Research on the mechanisms of black band disease outbreak focusing on the difference in infection rate among coral species

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K14479
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 39060:Conservation of biological resources-related
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: Takagi Toshiyuki 東京大学, 大気海洋研究所, 助教 (00814526)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: サンゴ / Vibrio coralliilyticus / 自然免疫機構 / トランスクリプトーム解析 / 免疫抑制

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Coral reefs only occupy 0.1% of the area of the sea but harbor approximately 30% of all marine species on the planet. Therefore, they are extremely important ecosystems for the conservation of biodiversity. However, many species of corals are on the verge of extinction because of increasing anthropogenic disturbances, including global warming. Rising sea surface temperature associated with global climate change is a serious threat to coral reefs and is linked to an increasing prevalence of infectious coral diseases. In this study, we carried out infection experiments using pathogenic bacterium Vibrio coralliilyticus, which has been reported to be a member of the black band disease community. To elucidate the mechanisms of coral immune response against V. coralliilyticus, we performed transcriptome analysis of the reef-building coral Acropora digitifera after bacterial challenge.

Free Research Field

水圏生命科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

V. coralliilyticusに対するサンゴの免疫応答を明らかにするために、サンゴ礁を形成する代表的なサンゴであるコユビミドリイシへの感染実験とそのトランスクリプトーム解析を行った。V. coralliilyticusはBBDを構成することが報告されており、単独でもサンゴに対して病原性を示すことが知られている。本研究により、V. coralliilyticusを熱ストレス条件下でサンゴに感染させると、微生物感染を認識する受容体や細胞内シグナル伝達などのサンゴ自然免疫応答に関わる遺伝子の発現が抑制されることが明らかとなった。