The starlet sea anemone, Nematostella vectensis, is an estuarine animal that has become an important new model system for studying development, ecology and genomics. Previous studies on Nematostella have identified a polymorphism, a variant form of a gene, that may impact the animal's ability to resist oxidative stress (caused by high levels of peroxides in the water). The polymorphism in question occurs in the NF-kappaB gene, a gene that is known to be important for combatting environmental stress in insects and vertebrates. The current study will subject sea anemones to stress, including oxidative stress, heat, and pathogen exposure. The stress-response of the whole organism will be evaluated by studying its ability to regenerate missing body parts. The stress-response of the NF-kappaB protein will be evaluated by monitoring its movement within the cell using labeled antibodies. The study will reveal (1) whether NF-kappaB is used by Nematostella to combat environmental stress, and (2) whether different forms of the gene render the animal differentially susceptible to oxidative stress. This research will improve our understanding of how organisms combat stress at the molecular level, and it will foster the development of Nematostella into a sentinel species for monitoring environmental stress in our estuaries.
In this era of rapid global climate change, organisms must adapt to shifting environments, migrate to new habitats, or face extinction. Estuarine organisms face a particularly daunting challenge because estuaries are inherently isolated islands of moderate salinity surrounded by fresh- and salt-water that can serve as barriers to the migration of estuarine creatures. As the planet warms, estuaries will experience higher temperatures, more rapid evaporative water loss, increased salinity, and higher peroxide levels (which result when the ultraviolet rays of the sun beat down on shallow slow-moving waters). Given that estuaries provide food, spawning grounds, and nurseries for many commercially important fishes, shellfish, and shore birds, it is important that we understand how estuarine organisms combat stress and adapt to changing environments.
