The latest research of the reef coral tissue falling disease has been progressing

Ocean warming threatens the health of coral reefs. In addition to the alternatement of corals, the tissue falling disease of stone coral caused by pathogenic bacteria is expanding at an unprecedented speed. Stone coral tissue falling disease is found in a variety of reef corals around the world. In a few weeks, the infected corals will be killed, and the mortality rate is as high as 90%. The overall coral symbiosis lives in various microorganisms, and plays an important role in the cycle and energy metabolism of coral symbiotic elements. These microorganisms are also an important barrier for coral resistance to the invasion and planting of primary bacteria. However, it is not clear about how the barrier of coral diseases break through the indigenous symbiotic bacteria to successfully plant. The understanding of this process is the prerequisite for researchers to intervene in coral tissue falling diseases.

Cluster helmets are a typical reef coral near Hainan Island and the Xisha Islands (Figure 1). In the early stage of wild investigation, it was found that some areas of tissue falling diseases occur in some areas (Figure 2). The research team was found in the digestive cycle liquid of the cluster helmet -shaped coral in the early stage and found the pathogenic bacteria -dissolved coral pyrobacteria. After infection with this pathogenic bacteria, a serious tissue defeat showed a typical coral tissue under the heat stimulation.

Figure 1. Cluster helmet -shaped coral in the South China Sea

Figure 2. Copper helmet coral of health and "tissue shedding disease"

In this study, the researchers reported a new role in coral diseases and indigenous bacteria. The result of this competitive role determines the health of coral (Figure 3). Coral diseases are encoded by L-lysine-ε-oxidase LODA, which can oxidize L-lysine and produce hydrogen peroxide. The raw bacteria of coral diseases use Loda to activate endogenous bacteria such as Endozoicomonas SP. And non -pathogenic bacteria, such as the raw bayence of coalous bacteria, thereby removing these important coral symbiotic bacteria.

The study also found that LODA also generally exists in an important microbial group in ecosystems such as human intestines, soils, and oceans, indicating that the use of Loda to activate the original phage may be a common strategy that is a combination of microorganisms between the same ecosystem. The study revealed a new mechanism for the pathogenicity of coral diseases, and obtained a new understanding of the overall health of coral symbiosis from the function and method of interaction of the closure of the closure. Provided technical support.

Figure 3. Model diagram of the interaction between coral diseases and coral symbiotic bacteria

The study was completed by Wang Xiaoxue, a researcher at the Tropical Marine Biological Resources and Ecological Key Laboratory of the South China Sea Marine Research of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The relevant research results were "The Coral Pathogen Vibrio Corayticus Kills Non-Pathogenic Holobiont Competors by TRIGGERING PROPHAGE InDuctucts. "Nature Ecology and Ecology & Evolution". Team member Wang Weiquan, a 2017 -level student, associate researcher Tang Kaihao and associate researcher Wang Pengxia as the first author of the paper, researcher Wang Xiaoxue as the author of the paper. Professor Wang Yan of Hainan University provides support for the sampling and infectious system establishment of coral samples. This research has been funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the key R & D plan of the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Youth Innovation Promotion Association of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the local innovation team of Guangdong Province, and major projects in the southern marine science and engineering Guangdong Laboratory.

Related thesis information: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-022-01795- y

Wang, W. et al. The Coral Pathogen Vibrio Cora Lalliilyticus Kills Non-Pathogenic Holobiont Competitors by TriggerInd.

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