Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, Australia.
Trends Microbiol. 2009 Dec;17(12):554-62. doi: 10.1016/j.tim.2009.09.004. Epub 2009 Oct 12.
Tropical coral reefs harbour a reservoir of enormous biodiversity that is increasingly threatened by direct human activities and indirect global climate shifts. Emerging coral diseases are one serious threat implicated in extensive reef deterioration through disruption of the integrity of the coral holobiont - a complex symbiosis between the coral animal, endobiotic alga and an array of microorganisms. In this article, we review our current understanding of the role of microorganisms in coral health and disease, and highlight the pressing interdisciplinary research priorities required to elucidate the mechanisms of disease. We advocate an approach that applies knowledge gained from experiences in human and veterinary medicine, integrated into multidisciplinary studies that investigate the interactions between host, agent and environment of a given coral disease. These approaches include robust and precise disease diagnosis, standardised ecological methods and application of rapidly developing DNA, RNA and protein technologies, alongside established histological, microbial ecology and ecological expertise. Such approaches will allow a better understanding of the causes of coral mortality and coral reef declines and help assess potential management options to mitigate their effects in the longer term.
热带珊瑚礁蕴藏着巨大的生物多样性，这些多样性正日益受到直接人类活动和间接全球气候变化的威胁。新兴的珊瑚疾病是通过破坏珊瑚整体共生体的完整性而导致广泛珊瑚礁恶化的一个严重威胁，珊瑚整体共生体是珊瑚动物、内生藻类和一系列微生物之间的复杂共生关系。在本文中，我们回顾了我们目前对微生物在珊瑚健康和疾病中的作用的理解，并强调了阐明疾病机制所需的紧迫跨学科研究重点。我们提倡一种方法，即将从人类和兽医医学经验中获得的知识应用于多学科研究中，这些研究调查特定珊瑚疾病的宿主、病原体和环境之间的相互作用。这些方法包括稳健和精确的疾病诊断、标准化的生态方法以及快速发展的 DNA、RNA 和蛋白质技术的应用，以及既定的组织学、微生物生态学和生态专业知识。这些方法将有助于更好地了解珊瑚死亡和珊瑚礁衰退的原因，并帮助评估潜在的管理选择，以减轻其长期影响。
