Together, these results imply that stony corals used the novel gene, SLC4γ, to evolve skeleton formation. Interestingly, SLC4γ is only present in stony corals, but not in their non-skeleton-forming relatives. The protein it encodes is responsible for transporting bicarbonate across cellular membranes.

Now, his team-including Carnegie’s Amanda Tinoco-used genome editing tools to determine that a particular gene, called SLC4γ, is required for young coral colonies to begin building their skeletons. For example, they previously revealed a gene that is critical to how a coral responds to heat stress-information that may help predict how corals will handle future bleaching events. Because of the importance of coral skeleton formation in building reefs, a major research focus has been to understand the genes controlling the process and how it has evolved in corals.įor several years, Cleves’ lab has used the Nobel Prize-winning CRISPR/Cas9 technology to identify cellular and molecular processes that could help guide coral conservation and rehabilitation efforts. Stony corals are vulnerable to ocean acidification because they construct their skeletons by the accretion of calcium carbonate, a process called calcification, which becomes increasingly difficult as the surrounding water’s pH decreases. Over time, the excess carbon dioxide released into our atmosphere by burning fossil fuels is taken up into the ocean, where it reacts with the water to form an acid that is corrosive to coral, shellfish, and other marine organisms. Carbon pollution that we spew into the air is both warming oceans-causing fatal bleaching events-and altering seawater chemistry-resulting in ocean acidification that impedes reef growth.” “But they are in decline due to human activity. “Coral reefs have tremendous ecological value,” said Cleves. These biodiversity hotspots are home to about a quarter of known marine species. Stony corals are marine invertebrates that build large skeletons, which form the basis of reef ecosystems. It is published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. view moreĬredit: Photo is courtesy of Amanda Tinoco.īaltimore, MD-New work led by Carnegie’s Phillip Cleves uses cutting-edge CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing tools to reveal a gene that’s critical to stony corals’ ability to build their reef architectures.

Cleves uses cutting-edge biology techniques to better understand the risks coral face due to climate change. Image: Carnegie’s Phillip Cleves scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef in Australia.

Chemistry of life processes institute