Melatonin and 5-methoxytryptamine induced muscular contraction in sea anemones

Tsang, Wing-Keung; McGaughey, N. J.; Wong, Yung Hou; Wong, Joseph T.Y.

doi:10.1002/(sici)1097-010x(19971015)279:3<201::aid-jez1>3.0.co;2-r

Cited by 8 publications

(6 citation statements)

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“…Melatonin has been shown to affect expansion of oral disc in sea anemone polyps ( Actinia sp .) [ 160 ] and may be involved in polyp behavior. In Caribbean Acropora , polyp behavior during the day differs between radial and axial polyps; symbiont-rich radial polyps are active throughout the day to photosynthesize, but axial polyps are only extended at night to feed.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The genetics of colony form and function in Caribbean Acropora corals

2014

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BackgroundColonial reef-building corals have evolved a broad spectrum of colony morphologies based on coordinated asexual reproduction of polyps on a secreted calcium carbonate skeleton. Though cnidarians have been shown to possess and use similar developmental genes to bilaterians during larval development and polyp formation, little is known about genetic regulation of colony morphology in hard corals. We used RNA-seq to evaluate transcriptomic differences between functionally distinct regions of the coral (apical branch tips and branch bases) in two species of Caribbean Acropora, the staghorn coral, A. cervicornis, and the elkhorn coral, A. palmata.ResultsTranscriptome-wide gene profiles differed significantly between different parts of the coral colony as well as between species. Genes showing differential expression between branch tips and bases were involved in developmental signaling pathways, such as Wnt, Notch, and BMP, as well as pH regulation, ion transport, extracellular matrix production and other processes. Differences both within colonies and between species identify a relatively small number of genes that may contribute to the distinct “staghorn” versus “elkhorn” morphologies of these two sister species.ConclusionsThe large number of differentially expressed genes supports a strong division of labor between coral branch tips and branch bases. Genes involved in growth of mature Acropora colonies include the classical signaling pathways associated with development of cnidarian larvae and polyps as well as morphological determination in higher metazoans.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/1471-2164-15-1133) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The genetics of colony form and function in Caribbean Acropora corals

2014

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“…), appear to be light responsive, but may also have a circadian component of regulation (Tsang et al . ; Levy ). In some corals, such as the Caribbean Acropora corals, tentacle behaviour varies between different parts of the colony (E. Hemond & S. Vollmer, personal observation), suggesting complex regulation beyond uniform light response.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As sessile organisms, coral behavioural changes include polyp and tentacle extension and retraction, which often display diel patterns (Levy et al 2006). Tentacle behaviours, which may help the animal avoid predation while maximizing photosynthesis, heterotrophic feeding and gas exchange (Levy et al 2006), appear to be light responsive, but may also have a circadian component of regulation (Tsang et al 1997;Levy 2003). In some corals, such as the Caribbean Acropora corals, tentacle behaviour varies between different parts of the colony (E. Hemond & S. Vollmer, personal observation), suggesting complex regulation beyond uniform light response.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Diurnal and nocturnal transcriptomic variation in the Caribbean staghorn coral, Acropora cervicornis

Hemond

Vollmer

2015

Molecular Ecology

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Reef-building corals experience large diel shifts in their environment, both externally due to changes in light intensity, predator activity and prey availability, and internally as a result of diel fluctuations in photosynthesis by their endosymbiotic algae, Symbiodinium. Diel patterns of tentacle Accepted ArticleThis article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. (3005) of transcripts were differentially expressed between branch tips and bases, while 1% (441) of transcripts were differentially expressed between day and night. The gene expression patterns of 220 transcripts were affected by both time of day and location within the colony. In particular, photoreceptors, putative circadian genes, stress response genes and metabolic genes were differentially expressed between day and night, and some of these, including Amcry1, tef and hebp2, exhibited location-specific regulation within the coral colony as well. These findings indicate that the genetic response of the coral to day and night conditions varies within the colony. Both time of day and location within the colony are factors that should be considered in future coral gene expression experiments.

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“…In the ancient metazoan phylum Cnidaria, biogenic amines are considered to be involved in several behaviours, such as feeding (Hanai and Kitajima, 1984), muscular contraction (Anctil, 1989;Anctil et al, 1991;Tsang et al, 1997), metamorphosis (Edwards et al, 1987) and regeneration (Lenicque and Feral, 0378-1119/$ -see front matter D 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.gene.2004.07.020…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 57%