Genomic comparison of the temperate coral <i>Astrangia poculata</i> with tropical corals yields insights into winter quiescence, innate immunity, and sexual reproduction
Facultatively symbiotic corals provide important experimental models to explore the establishment, maintenance, and breakdown of the mutualism between corals and members of the algal family Symbiodiniaceae. Here, we report the de novo chromosome-scale genome assembly and annotation of the facultatively symbiotic, temperate coral Astrangia poculata. Though widespread segmental/tandem duplications of genomic regions were detected, we did not find strong evidence of a whole-genome duplication event. Comparison of the gene arrangement between As. poculata and the tropical coral Acropora millepora revealed considerable conserved colinearity despite ∼415 million years of divergence. Gene families related to sperm hyperactivation and innate immunity, including lectins, were found to contain more genes in Ac. millepora relative to As. poculata. Sperm hyperactivation in Ac. millepora is expected given the extreme requirements of gamete competition during mass spawning events in tropical corals, while lectins are important in the establishment of coral-algal symbiosis. By contrast, gene families involved in sleep promotion, feeding suppression, and circadian sleep/wake cycle processes were expanded in As. poculata. These expanded gene families may play a role in As. poculata's ability to enter a dormancy-like state (winter quiescence) to survive freezing temperatures at the northern edges of the species' range.
Authors
- Sean Grace (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5437-0782)
- Kathryn H. Stankiewicz (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1904-5845)
- Nadège Guiglielmoni (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6185-1592)
- Katie L. Barott (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7371-4870)
- Sarah W. Davies (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1620-2278)
- John R. Finnerty (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8576-6774)
- Esther C. Peters (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5404-5309)
- Koty Sharp (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6762-7682)
- Sheila A. Kitchen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4402-8139)
- Leslie S. Kaufman
- Hollie M. Putnam (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2322-3269)
- Iliana B. Baums (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6463-7308)
- Randi Rotjan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3401-9784)
- Jean‐François Flot (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4091-7916)
Institutions
- Boston University (US)
- Alfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung (DE)
- Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg (DE)
- Pennsylvania State University (US)
- Université Libre de Bruxelles (BE)
- George Mason University (US)
- Texas A&M University at Galveston (US)
- University of Rhode Island (US)
- Institute for Systems Biology (US)
- Southern Connecticut State University (US)
- Helmholtz Institute for Functional Marine Biodiversity (DE)
- Institute of Bioinformatics (IN)
- University of Pennsylvania (US)
- Roger Williams University (US)
- Philadelphia University (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- G3 Genes Genomes Genetics
- Published
- 2025-02-18
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1093/g3journal/jkaf033
- Citations
- 3
- Primary Topic
- Coral and Marine Ecosystems Studies
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 5.15
Funders
- National Science Foundation
- National Institutes of Health