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Area of Science:

  • Marine biology
  • Developmental biology
  • Environmental epigenetics

Background:

  • Early life environments can induce adaptive developmental plasticity.
  • Elevated temperatures and microbial loads impact marine organisms' physiology and immune systems.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate how manipulated temperatures and microbial environments during embryogenesis affect the epigenome and immune system of purple sea urchins.
  • To understand the influence of early developmental conditions on larval morphology, immune cell development, and molecular phenotypes.

Main Methods:

  • Experimentally manipulated seawater temperatures and microbial richness during purple sea urchin (Strongylocentrotus purpuratus) embryogenesis.
  • Analyzed changes in larval morphology, immune cell development, and epigenomic profiles (chromatin accessibility).
  • Quantified gene expression to identify differentially expressed genes.

Main Results:

  • High microbial richness increased chromatin accessibility, particularly in promoter regions.
  • Elevated temperature altered fewer chromatin regions but was linked to more differentially expressed genes.
  • Larvae exposed to high microbial richness showed delayed immune system development.

Conclusions:

  • Early developmental environments significantly influence whole-organism and molecular phenotypes in marine invertebrates.
  • Early microbial exposure can alter the host immune system and epigenome, impacting adaptive plasticity.
  • Understanding these early-life effects is crucial for predicting marine organism responses to environmental change.