Validation of transcriptomic results by real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) (Experiment II)
In order to validate results from the transcriptomic analysis, we conducted a second polyp bail-out experiment in 2019 and collected RNA samples for qPCR analyses. The experimental setup for polyp bail-out induction was the same as in experiment I, except for the lighting conditions (150 μmol photons m-2s-1) and the use of filtered natural seawater (34 – 35‰) in this experiment. For a better temporal resolution of the genetic response, coral RNA was sampled at 6-hour intervals through the time-course of polyp bail-out induction (5 time points; N = 6 for treatment group and N = 3 for control group).