Symbiodinium thermophilum sp. nov., a thermotolerant symbiotic alga prevalent in corals of the world's hottest sea, the Persian/Arabian Gulf

نویسندگان

  • B. C. C. Hume
  • C. D'Angelo
  • E. G. Smith
  • J. R. Stevens
  • J. Burt
  • J. Wiedenmann
چکیده

Coral reefs are in rapid decline on a global scale due to human activities and a changing climate. Shallow water reefs depend on the obligatory symbiosis between the habitat forming coral host and its algal symbiont from the genus Symbiodinium (zooxanthellae). This association is highly sensitive to thermal perturbations and temperatures as little as 1°C above the average summer maxima can cause the breakdown of this symbiosis, termed coral bleaching. Predicting the capacity of corals to survive the expected increase in seawater temperatures depends strongly on our understanding of the thermal tolerance of the symbiotic algae. Here we use molecular phylogenetic analysis of four genetic markers to describe Symbiodinium thermophilum, sp. nov. from the Persian/Arabian Gulf, a thermally tolerant coral symbiont. Phylogenetic inference using the non-coding region of the chloroplast psbA gene resolves S. thermophilum as a monophyletic lineage with large genetic distances from any other ITS2 C3 type found outside the Gulf. Through the characterisation of Symbiodinium associations of 6 species (5 genera) of Gulf corals, we demonstrate that S. thermophilum is the prevalent symbiont all year round in the world's hottest sea, the southern Persian/Arabian Gulf.

برای دانلود متن کامل این مقاله و بیش از 32 میلیون مقاله دیگر ابتدا ثبت نام کنید

ثبت نام

اگر عضو سایت هستید لطفا وارد حساب کاربری خود شوید

منابع مشابه

Ancestral genetic diversity associated with the rapid spread of stress-tolerant coral symbionts in response to Holocene climate change.

Coral communities in the Persian/Arabian Gulf (PAG) withstand unusually high salinity levels and regular summer temperature maxima of up to ∼35 °C that kill conspecifics elsewhere. Due to the recent formation of the PAG and its subsequent shift to a hot climate, these corals have had only <6,000 y to adapt to these extreme conditions and can therefore inform on how coral reefs may respond to gl...

متن کامل

Relationship between antioxidant traits of Symbiodinium sp. symbiotic dinoflagellate extract under physicochemical factors during different seasons in Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman

Coral bleaching, loss of symbiotic algae of Symbiodinium sp. or photosynthetic microalgae pigments from their coral host have become commonplace in recent decades due to the rising of sea temperatures and changes in physicochemical factors. It is essential to study the susceptibility of corals to bleaching, the physiology of its symbiotic algae, and its capacity to cope with abiotic stress. Oxi...

متن کامل

Genetic structure of coral-Symbiodinium symbioses on the world’s warmest reefs

Corals in the Arabian/Persian Gulf (PAG) survive extreme sea temperatures (summer mean: >34°C), and it is unclear whether these corals have genetically adapted or physiologically acclimated to these conditions. In order to elucidate the processes involved in the thermal tolerance of PAG corals, it is essential to understand the connectivity between reefs within and outside of the PAG. To this e...

متن کامل

Genetic Identification of Symbiodinium in Genus Acropora off Farur Island, Persian Gulf

Coral reefs which form some of the most diverse ecosystems on Earth support many symbiotic relationships. Symbiodinium can provide up to 90% of a coral.s energy requirements. Temperature rise, turbid water and high salinity in the Persian Gulf were among the factors separating zooxanthellae from corals and result in bleaching phenomenon. Therefore, it is crucial to identify Symbiodinium of the ...

متن کامل

High salinity conveys thermotolerance in the coral model Aiptasia

The endosymbiosis between dinoflagellate algae of the genus Symbiodinium and stony corals provides the foundation of coral reef ecosystems. Coral bleaching, the expulsion of endosymbionts from the coral host tissue as a consequence of heat or light stress, poses a threat to reef ecosystem functioning on a global scale. Hence, a better understanding of the factors contributing to heat stress sus...

متن کامل

ذخیره در منابع من


  با ذخیره ی این منبع در منابع من، دسترسی به آن را برای استفاده های بعدی آسان تر کنید

برای دانلود متن کامل این مقاله و بیش از 32 میلیون مقاله دیگر ابتدا ثبت نام کنید

ثبت نام

اگر عضو سایت هستید لطفا وارد حساب کاربری خود شوید

عنوان ژورنال:

دوره 5  شماره 

صفحات  -

تاریخ انتشار 2015