The Significance of Genotypic Diversity in Coral Competitive Interaction: A Transcriptomic Perspective

Competitive interactions shape coral assemblages and govern the dynamics of ecosystems. Although competition is an ecological concept, outcomes competitive are ultimately determined by patterns gene expression. These subject to genotypic variation on both sides any interaction. Such typically treated as “noise”, but it sometimes possible identify within that reveal important hidden factors in experiment. To incorporate into investigation interactions, we used RNA-sequencing study changes expression a hard ( Porites cylindrica ) resulting from non-contact experiment with soft Lobophytum pauciflorum ). Hard genotype explained largest proportion between samples; however, was also detect 76 transcripts interaction coral. In addition, found group 20 short secreted proteins were expressed coordinated unit three interacting Porites-Lobophytum pairs. The presence this secretion response idiosyncratic could not be predicted based polyp behaviour, or alone. This illustrates significance individual determinant provides some intriguing glimpses molecular mechanisms employed corals competing at distance.