Mucus carbohydrate composition correlates with scleractinian coral phylogeny

Area of Science:

• Marine Biology
• Coral Reef Ecology
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Scleractinian coral mucus, primarily carbohydrates, plays vital roles in coral health.
• Environmental factors and microbial pressures are thought to influence mucus composition.
• The role of coral phylogeny in determining mucus carbohydrate composition remains under-explored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate variations in coral mucus carbohydrate composition across different coral species.
• To determine the extent to which coral phylogeny shapes mucus carbohydrate profiles.
• To analyze the monosaccharide composition of coral mucus to identify phylogenetic patterns.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of monosaccharide composition in the mucus of five scleractinian coral species.
• Inclusion of previously published mucus composition data for a total of 23 species.
• Cluster analysis and Mantel tests to discern patterns and correlations between phylogeny and composition.

Main Results:

• Significant differences in monosaccharide composition were observed between two early-diverging phylogenetic clades (complex and robust).
• The robust clade showed a notable absence of arabinose compared to the complex clade.
• Coral phylogeny was found to significantly correlate with mucus monosaccharide composition (R² = 0.70, p < 0.001).

Conclusions:

• Coral mucus carbohydrate composition exhibits a significant phylogenetic dependence.
• Phylogeny is a key determinant of coral mucus composition, alongside environmental and microbial factors.
• These findings underscore the evolutionary basis of coral mucus and its fundamental role in coral physiology.