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Description:
Project Manager:
Cheryl Woodley
Project Years:
2021
2022
2023
Project Summary:
Determining the functional shifts of coral disease such as Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease (SCTLD) relies on a multidisciplinary approach as the causation may be a combination of abiotic, microbial or viral agents. There is a range of coral susceptibility to SCTLD, with some species being highly susceptible (e.g. Dendrogyra cylindrus, Meandrina meandrites), moderately susceptible species (e.g., Montastraea cavernosa, Siderastrea siderea), and tolerant species (e.g., Porites spp., Acropora spp.) as well as within species differences in susceptibility. We propose to study this phenomenon through differential protein expression between species using mass spectrometry to characterize tryptic protein fragments. The bioinformatics analyses of these spectra, supported by metagenomics and annotated coral genomes, will be used to discern functional aspects of SCTLD infection and resistance. Metaproteomics is the identification and relative quantification of the proteome of a complex multi-species sample. The comparative analysis of protein-level changes between phenotypically-different samples can be used to identify key proteins in SCTLD infection, and resistance, as well as elucidating the associated biological pathways and mechanisms involved in the disease. Functional analyses of coral proteomes from species of varying susceptibility can lead to the recognition of new disease-resistant genetic resources applicable for coral restoration breeding programs, as well as identifying candidate protein biomarkers for on-site diagnosis of sub-clinical SCTLD conditions and possibly resilient specimens. Specifically, our functional characterization of disease progression will aid in the identification of pathogen(s) and transmission vector(s) of SCTLD. Looking forward, diagnostic biomarkers identified in our study would have utility in testing new colony and reef level treatment options. Any identified disease-resistant genetic resources could aid coral restoration programs. The outcomes of this project will be incorporated into an on-going coral disease response effort, which seeks to improve understanding about the scale and severity of the Florida Reef Tract coral disease outbreak, identify primary and secondary causes, identify management actions to remediate disease impacts, restore affected resources and prevent future outbreaks. Expected deliverables include making metagenomic assemblies, raw mass spectra, and search results of mass spectra available on public repositories. Results will be compiled with applied domain knowledge from PIs to identify conserved functional shifts related to SCTLD infection and resistance. Results will be reported with interpretations and implications for management. Resources for this project are contributed by NOAA, NIST, and College of Charleston.
Expected Outcome:
This project will create metaproteomic data for several coral holobionts of varying SCTLD susceptibility; the raw MS/MS spectra of tryptic peptides will be archived on public repositories. It is our intention to define the functional aspects of SCTLD pathology, while potentially identifying biomolecular indicators of disease infection and/or resistance. It is by understanding these fundamental mechanisms that interventions and management of this disease can be devised. These results will be shared with the Disease Advisory Committee for possible recommendations for future work in SCTLD therapeutics and diagnostics as well as planning reef restoration.
Project Locations:
- International Wider Caribbean
- Florida
Project Category:
Restoration
Project Status:
Funding Ended
Associated Products:
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