The Endosymbiotic Coral Algae Symbiodiniaceae Are Sensitive to a Sensory Pollutant: Artificial Light at Night, ALAN.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Ayalon I
PROVIDER: S-EPMC8256845 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description:While in hospite Symbiodiniaceae dinoflagellates are essential for coral health, ambient free-living counterparts are crucial for coral recruitment and resilience. Comparing free-living and in hospite Symbiodiniaceae communities can potentially provide insights into endosymbiont acquisition and recurrent recruitment in bleaching recovery. In this study, we studied coral-endosymbiotic and ambient free-living Symbiodiniaceae communities in the South China Sea. We collected samples from 183 coral and ambient plankton samples and conducted metabarcoding to investigate the diversity distribution, driving factors, and assembly mechanisms of the two groups of Symbiodiniaceae. Results revealed Cladocopium C1 and Durusdinium D1 as dominant genotypes. We detected a higher genotypic diversity in free-living than in hospite symbiodiniacean communities, but with shared dominant genotypes. This indicates a genetically diverse pool of Symbiodiniaceae available for recruitment by corals. Strikingly, we found that the cooler area had more Symbiodiniaceae thermosensitive genotypes, whereas the warmer area had more Symbiodiniaceae thermotolerant genotypes. Furthermore, in hospite and free-living Symbiodiniaceae communities were similarly affected by environmental factors, but shaped by different assembly mechanisms. The in hospite communities were controlled mainly by deterministic processes, whereas the ambient communities by stochastic processes. This study sheds light on the genetic diversity of source environmental Symbiodiniaceae and differential assembly mechanisms influencing Symbiodiniaceae inside and outside corals.IMPORTANCESymbiodiniaceae dinoflagellates play a pivotal role as key primary producers within coral reef ecosystems. Coral-endosymbiotic Symbiodiniaceae communities have been extensively studied, but relatively little work has been reported on the free-living Symbiodiniaceae community. Conducting a comparative analysis between sympatric coral-endosymbiotic and free-living Symbiodiniaceae communities can potentially enhance the understanding of how endosymbiont communities change in response to changing environments and the mechanisms driving these changes. Our findings shed light on the genetic diversity of source environmental Symbiodiniaceae and differential assembly mechanisms shaping free-living and in hospite Symbiodiniaceae communities, with implications in evaluating the adaptive and resilient capacity of corals in response to future climate change.
| S-EPMC11302235 | biostudies-literature
Project description:: Artificial light at night (ALAN) can have negative consequences for a wide range of taxa. However, the effects on nocturnal mammals other than bats are poorly understood. A citizen science camera trapping experiment was therefore used to assess the effect of ALAN on the activity of European hedgehogs (Erinaceuseuropaeus) at supplementary feeding stations in UK gardens. A crossover design was implemented at 33 gardens with two treatments-artificial light and darkness-each of which lasted for one week. The order of treatment depended on the existing lighting regime at the feeding station: dark treatments were applied first at dark feeding stations, whereas light treatments were used first where the station was already illuminated. Although temporal changes in activity patterns in response to the treatments were noted in some individuals, the direction of the effects was not consistent. Similarly, there was no overall impact of ALAN on the presence or feeding activities of hedgehogs in gardens where supplementary feeding stations were present. These findings are somewhat reassuring insofar as they demonstrate no net negative effect on a species thought to be in decline, in scenarios where the animals are already habituated to supplementary feeding. However, further research is needed to examine long-term effects and the effects of lighting on hedgehog prey, reproductive success and predation risk.
| S-EPMC7278375 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Zooxanthellate corals live in symbiosis with phototrophic dinoflagellates of the family Symbiodiniaceae, enabling the host coral to dwell in shallow, nutrient-poor marine waters. The South Atlantic Ocean is characterized by low coral diversity with high levels of endemism. However, little is known about coral-dinoflagellate associations in the region. This study examined the diversity of Symbiodiniaceae associated with the scleractinian coral Favia gravida across its distributional range using the ITS-2 marker. This brooding coral endemic to the South Atlantic can be found across a wide range of latitudes and longitudes, including the Mid-Atlantic islands. Even though it occurs primarily in shallower environments, F. gravida is among the few coral species that live in habitats with extreme environmental conditions (high irradiance, temperature, and turbidity) such as very shallow tide pools. In the present study, we show that F. gravida exhibits some degree of flexibility in its symbiotic association with zooxanthellae across its range. F. gravida associates predominantly with Cladocopium C3 (ITS2 type Symbiodinium C3) but also with Symbiodinium A3, Symbiodinium linucheae (ITS2 type A4), Cladocopium C1, Cladocopium C130, and Fugacium F3. Symbiont diversity varied across biogeographic regions (Symbiodinium A3 and S. linucheae were found in the Tropical Eastern Atlantic, Cladocopium C1 in the Mid-Atlantic, and other subtypes in the Southwestern Atlantic) and was affected by local environmental conditions. In addition, Symbiodiniaceae diversity was highest in a southwestern Atlantic oceanic island (Rocas Atoll). Understanding the relationship between corals and their algal symbionts is critical in determining the factors that control the ecological niches of zooxanthellate corals and their symbionts, and identifying host-symbiont pairs that may be more resistant to environmental changes.
| S-EPMC6407780 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The origin of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is zoonotic. The circadian day–night is the rhythmic clue to organisms for their synchronized body functions. The “development for mankind” escalated the use of artificial light at night (ALAN). In this article, we tried to focus on the possible influence of this anthropogenic factor in human coronavirus (HCoV) outbreak. The relationship between the occurrences of coronavirus and the ascending curve of the night-light has also been delivered. The ALAN influences the physiology and behavior of bat, a known nocturnal natural reservoir of many Coronaviridae. The “threatened” and “endangered” status of the majority of bat species is mainly because of the destruction of their proper habit and habitat predominantly through artificial illumination. The stress exerted by ALAN leads to the impaired body functions, especially endocrine, immune, genomic integration, and overall rhythm features of different physiological variables and behaviors in nocturnal animals. Night-light disturbs “virus–host” synchronization and may lead to mutation in the genomic part of the virus and excessive virus shedding. We also proposed some future strategies to mitigate the repercussions of ALAN and for the protection of the living system in the earth as well.
| S-EPMC7511708 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Coral reefs represent the most diverse marine ecosystem on the planet, yet they are undergoing an unprecedented decline due to a combination of increasing global and local stressors. Despite the wealth of research investigating these stressors, Artificial Light Pollution at Night (ALAN) or "ecological light pollution" represents an emerging threat that has received little attention in the context of coral reefs, despite the potential of disrupting the chronobiology, physiology, behavior, and other biological processes of coral reef organisms. Scleractinian corals, the framework builders of coral reefs, depend on lunar illumination cues to synchronize their biological rhythms such as behavior, reproduction and physiology. While, light pollution (POL) may mask and lead de-synchronization of these biological rhythms process. To reveal if ALAN impacts coral physiology, we have studied two coral species, Acropora eurystoma and Pocillopora damicornis, from the Gulf of Eilat/Aqaba, Red Sea, which is undergoing urban development that has led to severe POL at night. Our two experimental design data revealed that corals exposed to ALAN face an oxidative stress condition, show lower photosynthesis performances measured by electron transport rate (ETR), as well as changes in chlorophyll and algae density parameters. Testing different lights such as Blue LED and White LED spectrum showed more extreme impact in comparison to Yellow LEDs on coral physiology. The finding of this work sheds light on the emerging threat of POL and the impacts on the biology and ecology of Scleractinian corals, and will help to formulate specific management implementations to mitigate its potentially harmful impacts.
| S-EPMC6900201 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Symbiotic corals, which are benthic organisms intimately linked with their environment, have evolved many ways to deal with fluctuations in the local marine environment. One possible coping mechanism is the endogenous circadian clock, which is characterized as free running, maintaining a ~24 h periodicity of circuits under constant stimuli or in the absence of external cues. The quantity and quality of light were found to be the most influential factors governing the endogenous clock for plants and algae. Unicellular dinoflagellate algae are among the best examples of organisms that exhibit circadian clocks using light as the dominant signal. This study is the first to examine the effects of light intensity and quality on the rhythmicity of photosynthesis in the symbiotic dinoflagellate Symbiodinium sp., both as a free-living organism and in symbiosis with the coral Stylophora pistillata. Oxygen production measurements in Symbiodinium cultures exhibited rhythmicity with a periodicity of approximately 24 h under constant high light (LL), whereas under medium and low light, the cycle time increased. Exposing Symbiodinium cultures and corals to spectral light revealed different effects of blue and red light on the photosynthetic rhythm, specifically shortening or increasing the cycle time respectively. These findings suggest that the photosynthetic rhythm is entrained by different light cues, which are wired to an endogenous circadian clock. Furthermore, we provide evidence that mRNA expression was higher under blue light for two potential cryptochrome genes and higher under red light for a phytochrome gene isolated from Symbiodinium. These results offer the first evidence of the impact of the intensity and quality of light on the photosynthetic rhythm in algal cells living freely or as part of a symbiotic association. Our results indicate the presence of a circadian oscillator in Symbiodinium governing the photosynthetic apparatus through a light-induced signaling pathway that has yet to be described.
| S-EPMC3422335 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The thermal bleaching percentage of coral holobionts shows interspecific differences under heat-stress conditions, which are closely related to the coral-associated microbiome. However, the ecological effects of community dynamics and interactions between Symbiodiniaceae and fungi on coral thermal bleaching susceptibility remain unclear. In this study, we analyzed the diversity, community structure, functions, and potential interaction of Symbiodiniaceae and fungi among 18 coral species from a high thermal bleaching risk atoll using next-generation sequencing. The results showed that heat-tolerant C3u sub-clade and Durusdinium dominated the Symbiodiniaceae community of corals and that there were no core amplicon sequence variants in the coral-associated fungal community. Fungal richness and the abundance of confirmed functional animal-plant pathogens were significantly positively correlated with the coral thermal bleaching percentage. Fungal indicators, including Didymellaceae, Chaetomiaceae, Schizophyllum, and Colletotrichum, were identified in corals. Each coral species had a complex Symbiodiniaceae-fungi interaction network (SFIN), which was driven by the dominant Symbiodiniaceae sub-clades. The SFINs of coral holobionts with low thermal bleaching susceptibility exhibited low complexity and high betweenness centrality. These results indicate that the extra heat tolerance of coral in Huangyan Island may be linked to the high abundance of heat-tolerant Symbiodiniaceae. Fungal communities have high interspecific flexibility, and the increase of fungal diversity and pathogen abundance was correlated with higher thermal bleaching susceptibility of corals. Moreover, fungal indicators were associated with the degrees of coral thermal bleaching susceptibility, including both high and intermediate levels. The topological properties of SFINs suggest that heat-tolerant coral have limited fungal parasitism and strong microbial network resilience.IMPORTANCEGlobal warming and enhanced marine heatwaves have led to a rapid decline in coral reef ecosystems worldwide. Several studies have focused on the impact of coral-associated microbiomes on thermal bleaching susceptibility in corals; however, the ecological functions and interactions between Symbiodiniaceae and fungi remain unclear. We investigated the microbiome dynamics and potential interactions of Symbiodiniaceae and fungi among 18 coral species in Huangyan Island. Our study found that the Symbiodiniaceae community of corals was mainly composed of heat-tolerant C3u sub-clade and Durusdinium. The increase in fungal diversity and pathogen abundance has close associations with higher coral thermal bleaching susceptibility. We first constructed an interaction network between Symbiodiniaceae and fungi in corals, which indicated that restricting fungal parasitism and strong interaction network resilience would promote heat acclimatization of corals. Accordingly, this study provides insights into the role of microorganisms and their interaction as drivers of interspecific differences in coral thermal bleaching.
| S-EPMC11022545 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundArtificial light at night (ALAN) is a novel environmental stressor of global concern. Various sources of artificial light are now common in urbanized areas and have diverse negative effects on many species of animals and plants. However, ALAN has also been shown to have no effect or a positive effect on some organisms. This study investigates the impact of ALAN on the growth and leaf pigmentation of a common floating freshwater plant species.MethodsWe exposed wild-derived dotted duckweed (Landoltia punctata) to either darkness during the night (Control group) or to artificial light at night (ALAN group) for 49 days. We set up two large boxes of eighty samples each with 2-3 leaves of duckweed in each sample at the start of the experiment. The ALAN box had an opaque lid with a small lamp that was turned on at night. The Control box was also covered at night with an opaque lid but without a lamp. During the day, plants in both boxes were exposed to natural light. We counted the number of leaves in each sample weekly. We took photos of the samples on day 28 to measure the total leaf surface area per sample. On day 49, we took photos of the underside of the leaves for analyses of the relative levels of dark pigmentation across all samples.ResultsWe found that ALAN-exposed plant samples had, on average, more leaves than control plants after a few weeks of exposure. They also had a more variable number of leaves per sample. The total leaf area per sample on day 28 was larger in the ALAN samples. The underside of the leaves on day 49 was, on average, darker in the ALAN plants than in the control plants.ConclusionThere is a significant growth-enhancing effect from exposure to artificial light at night on Landolita punctata. However, higher variability induced by ALAN exposure indicates that ALAN is also a stressful condition for these plants. This is in line with our finding of the presence of larger amounts of dark pigments in the leaves of ALAN-exposed plants. Dark pigmentation in duckweed species could be a defence mechanism protecting tissues from stress-induced oxidative damage. Overall, both positive and negative effects of ALAN can be observed simultaneously in different traits of the same organism. Increased individual variation can facilitate population-level adaptation to stressful conditions. As such, this work contributes to our knowledge of the effects of light pollution in urban environments on common plants.
| S-EPMC10625352 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Artificial light at night (ALAN) is one of the most extreme environmental alterations in urban areas, which drives nocturnal activity in diurnal species. Feral Pigeon (Columba livia f. domestica), a common species in urban centers worldwide, has been observed foraging at night in urban areas. However, the role of ALAN in the nocturnal activity of this species is unknown. Moreover, studies addressing the relationship between ALAN and nocturnal activity of diurnal birds are scarce in the Southern Hemisphere. The objective of this study is to assess the environmental factors associated with nocturnal activity of the Feral Pigeon in Argentinian cities. Environmental conditions were compared between sites where pigeons were seen foraging and randomly selected sites where pigeons were not recorded foraging. Nocturnal foraging by the Feral Pigeon was recorded in three of four surveyed cities. ALAN was positively related to nocturnal foraging activity in Salta and Buenos Aires. The results obtained suggest that urbanization would promote nocturnal activity in Feral Pigeons. Moreover, nocturnal activity was mainly driven by ALAN, which probably alters the circadian rhythm of pigeons.
| S-EPMC7222337 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Photosynthesis is a biochemical process essential for life, serving as the ultimate source of chemical energy for phototrophic and heterotrophic life forms. Since the machinery of the photosynthetic electron transport chain is quite complex and is unlikely to have evolved multiple independent times, it is believed that this machinery has been transferred to diverse eukaryotic organisms by endosymbiotic events involving a eukaryotic host and a phototrophic endosymbiont. Thus, photoautotrophy, as a benefit, is transmitted through the evolution of plastids. However, many eukaryotes became secondarily heterotrophic, reverting to hetero-osmotrophy, phagotrophy, or parasitism. Here, I briefly review the constructive evolution of plastid endosymbioses and the consequential switch to reductive evolution involving losses of photosynthesis and plastids and the evolution of parasitism from a photosynthetic ancestor.
| S-EPMC6681372 | biostudies-literature