Dataset Information

Immobilisation of living coral embryos and larvae.

ABSTRACT: Embedding and immobilisation of living cells and microorganisms is used in a variety of research and commercial applications. Here we report the successful extended immobilisation of coral larvae in a low-gelling temperature agarose. Embryos and larvae of five broadcast-spawning Scleractinian species were immobilised in agarose gel and tested in a series of exploratory survival and settlement assays. The optimal developmental stage for immobilisation was after ciliation at approximately 24?hours post-fertilisation, after which, survival of immobilised larvae of all species was nearly 100%. In long-term assays, 50% of Montipora digitata larvae survived immobilised for 89 days. Furthermore, immobilised larvae of multiple species, that were released from the agarose, generally remained capable of settlement. These results demonstrate that the immobilisation of the early life-history stages of corals is possible for a variety of applications in basic and applied science.

SUBMITTER: Randall CJ

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6787016 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Immobilisation of living coral embryos and larvae.

Randall Carly J CJ Giuliano Christine C Mead David D Heyward Andrew J AJ Negri Andrew P AP

Scientific reports 20191010 1

Embedding and immobilisation of living cells and microorganisms is used in a variety of research and commercial applications. Here we report the successful extended immobilisation of coral larvae in a low-gelling temperature agarose. Embryos and larvae of five broadcast-spawning Scleractinian species were immobilised in agarose gel and tested in a series of exploratory survival and settlement assays. The optimal developmental stage for immobilisation was after ciliation at approximately 24 hours ...[more]

PMID: 31601965

Similar Datasets

Project description:In this study, we examined the very early transcriptional response of aposymbiotic coral larval host (still not engaged in symbiosis) to hyperthermal stress. This experimental setting provided a scenario and opportunity to study the direct effect of environmental stressors on the host cell per se. Using a cDNA microarray constructed for Acropora millepora and Q-RT-PCR assays, we identified a number of genes that were significantly up- and down-regulated with increase of seawater temperature. Down-regulation of several key component of DNA/RNA metabolism was detected implying inhibition of this cellular metabolic process, however the down-regulation of overall protein synthesis was not simple and random, which suggest that the response to stress is a more complicated adjustment to the metabolic needs of the cell. We identified four significant outcomes during the very early hours of the transcriptional response to hyperthermal stress in coral larvae. First, molecular chaperones responded to hyperthermal stress by increasing their expression as expected, but the response was immediate and extremely rapid during the first 3 hours of heat exposure. Secondly, elevated temperature triggers down-regulation of a fluorescent protein homolog, DsRed-type FP, suggesting that this gene might be used as a potential molecular marker for monitoring hyperthermal stress in nature. Thirdly, the downregulation of a coral mannose-binding lectin under hyperthermal stress might compromise the coral immune defense and bring about susceptibility to pathogenic diseases. And lastly, an absence in the response of oxidative stress genes in aposymbiotic coral larvae during the early hours to hyperthermal stress suggest that the up-regulation of cnidarian host oxidative stress genes reported during thermal stress in algal/host symbiosis might be triggered directly by ROS generated by photosynthetic-dysfunctionally algal endosymbionts that diffuse into host cells, as very little ROS seems to be produced by the host cells from thermal-associated host cellular damage.

Dataset Information

Immobilisation of living coral embryos and larvae.

Publications

Immobilisation of living coral embryos and larvae.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure