Wen Huang , Zunyong Xiao , Xu Liu , Kefu Yu , Yonggang Wang , Linqing Meng , Lirong Wang , Zhiqiang Wu
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Investigating the potential and mechanisms of thermal adaptability in scleractinian corals is critical for aiding corals in dealing with global warming and improving the efficiency of coral reef restoration efforts. Although thermal acclimation facilitates the resistance of branching corals to thermal stress, little is known about the physiological processes of massive and platy corals in the South China Sea or their ability to adapt to heat stress. In this study, we conducted indoor short-term thermal acclimation simulation experiments on three types of corals: massive Porites lutea, platy Pavona decussata, and branching Pocillopora damicornis. Subsequently, we studied the responses and adaptive mechanisms of the three corals to heat stress and explored the effects of short-term thermal acclimation using physiological and biochemical markers. The results showed that the three corals exhibited comparable phenotypic and physiological responses to heat stress, including tentacle retraction and decreases in zooxanthellae density, maximum quantum efficiency of photosystem II, and glutathione content, along with increases in antioxidant activity (catalase and superoxide dismutase), ammonium assimilation (glutamine synthetase), and apoptosis (lipid peroxide and caspase-3). Additionally, heat tolerance differed among the different species of coral. Furthermore, the physiological markers performed better in all three coral types after acclimation, and the effects of short-term acclimation decreased from P. lutea to P. damicornis to P. decussata. We propose that short-term thermal acclimation enhances the heat tolerance of corals by affecting their metabolism and antioxidant capacity. Leveraging short-term thermal acclimation in coral reef restoration efforts could help corals adapt to the threats posed by global warming and enhance restoration efficiency.
研究硬骨鱼类珊瑚的热适应潜力和机制,对于帮助珊瑚应对全球变暖和提高珊瑚礁恢复工作的效率至关重要。虽然热适应有利于分枝珊瑚抵抗热应力,但人们对南海大块珊瑚和板状珊瑚的生理过程及其适应热应力的能力知之甚少。在本研究中,我们对三种珊瑚进行了室内短期热适应模拟实验:大体型珊瑚(Porites lutea)、板状珊瑚(Pavona decussata)和分枝珊瑚(Pocillopora damicornis)。随后,我们研究了这三种珊瑚对热应力的反应和适应机制,并利用生理生化指标探讨了短期热适应的影响。结果表明,三种珊瑚对热胁迫的表型和生理反应相当,包括触手缩回、动物贝类密度、光系统 II 最大量子效率和谷胱甘肽含量下降,以及抗氧化活性(过氧化氢酶和超氧化物歧化酶)、铵同化(谷氨酰胺合成酶)和细胞凋亡(过氧化脂质和 Caspase-3)增加。此外,不同种类珊瑚的耐热性也不同。此外,所有三种珊瑚的生理指标在适应后都有更好的表现,短期适应的效果从 P. lutea 到 P. damicornis 再到 P. decussata 都有所下降。我们认为,短期热适应会影响珊瑚的新陈代谢和抗氧化能力,从而增强其耐热性。在珊瑚礁恢复工作中利用短期热适应可以帮助珊瑚适应全球变暖带来的威胁,并提高恢复效率。
期刊介绍:
The Journal of Sea Research is an international and multidisciplinary periodical on marine research, with an emphasis on the functioning of marine ecosystems in coastal and shelf seas, including intertidal, estuarine and brackish environments. As several subdisciplines add to this aim, manuscripts are welcome from the fields of marine biology, marine chemistry, marine sedimentology and physical oceanography, provided they add to the understanding of ecosystem processes.