Hormonal signaling in cnidarians: do we understand the pathways well enough to know whether they are being disrupted?

Tarrant, Ann M.

doi:10.1007/s10646-006-0121-1

Cited by 27 publications

(26 citation statements)

References 105 publications

(119 reference statements)

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“…The functional role of these genes awaits further study, but some evidence suggests that cnidarians may be susceptible to a condition resembling endocrine disruption (Tarrant, 2005). Furthermore, understanding the interaction of nuclear receptors and other genes involved in endocrine-like function in Nematostella may reveal how the endocrine system evolved (Tarrant, 2007).…”

Section: Stress-activated Receptors Signal Transduction Pathways Anmentioning

confidence: 99%

Genomic Survey of Candidate Stress-Response Genes in the Estuarine AnemoneNematostella vectensis

Reitzel

Sullivan

Traylor-Knowles

et al. 2008

The Biological Bulletin

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Abstract. Salt marshes are challenging habitats due to natural variability in key environmental parameters including temperature, salinity, ultraviolet light, oxygen, sulfides, and reactive oxygen species. Compounding this natural variation, salt marshes are often heavily impacted by anthropogenic insults including eutrophication, toxic contamination, and coastal development that alter tidal and freshwater inputs. Commensurate with this environmental variability, estuarine animals generally exhibit broader physiological tolerances than freshwater, marine, or terrestrial species. One factor that determines an organism's physiological tolerance is its ability to upregulate "stressresponse genes" in reaction to particular stressors. Comparative studies on diverse organisms have identified a number of evolutionarily conserved genes involved in responding to abiotic and biotic stressors. We used homologybased scans to survey the sequenced genome of Nematostella vectensis, the starlet sea anemone, an estuarine specialist, to identify genes involved in the response to three kinds of insult-physiochemical insults, pathogens, and injury. Many components of the stress-response networks identified in triploblastic animals have clear orthologs in the sea anemone, meaning that they must predate the cnidariantriploblast split (e.g., xenobiotic receptors, biotransformative genes, ATP-dependent transporters, and genes involved in responding to reactive oxygen species, toxic metals, osmotic shock, thermal stress, pathogen exposure, and wounding). However, in some instances, stress-response genes known from triploblasts appear to be absent from the Nematostella genome (e.g., many metal-complexing genes). This is the first comprehensive examination of the genomic stress-response repertoire of an estuarine animal and a member of the phylum Cnidaria. The molecular markers of stress response identified in Nematostella may prove useful in monitoring estuary health and evaluating coastal conservation efforts. These data may also inform conservation efforts on other cnidarians, such as the reef-building corals.

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Section: Stress-activated Receptors Signal Transduction Pathways Anmentioning

confidence: 99%

Genomic Survey of Candidate Stress-Response Genes in the Estuarine AnemoneNematostella vectensis

Reitzel

Sullivan

Traylor-Knowles

et al. 2008

The Biological Bulletin

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“…With a better understanding of regulatory processes and development of appropriate endpoints [e.g. (Tarrant, 2007)], cnidaria will become valuable indicators of exposure to disruptive chemicals and other stressors.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Environmental sensing and response genes in cnidaria: the chemical defensome in the sea anemone Nematostella vectensis

Goldstone

2008

Cell Biol Toxicol

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The starlet sea anemone Nematostella vectensis has been recently established as a new model system for the study of the evolution of developmental processes, as cnidaria occupy a key evolutionary position at the base of the bilateria. Cnidaria play important roles in estuarine and reef communities, but are exposed to many environmental stressors.Here I describe the genetic components of a 'chemical defensome' in the genome of N. vectensis, and review cnidarian molecular toxicology. Gene families that defend against chemical stressors and the transcription factors that regulate these genes have been termed a 'chemical defensome,' and include the cytochromes P450 and other oxidases, various conjugating enyzymes, the ATPdependent efflux transporters, oxidative detoxification proteins, as well as various transcription factors. These genes account for about 1% (266/27200) of the predicted genes in the sea anemone genome, similar to the proportion observed in tunicates and humans, but lower than that observed in sea urchins. While there are comparable numbers of stress-response genes, the stress sensor genes appear to be reduced in N. vectensis relative to many model protostomes and deuterostomes. Cnidarian toxicology is understudied, especially given the important ecological roles of many cnidarian species. New genomic resources should stimulate the study of chemical stress sensing and response mechanisms in cnidaria, and allow us to further illuminate the evolution of chemical defense gene networks.

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“…As described by Tarrant [36], pollutants may be internalized by Cnidaria by either uptake, ingestion or contact with chemicals contained in marine waters, suggesting a possible use of these specimens as a model for ecotoxicological investigations and biomonitoring of marine water quality. An interesting example is given by hydras, sensitive to metals and other environmental toxicants, including cadmium, zinc and butyltin [36,37,38].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…An interesting example is given by hydras, sensitive to metals and other environmental toxicants, including cadmium, zinc and butyltin [36,37,38]. …”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Heavy Metals Affect Nematocysts Discharge Response and Biological Activity of Crude Venom in the JellyfishPelagia noctiluca(Cnidaria, Scyphozoa)

Morabito

Dossena

Spada

et al. 2014

Cell Physiol Biochem

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Background: Pollution of marine ecosystems and, specifically, heavy metals contamination may compromise the physiology of marine animals with events occurring on a cellular and molecular level. The present study focuses on the effect of short-term exposure to heavy metals like Zinc, Cadmium, Cobalt and Lanthanum (2-10 mM) on the homeostasis of Pelagia noctiluca (Cnidaria, Scyphozoa), a jellyfish abundant in the Mediterranean sea. This species possesses stinging organoids, termed nematocysts, whose discharge and concomitant delivery of venom underlie the survival of all Cnidaria. Methods: Nematocysts discharge response, elicited by combined chemico-physical stimulation, was verified on excised oral arms exposed to heavy metals for 20 min. In addition, the hemolytic activity of toxins, contained in the crude venom extracted from nematocysts isolated from oral arms, was tested on human erythrocytes, in the presence of heavy metals or their mixture. Results: Treatment with heavy metals significantly inhibited both nematocysts discharge response and hemolytic activity of crude venom, in a dose-dependent manner, not involving oxidative events, that was irreversible in the case of Lanthanum. Conclusion: Our findings show that the homeostasis of Pelagia noctiluca, in terms of nematocysts discharge capability and effectiveness of venom toxins, is dramatically and rapidly compromised by heavy metals and confirm that this jellyfish is eligible as a model for ecotoxicological investigations.

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Hormonal signaling in cnidarians: do we understand the pathways well enough to know whether they are being disrupted?

Cited by 27 publications

References 105 publications

Genomic Survey of Candidate Stress-Response Genes in the Estuarine AnemoneNematostella vectensis

Genomic Survey of Candidate Stress-Response Genes in the Estuarine AnemoneNematostella vectensis

Environmental sensing and response genes in cnidaria: the chemical defensome in the sea anemone Nematostella vectensis

Heavy Metals Affect Nematocysts Discharge Response and Biological Activity of Crude Venom in the JellyfishPelagia noctiluca(Cnidaria, Scyphozoa)

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