Proteomic analysis of bleached and unbleached Acropora palmata, a threatened coral species of the Caribbean.
There has been an increase in the scale and frequency of coral bleaching around the world due mainly to changes in sea temperature. This may occur at large scales, often resulting in significant decline in coral coverage. In order to understand the molecular and cellular basis of the ever-increasing incidence of coral bleaching, we have undertaken a comparative proteomic approach with the endangered Caribbean coral Acropora palmata. Using a proteomic tandem mass spectrometry approach, we identified 285 and 321 expressed protein signatures in bleached and unbleached A. palmata colonies, respectively, in southwestern Puerto Rico. Overall the expression level of 38 key proteins was significantly different between bleached and unbleached corals. A wide range of proteins was detected and categorized, including transcription factors involved mainly in heat stress/UV responses, immunity, apoptosis, biomineralization, the cytoskeleton, and endo-exophagocytosis. The results suggest that for bleached A. palmata, there was an induced differential protein expression response compared with those colonies that did not bleach under the same environmental conditions.
Department of Marine Sciences, University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez, Call Box 9000, Mayagüez, 00681, Puerto Rico.
Martha
M
Ricaurte
Department of Marine Sciences, University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez, Call Box 9000, Mayagüez, 00681, Puerto Rico.
Nikolaos V
NV
Schizas
Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics Core Facility, Durham Research Center, Room 3048, 985800, University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC), Omaha, NE 68198-5800, USA.
Pawel
P
Ciborowski
Biomedical Proteomics Facility, Microbiology and Immunology Department, Universidad Central del Caribe, Bayamón, 00960, Puerto Rico. Electronic address: nawal.boukli@uccaribe.edu.
Nawal M
NM
Boukli
D000818:Animals; D037421:Anthozoa / Q000502:physiology*; D002113:Calcification, Physiologic; D017691:Caribbean Region; D057894:Coral Reefs; D056727:Endangered Species; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D020543:Proteome / Q000378:metabolism*; D040901:Proteomics; D011647:Puerto Rico; D013696:Temperature
D020543:Proteome
Acropora palmata; Coral bleaching; Proteomics