Cell culture from two red sea benthic invertebrates: a case study on the soft octocorals dendronephthya klunzingeri and anthelia glauca

Abstract

Primmorphs were obtained from single cells of both coral species Dendronephthya klunzingeri and Anthelia glauca following incubation for three or four days during 2001. Both ultraviolet light (UVB; peak of emission of 320 nm) and visible light (wavelength between 400 and 520 nm with a maximum at 480 nm) were applied to the primmorphs as stressors. The following incubation probes have been isolated from D. klunzingeri and were used to monitor the expression of the respective genes in the homologous cell system; the heat-shock protein HSP90 (to monitor general stress responses), the histone H4cDNA (to monitor the cell cycle/proliferation) and the UVS-related protein (response to ultraviolet light) from D. klunzingeri. The data show that the steady state level of HSP90 expression is only upregulated at low level of exposure to UVB (30 J/cm2), while at stronger irradiation the expression level decreases. The expression of the histone H4 gene is blocked following exposure to UVS. Interestingly, in the absence of UVB no transcripts of UVS-related protein can be visualized. However, after exposure of the primmorphs with 30 to 300 J/cm2 a strong upregulation of the expression of the UVS-related gene is seen. The response of the primmorphs to visible light is distinct to that following exposure to UVB. The expression of the gene for histone H4 is significantly upregulated following exposure to UVB, while no expression of the gene UVS-related protein can be detected. It is concluded that, the primmorph system is useful to assess potential nature and anthropogenic disturbances on coral cells.