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Biogeography and molecular diversity of coral symbionts in the genus Symbiodinium around the Arabian Peninsula.

ABSTRACT: AIM:Coral reefs rely on the symbiosis between scleractinian corals and intracellular, photosynthetic dinoflagellates of the genus Symbiodinium making the assessment of symbiont diversity critical to our understanding of ecological resilience of these ecosystems. This study characterizes Symbiodinium diversity around the Arabian Peninsula, which contains some of the most thermally diverse and understudied reefs on Earth. LOCATION:Shallow water coral reefs throughout the Red Sea (RS), Sea of Oman (SO), and Persian/Arabian Gulf (PAG). METHODS:Next-generation sequencing of the ITS2 marker gene was used to assess Symbiodinium community composition and diversity comprising 892 samples from 46 hard and soft coral genera. RESULTS:Corals were associated with a large diversity of Symbiodinium, which usually consisted of one or two prevalent symbiont types and many types at low abundance. Symbiodinium communities were strongly structured according to geographical region and to a lesser extent by coral host identity. Overall symbiont communities were composed primarily of species from clade A and C in the RS, clade A, C, and D in the SO, and clade C and D in the PAG, representing a gradual shift from C- to D-dominated coral hosts. The analysis of symbiont diversity in an Operational Taxonomic Unit (OTU)-based framework allowed the identification of differences in symbiont taxon richness over geographical regions and host genera. MAIN CONCLUSIONS:Our study represents a comprehensive overview over biogeography and molecular diversity of Symbiodinium in the Arabian Seas, where coral reefs thrive in one of the most extreme environmental settings on the planet. As such our data will serve as a baseline for further exploration into the effects of environmental change on host-symbiont pairings and the identification and ecological significance of Symbiodinium types from regions already experiencing 'Future Ocean' conditions.

SUBMITTER: Ziegler M

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5324606 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Biogeography and molecular diversity of coral symbionts in the genus <i>Symbiodinium</i> around the Arabian Peninsula.

Ziegler Maren M Arif Chatchanit C Burt John A JA Dobretsov Sergey S Roder Cornelia C LaJeunesse Todd C TC Voolstra Christian R CR

Journal of Biogeography. 20170102 3

<h4>Aim</h4>Coral reefs rely on the symbiosis between scleractinian corals and intracellular, photosynthetic dinoflagellates of the genus <i>Symbiodinium</i> making the assessment of symbiont diversity critical to our understanding of ecological resilience of these ecosystems. This study characterizes <i>Symbiodinium</i> diversity around the Arabian Peninsula, which contains some of the most thermally diverse and understudied reefs on Earth.<h4>Location</h4>Shallow water coral reefs throughout t ...[more]

PMID: 28286360

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Project description:BackgroundTwo potential migratory routes followed by modern humans to colonize Eurasia from Africa have been proposed. These are the two natural passageways that connect both continents: the northern route through the Sinai Peninsula and the southern route across the Bab al Mandab strait. Recent archaeological and genetic evidence have favored a unique southern coastal route. Under this scenario, the study of the population genetic structure of the Arabian Peninsula, the first step out of Africa, to search for primary genetic links between Africa and Eurasia, is crucial. The haploid and maternally inherited mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) molecule has been the most used genetic marker to identify and to relate lineages with clear geographic origins, as the African Ls and the Eurasian M and N that have a common root with the Africans L3.ResultsTo assess the role of the Arabian Peninsula in the southern route, we genetically analyzed 553 Saudi Arabs using partial (546) and complete mtDNA (7) sequencing, and compared the lineages obtained with those present in Africa, the Near East, central, east and southeast Asia and Australasia. The results showed that the Arabian Peninsula has received substantial gene flow from Africa (20%), detected by the presence of L, M1 and U6 lineages; that an 18% of the Arabian Peninsula lineages have a clear eastern provenance, mainly represented by U lineages; but also by Indian M lineages and rare M links with Central Asia, Indonesia and even Australia. However, the bulk (62%) of the Arabian lineages has a Northern source.ConclusionAlthough there is evidence of Neolithic and more recent expansions in the Arabian Peninsula, mainly detected by (preHV)1 and J1b lineages, the lack of primitive autochthonous M and N sequences, suggests that this area has been more a receptor of human migrations, including historic ones, from Africa, India, Indonesia and even Australia, than a demographic expansion center along the proposed southern coastal route.

Dataset Information

Biogeography and molecular diversity of coral symbionts in the genus Symbiodinium around the Arabian Peninsula.

Publications

Biogeography and molecular diversity of coral symbionts in the genus <i>Symbiodinium</i> around the Arabian Peninsula.

Similar Datasets

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