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Coral microbiome manipulation elicits metabolic and genetic restructuring to mitigate heat stress and evade mortality
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Coral microbiome manipulation elicits metabolic and genetic restructuring to mitigate heat stress and evade mortality

Erika P Santoro, Ricardo M Borges, Josh L Espinoza, Marcelo Freire, Camila S M A Messias, Helena D M Villela, Leandro M Pereira, Caren L S Vilela, João G Rosado, Pedro M Cardoso, …
Science advances, Vol.7(33), eabg3088
2021
PMID: 34389536
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Published1.91 MBDownloadView
Published (Version of Record) Open Access CC BY-NC V4.0

Abstract

Beneficial microorganisms for corals (BMCs) ameliorate environmental stress, but whether they can prevent mortality and the underlying host response mechanisms remains elusive. Here, we conducted omics analyses on the coral Mussismilia hispida exposed to bleaching conditions in a long-term mesocosm experiment and inoculated with a selected BMC consortium or a saline solution placebo. All corals were affected by heat stress, but the observed “post-heat stress disorder” was mitigated by BMCs, signified by patterns of dimethylsulfoniopropionate degradation, lipid maintenance, and coral host transcriptional reprogramming of cellular restructuration, repair, stress protection, and immune genes, concomitant with a 40% survival rate increase and stable photosynthetic performance by the endosymbiotic algae. This study provides insights into the responses that underlie probiotic host manipulation. We demonstrate that BMCs trigger a dynamic microbiome restructuring process that instigates genetic and metabolic alterations in the coral host that eventually mitigate coral bleaching and mortality.

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UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

This output has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:

#14 Life Below Water

Source: SDGs in the Output

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