Genetic study reveals influence of genes on immune response of Florida corals toward a rapidly spreading sickness

In a significant breakthrough, a team of researchers from the University of Miami Rosenstiel School, Mote Marine Laboratory, and the Smithsonian Marine Station have published a study titled "Gene Expression Response to Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease Transmission in M. cavernosa and O. faveolata from Florida" in the journal Frontiers in Marine Science. The study, funded by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (grant # PR11155032), is the first to document the gene expression response of corals to stony coral tissue loss disease.

The disease, which has been spreading throughout Florida's coral reefs and the Caribbean since 2014, is causing swift cell death and rearrangement of the tissue in corals. It has affected over 20 coral species to date.

Nikki Traylor-Knowles, an assistant professor of marine biology and ecology at the UM Rosenstiel School, is the study's lead author. She stated that this work is vital in efforts to save Florida's coral reefs.

The study found a network of genes important for cell responses including cell death, immunity, and tissue rearrangement. An interesting set of genes uncovered by the researchers -- peroxidases -- are known to be important for stress response in invertebrates and play an important role in the late stage reaction of the disease in corals.

The researchers exposed healthy corals to stony coral tissue loss disease to study their reaction on a cellular level. They found that the disease causes a shared immune response in at least two coral species: mountainous star coral (O. faveolata) and great star coral (M. cavernosa).

This study provides crucial insights into how these coral species molecularly respond to the devastating stony coral tissue loss disease. Understanding these responses could pave the way for the development of new treatments and strategies to combat this disease and preserve Florida's precious coral reefs.

Genetic study reveals influence of genes on immune response of Florida corals toward a rapidly spreading sickness