Identifying metabolic alterations associated with coral growth anomalies using 1H NMR metabolomics

Coral growth anomalies (GAs) are tumor-like protrusions that detrimental to coral health, affecting both the skeleton and soft tissues. These lesions increasingly found throughout tropics commonly associated with high human population density, yet little is known about molecular pathology of disease. Here, we investigate metabolic impacts GAs through 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) metabolomics in Porites compressa tissues from a site disease prevalence (Coconut Island, Hawaii). We putatively identified 18 metabolites (8.1% total annotated features) complementary 1H–13C heteronuclear single quantum correlation NMR data increase confidence pathway analyses may bolster future metabolite annotation efforts. Extract yield was elevated GA unaffected (normal tissue diseased colony) compared reference GA-free samples, potentially indicating activity GA-impacted colonies. Relatively variation metabolomic profiles among samples same treatment (i.e., inter-colony variation) confounded interpretation, however, paired 73 features differed between these respective metabolome types. were largely as unknowns, but 1-methylnicotinamide trigonelline be while betaine, glycine, histamine lower samples. Pathway indicate decreased choline oxidation making this interest for targeted studies. Collectively, our results provide unique insights into pathophysiology by showing alter absolute relative metabolism affected colonies identifying (metabolites unknowns) pathways going forward.