To survive against environment stress, corals and algae always cooperate each other by their symbiotic relation. With the help of advanced genomic research, scientists are able to determine the relation between Dinoflagellate and corals.
A research team from King Abdullah University Of Science & Technology (KAUST) have started sequencing and comparing the genomes of three strains of the Symbiodinium. It belongs to the Dinoflagellate algae family. The main purpose of the research was to reveal their genomes have several features that promote a prosperous symbiotic relationship with corals. Their findings were first published in the journal of Scientific Reports.
Lead researcher of this experiment Manuel Aranda who was the assistant professor of Marine Science from University's Red Sea Research Center, said in a statement,“We had access to two Symbiodinium genomes, S.minutum and S.kawagutii, and we decided to sequence a third, S. micro Adriatic. This allowed us to compare the three genomes for common and disparate features and functions and hopefully to show how the species evolved to become symbionts to specific corals”.
According to EurekAlert, Dinoflagellates are one of the most prolific organisms of the Ocean. They use to maintain healthy reefs with the help of symbiotic relationships with corals on the basis of the oceanic food chain.
However, scientists only able to sequence very few species because dinoflagellates have unusually large genomes. The research team had to adjust their software to make up unusually large three Symbiodinium genomes that helped researchers to read the genomes correctly.
Finally, researchers were able to calculate that Symbiodinium has evolved with a rich array of ammonium transporters and bicarbonate compound. Coral Dinoflagellate symbiosis is harvested by these two proteins that involve two important nutrients.
These two important nutrients include Carbon(C) and Nitrogen(N). Carbon is needed for photosynthesis, and Nitrogen is essential for growth and proliferation. Professor Aranda explained that in response to symbiosis, Symbiodinium either evolved these transporters or the presence of these transporters allowed Symbiodinium to become a symbiont in the first place.
