Metabolomics of reef benthic interactions reveals a bioactive lipid involved in coral defence.
Holobionts are assemblages of microbial symbionts and their macrobial host. As extant representatives of some of the oldest macro-organisms, corals and algae are important for understanding how holobionts develop and interact with one another. Using untargeted metabolomics, we show that non-self interactions altered the coral metabolome more than self-interactions (i.e. different or same genus, respectively). Platelet activating factor (PAF) and Lyso-PAF, central inflammatory modulators in mammals, were major lipid components of the coral holobionts. When corals were damaged during competitive interactions with algae, PAF increased along with expression of the gene encoding Lyso-PAF acetyltransferase; the protein responsible for converting Lyso-PAF to PAF. This shows that self and non-self recognition among some of the oldest extant holobionts involve bioactive lipids identical to those in highly derived taxa like humans. This further strengthens the hypothesis that major players of the immune response evolved during the pre-Cambrian.
Biology Department, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA Collaborative Mass Spectrometry Innovation Center, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA rquinn@ucsd.edu.
Robert A
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9829-3256
RA
Quinn
Carmabi Foundation, Piscaderabaai, Willemstad, Curaçao Aquatic Microbiology, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED), University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Mark J A
MJ
Vermeij
Biology Department, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA.
Aaron C
AC
Hartmann
Biology Department, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA.
Ines
I
Galtier d'Auriac
Biology Department, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA.
Sean
S
Benler
Biology Department, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA.
Andreas
A
Haas
Biology Department, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA.
Steven D
SD
Quistad
Biology Department, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA.
Yan Wei
YW
Lim
Biology Department, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA.
Mark
M
Little
Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
Stuart
S
Sandin
Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
Jennifer E
JE
Smith
Collaborative Mass Spectrometry Innovation Center, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
Pieter C
PC
Dorrestein
Biology Department, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA.
Forest
F
Rohwer
D000818:Animals; D037421:Anthozoa / Q000235:genetics / Q000382:microbiology / Q000502:physiology*; D005075:Biological Evolution; D057894:Coral Reefs; D008055:Lipids / Q000502:physiology*; D055432:Metabolomics; D008954:Models, Biological; D010972:Platelet Activating Factor / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D000461:Rhodophyta / Q000502:physiology; D013559:Symbiosis / Q000502:physiology; D059467:Transcriptome
D008055:Lipids; C029271:O-deacetyl platelet activating factor; D010972:Platelet Activating Factor
coral; mass spectrometry; metabolomics; platelet activating factor