Corals coping with climate change: identifying components of heat stress response in symbiotic cnidarians

Corals are the essential foundation species for coral reef ecosystems. Their reef‐building capability is dependent upon a symbiotic relationship with an algal symbiont, in which the animal host exchanges waste products for photosynthate from the symbiont. When stressed, the symbiotic relationship breaks down and symbionts are expelled from the coral in a process called bleaching. Without symbiotic algae, corals are more susceptible to damage and death. Elevated sea surface temperature is the primary cause of coral bleaching, and it is has been observed that bleaching events have been increasing as sea surface temperatures rise globally. We are interested in understanding the cellular events that lead to thermal stress‐induced bleaching response. We exposed symbiotic sea anemones, Aiptasia pallida , to thermal stress (32°C for 24 hours) and used two‐dimensional SDS‐PAGE to compare protein profiles of anemones subjected to thermal stress compared to anemones in control conditions. The use of 2D protein gels required the development of new procedures to extract, purify, and quantify protein in anemone samples. Distinct differences in protein expression were found between heat stressed and control animals; heat stressed anemones experienced dramatic up‐regulation and down regulation of numerous proteins. Funding was provided by the Research Corporation for the Advancement of Science Cottrell College Science Multi‐investigator Award.