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Local acclimatisation-driven differential gene and protein expression patterns of Hsp70 in Acropora muricata: implications for coral tolerance to bleaching
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  • Yohan Louis,
  • Ranjeet Bhagooli,
  • Dacide Seveso,
  • Davide Maggioni,
  • Paolo Galli,
  • Marina Vai,
  • Sabrina Dyall
Yohan Louis
University of Mauritius

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Ranjeet Bhagooli
University of Mauritius Faculty of Science
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Dacide Seveso
University of Milan–Bicocca
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Davide Maggioni
University of Milan–Bicocca
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Paolo Galli
University of Milan–Bicocca
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Marina Vai
University of Milan-Bicocca Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences
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Sabrina Dyall
University of Mauritius, University of Mauritius Faculty of Science
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Abstract

Corals show spatial acclimatisation to local environment conditions. However, the various cellular mechanisms involved in local acclimatisation and variable bleaching patterns in corals remain to be thoroughly understood. In this study, the modulation of a protein implicated in cellular heat stress tolerance, the Heat shock protein 70, was compared at both gene (hsp70) and protein (Hsp70) expression level in bleaching tolerant near-coast Acropora muricata colonies and bleaching susceptible reef colonies, in the lagoon of Belle Mare (Mauritius). The relative Hsp70 levels varied significantly between colonies from the two different locations, colonies having different health conditions and the year of collection. Before the bleaching event of 2016, near-coast colonies had higher basal levels of both Hsp70 gene and protein compared to reef colonies. During the bleaching event, the near-coast colonies did not bleach and had significantly higher relative levels of both Hsp70 gene and protein compared to bleached reef colonies. No significant genetic differentiation between the two studied coral populations was observed and all the colonies analysed were associated with Symbiodiniaceae of the genus Symbiodinium (Clade A) irrespective of location and sampling period. These findings provide further evidence of the involvement of Hsp70 in conferring bleaching tolerance to corals. Moreover, the consistent expression differences of Hsp70 gene and protein between the near-coast and reef coral populations in a natural setting indicate that the modulation of this Hsp is involved in local acclimatisation of corals to their environments.
06 Jul 2020Submitted to Molecular Ecology
08 Jul 2020Reviewer(s) Assigned
24 Jul 2020Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
24 Jul 2020Editorial Decision: Revise Minor
22 Aug 2020Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
22 Aug 20201st Revision Received
25 Aug 2020Editorial Decision: Accept
Nov 2020Published in Molecular Ecology volume 29 issue 22 on pages 4382-4394. 10.1111/mec.15642