Department of Animal Ecology and Systematics, Marine Holobiomics Lab, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany.
Aquatic Research Facility, Environmental Sustainability Research Centre, University of Derby, Derby, United Kingdom.
Microbiol Mol Biol Rev. 2022 Dec 21;86(4):e0005322. doi: 10.1128/mmbr.00053-22. Epub 2022 Oct 26.
Stony corals build the framework of coral reefs, ecosystems of immense ecological and economic importance. The existence of these ecosystems is threatened by climate change and other anthropogenic stressors that manifest in microbial dysbiosis such as coral bleaching and disease, often leading to coral mortality. Despite a significant amount of research, the mechanisms ultimately underlying these destructive phenomena, and what could prevent or mitigate them, remain to be resolved. This is mostly due to practical challenges in experimentation on corals and the highly complex nature of the coral holobiont that also includes bacteria, archaea, protists, and viruses. While the overall importance of these partners is well recognized, their specific contributions to holobiont functioning and their interspecific dynamics remain largely unexplored. Here, we review the potential of adopting model organisms as more tractable systems to address these knowledge gaps. We draw on parallels from the broader biological and biomedical fields to guide the establishment, implementation, and integration of new and emerging model organisms with the aim of addressing the specific needs of coral research. We evaluate the cnidarian models Hydra, Aiptasia, Cassiopea, and ; review the fast-evolving field of coral tissue and cell cultures; and propose a framework for the establishment of "true" tropical reef-building coral models. Based on this assessment, we also suggest future research to address key aspects limiting our ability to understand and hence improve the response of reef-building corals to future ocean conditions.
石珊瑚构建了珊瑚礁框架，这些生态系统具有巨大的生态和经济重要性。这些生态系统的存在受到气候变化和其他人为压力因素的威胁，表现为微生物失调，如珊瑚白化和疾病，这通常会导致珊瑚死亡。尽管已经进行了大量的研究，但导致这些破坏性现象的根本机制以及可以预防或减轻这些现象的措施仍有待解决。这主要是由于在珊瑚实验方面存在实际挑战，以及珊瑚全共生体（包括细菌、古菌、原生生物和病毒）高度复杂的性质。虽然这些伙伴的总体重要性已得到广泛认可，但它们对全共生体功能的具体贡献及其种间动态仍在很大程度上未被探索。在这里，我们回顾了采用模式生物作为更易于处理的系统来解决这些知识空白的潜力。我们借鉴了更广泛的生物学和生物医学领域的相似之处，以指导新出现的模式生物的建立、实施和整合，旨在满足珊瑚研究的特定需求。我们评估了刺胞动物模型 Hydra、Aiptasia、Cassiopea，并回顾了珊瑚组织和细胞培养的快速发展领域；并提出了建立“真正的”热带造礁珊瑚模型的框架。基于这一评估，我们还提出了未来的研究建议，以解决限制我们理解能力的关键方面，从而改善造礁珊瑚对未来海洋条件的反应。
