KAUST Scientists Find Corals Can Be Primed to Resist Disease
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RIYADH, August 9 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) — Scientists at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology have found that controlled exposure to a pathogen can prepare corals to better resist the same disease agent during a later encounter.
The study, published in ISME Host Microbe, exposed corals to sub-lethal doses or inactive forms of a disease-causing pathogen. The corals showed greater resistance when exposed to the disease again, a process known as pathogen priming.
Researchers described the process as conceptually similar to the way vaccines prepare a body to recognize future threats, but did not characterize the technique as coral vaccination.
“Coral disease is becoming an increasingly important challenge for reefs worldwide,” said Raquel Peixoto, professor of marine science at KAUST and senior author of the study. “What surprised us was finding that corals exposed to a pathogen were significantly better able to respond when they encountered the same disease agent again. It suggests corals can be trained to strengthen their natural defenses, something that was not previously demonstrated.”
The study provides the first evidence that corals can develop a protective, immune memory-like response despite lacking the adaptive immune systems found in humans and other vertebrates.
Researchers also linked the protective effect to changes within the coral and its microbiome, the community of microorganisms that lives alongside the coral and supports its health.
The research used corals from the Red Sea. Its findings come as warming oceans and other environmental stressors increase pressure on reefs, where disease outbreaks can spread through natural habitats and coral nurseries and undermine restoration efforts.
The KAUST team has filed a patent application related to using pathogen priming to strengthen coral disease resistance. Researchers are testing the approach across additional coral species, pathogens and environmental conditions.
If those tests are successful, the technique could eventually provide coral nurseries and restoration programs with a tool to strengthen reefs before disease outbreaks occur.
Source: SPA
