Ribeiro FV et al. (2017), Structuring effects of chemicals from the sea f...

ECB-ART-45411

PeerJ 2017 Jan 01;5:e3186. doi: 10.7717/peerj.3186.

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Structuring effects of chemicals from the sea fan Phyllogorgia dilatata on benthic communities.

Ribeiro FV , da Gama BA , Pereira RC .

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Despite advances in understanding the ecological functions of secondary metabolites from marine organisms, there has been little focus on the influence of chemically-defended species at the community level. Several compounds have been isolated from the gorgonian octocoral Phyllogorgia dilatata, a conspicuous species that forms dense canopies on rocky reefs of northern Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil. Manipulative experiments were performed to study: (1) the effects of live colonies of P. dilatata (physical presence and chemistry) on recruitment of sympatric benthic organisms; (2) the allelopathic effects of its chemicals on competitors; and (3) chemotactic responses of the non-indigenous brittle star, Ophiothela mirabilis. Early establishment of benthic species was influenced on substrates around live P. dilatata colonies and some effects could be attributed to the gorgonian''s secondary metabolites.In addition, the gorgonian chemicals also exerted an allelopathic effect on the sympatric zoanthid Palythoa caribaeorum, and positive chemotaxis upon O. mirabilis. These results indicate multiple ecological roles of a chemically-defended gorgonian on settlement, sympatric competitors, and non-indigenous species.

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Genes referenced: LOC100887844 riok1

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References [+] :

Blunt, Marine natural products. 2015, Pubmed

	Figure 1. Study sites.Upper arrow indicates the Prainha site. Lower arrow indicates IEAPM field laboratory.
	Figure 2. Allelopathy test plate bearing four diffusion chambers.Palythoa caribaeorum was fixed at the center. Treatment (T) and control (C) were chambers with and without crude extract of Phyllogorgia dilatada, respectively.
	Figure 3. Allelopathy test plates on anchored structures at the IEAPM field laboratory.
	Figure 4. Experiment design for recruitment test near live colonies.Steel mesh structures with plastic panels were installed around a Phyllogorgia dilatata live colony or rubber model, on a steel mesh frame anchored to the substrate.
	Figure 5. Disk-shaped acrylic panel with a coaxial diffusion chamber containing phytagel™ designed for the recruitment experiment.
	Figure 6. Acrylic disks on anchored structures at the IEAPM field laboratory.
	Figure 7. The zoanthid Palythoa caribaeorum fixed to an experimental unit at the beginning of the experiment (T0, A), and after 42 days (T2, B). (Pd) Phyllogorgia dilatata crude extract; (C) untreated gels.
	Figure 8. Total area of zoanthid P. caribaeorum tissue coverage over diffusion chambers treated with P. dilatata crude extract (triangles) and over controls (circles).(∗) = Wilcoxon test, zoanthid cover was higher for extract-treated chambers compared to controls at 42 days (T2) (Z = 2.2, p = 0.03, n = 6) and 57 days (T3) (Z = 2.2, p = 0.03, n = 6). Error bars = S.E.
	Figure 9. (A) Fouling community over recruitment panels near live colonies of P. dilatata and mimics. Samples are grouped within 60% similarity contours. Data are square-root transformed. (B) Fouling community over disks treated with crude extract and controls.Samples are grouped within 75% similarity contours. Data are fourth-root transformed.
	Figure 10. Percent cover of coralline crustose algae (CCA) over disks treated with crude extract (Phyllogorgia) and controls, within 75% similarity groups.