化学物质的独特脂质如何有助于珊瑚的热抗性。初步数据表明，抗性珊瑚含有丰富的饱和“甜菜碱脂质”，特别是DGCC类，它们是单细胞藻类独有的新型无磷酸盐膜脂质。该项目将使用先进的代谢组学和质谱法来表征共生藻类及其珊瑚宿主之间的生物化学关系，并表征生物合成途径以生产饱和的小甜菜碱脂质。抗性珊瑚储备将根据其脂质曲线有选择性地繁殖，以改善恢复工作。最终的目的是了解热应力期间珊瑚的动态和/或可塑性，并对珊瑚如何应对气候变化做出反应的生化理解。该奖项反映了NSF的法定任务，并被认为是通过基金会的智力优点和更广泛的影响审查标准通过评估来评估的。