Moeller, Mareen and Nietzer, Samuel and Schupp, Peter J. (2019) Neuroactive compounds induce larval settlement in the scleractinian coral Leptastrea purpurea. Scientific Reports, 9 (1). ISSN 2045-2322

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Abstract

Settlement of pelagic coral larvae is commonly induced by chemical cues that originate from biofilms and coralline algae. These natural settlement cues initiate signal pathways leading to attachment and metamorphosis of the coral larva. In order to investigate the settlement process and its natural inducers, it is necessary to gain a better understanding of these signal pathways. At present, the pathways and neurotransmitters involved in this signal transduction are still widely unknown. In this study, we exposed larvae of the brooding coral Leptastrea purpurea to five neuroactive compounds known to be present in cnidarians, and K+ Ions. All compounds were applied at different dilutions and settlement behavior of the larvae was documented over 48 h. Dopamine, glutamic acid and epinephrine significantly induced settlement in the coral larvae. The highest observed metamorphosis response was 54% in 10−5 M dopamine. Serotonin, L-DOPA and K+ ions did not have an influence on settlement behavior in our experiments. Exposing larvae to settlement-inducing neurotransmitters and thus bypassing the initial induction could be utilized in coral aquaculture. The active neurotransmitters should be used to further study the settlement process in L. purpurea in greater detail. Their role and relevance should also be assessed for other coral species as they may represent or reveal a universal inducer for coral settlement.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	Publiziert mit Hilfe des DFG-geförderten Open Access-Publikationsfonds der Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg.
Subjects:	Science and mathematics > Chemistry Science and mathematics > Earth sciences and geology Science and mathematics > Life sciences, biology
Divisions:	Faculty of Mathematics and Science > Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM)
Date Deposited:	18 Mar 2020 10:07
Last Modified:	18 Mar 2020 10:07
URI:	https://oops.uni-oldenburg.de/id/eprint/4474
URN:	urn:nbn:de:gbv:715-oops-45555
DOI:	10.1038/s41598-019-38794-2
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