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.

珊瑚礁珊瑚是珊瑚动物与其许多微生物伙伴（包括藻类）之间的共生关系，气候变化导致珊瑚白化现象，从而导致珊瑚白化，从而导致珊瑚在热应激过程中死亡。然而，一些珊瑚表现出固有的抗白化能力，该项目旨在了解共生藻类的分子如何促进珊瑚的耐热性。初步研究表明，耐热珊瑚含有不存在的独特脂质。该项目将探索这些脂质在珊瑚对热应激反应中的作用，包括 DNA 和 RNA 测序以及质谱分析在内的方法将用于在热应激实验中表征珊瑚中的数千个分子。最终目标是了解这些脂质如何有助于抗白化，并利用这些方法来识别耐热种群，以恢复受威胁的夏威夷珊瑚礁。项目完成后数年对这些数据进行白化监测，以确定这些珊瑚是否仍能抵抗与气候变化相关的热应力。该项目还纳入了一些计划，涉及 STEM 领域历史上代表性不足的群体，包括来自夏威夷和密歇根的个人。总的来说，该项目将对珊瑚礁恢复产生更广泛的影响，同时协同增加代表性不足的群体进入令人兴奋的海洋生物学领域的机会。造礁珊瑚是刺胞动物宿主藻类的共生协会由于珊瑚白化，热应激正在威胁着全世界的珊瑚礁，这种共生关系的崩溃可能导致珊瑚死亡。然而，由于共生成分之间的相互作用，一些珊瑚表现出对热应激的固有抵抗力。该合作项目旨在了解共生藻类和其他生化物质的独特脂质如何有助于珊瑚的耐热性。初步数据表明，具有抵抗力的珊瑚含有丰富的饱和“甜菜碱脂质”。特别是 DGCC 类，这是单细胞藻类特有的一组新型无磷酸盐膜脂。该项目将使用先进的代谢组学和质谱方法来表征共生藻类与其珊瑚宿主之间的生化关系，并表征其生物合成途径。饱和甜菜碱脂质的生产将根据其脂质谱进行选择性培育，以改善恢复工作的最终目的是了解其活力和/或可塑性。该奖项反映了 NSF 的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。