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Tracking transmission of apicomplexan symbionts in diverse Caribbean corals


Metadata FieldValueLanguage
dc.contributorScott Santos, santosr@auburn.eduen_US
dc.coverage.spatial10 Pagesen_US
dc.creatorKirk, Nathan L
dc.creatorRitson-Williams, Raphael
dc.creatorCoffroth, Mary Alice
dc.creatorMiller, Margaret W
dc.creatorFogarty, Nicole D
dc.creatorSantos, Scott R
dc.date.accessioned2019-05-10T01:23:47Z
dc.date.available2019-05-10T01:23:47Z
dc.date.created2013
dc.identifier10.1371/journal.pone.0080618en_US
dc.identifier.urihttps://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0080618en_US
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11200/49394
dc.description.abstractSymbionts in each generation are transmitted to new host individuals either vertically (parent to offspring), horizontally (from exogenous sources), or a combination of both. Scleractinian corals make an excellent study system for understanding patterns of symbiont transmission since they harbor diverse symbionts and possess distinct reproductive modes of either internal brooding or external broadcast spawning that generally correlate with vertical or horizontal transmission, respectively. Here, we focused on the under-recognized, but apparently widespread, coral-associated apicomplexans (Protista: Alveolata) to determine if symbiont transmission depends on host reproductive mode. Specifically, a PCR-based assay was utilized towards identifying whether planula larvae and reproductive adults from brooding and broadcast spawning scleractinian coral species in Florida and Belize harbored apicomplexan DNA. Nearly all (85.5%; n = 85/89) examined planulae of five brooding species (Porites astreoides, Agaricia tenuifolia, Agaricia agaricites, Favia fragum, Mycetophyllia ferox) and adults of P. astreoides were positive for apicomplexan DNA. In contrast, no (n = 0/10) apicomplexan DNA was detected from planulae of four broadcast spawning species (Acropora cervicornis, Acropora palmata, Pseudodiploria strigosa, and Orbicella faveolata) and rarely in gametes (8.9%; n = 5/56) of these species sampled from the same geographical range as the brooding species. In contrast, tissue samples from nearly all (92.0%; n = 81/88) adults of the broadcast spawning species A. cervicornis, A. palmata and O. faveolata harbored apicomplexan DNA, including colonies whose gametes and planulae tested negative for these symbionts. Taken together, these data suggest apicomplexans are transmitted vertically in these brooding scleractinian coral species while the broadcast spawning scleractinian species examined here acquire these symbionts horizontally. Notably, these transmission patterns are consistent with those of other scleractinian coral symbionts. While this study furthers knowledge regarding these symbionts, numerous questions remain to be addressed, particularly in regard to the specific interaction(s) between these apicomplexans and their hosts.en_US
dc.formatPDFen_US
dc.relation.ispartofPLoS Oneen_US
dc.relation.ispartofseries1932-6203en_US
dc.rights© 2013. This manuscript version is made available under the CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 license http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/en_US
dc.subjectAlveolataen_US
dc.subjectAnthozoaen_US
dc.subjectCoral Reefsen_US
dc.subjectMolecular Sequence Dataen_US
dc.subjectSymbiosisen_US
dc.titleTracking transmission of apicomplexan symbionts in diverse Caribbean coralsen_US
dc.typeCollectionen_US
dc.type.genreJournal Article, Academic Journalen_US
dc.citation.volume8en_US
dc.citation.issue11en_US
dc.citation.spagee80618en_US
dc.description.statusPublisheden_US
dc.description.peerreviewYesen_US

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