TY - JOUR
T1 - Extracellular matrix production and calcium carbonate precipitation by coral cells in vitro
AU - Helman, Yael
AU - Natale, Frank
AU - Sherrell, Robert M.
AU - LaVigne, Michèle
AU - Starovoytov, Valentin
AU - Gorbunov, Maxim Y.
AU - Falkowski, Paul G.
PY - 2008/1/8
Y1 - 2008/1/8
N2 - The evolution of multicellularity in animals required the production of extracellular matrices that serve to spatially organize cells according to function. In corals, three matrices are involved in spatial organization: (i) an organic ECM, which facilitates cell- cell and cell-substrate adhesion; (ii) a skeletal organic matrix (SOM), which facilitates controlled deposition of a calcium carbonate skeleton; and (iii) the calcium carbonate skeleton itself, which provides the structural support for the 3D organization of coral colonies. In this report, we examine the production of these three matrices by using an in vitro culturing system for coral cells. In this system, which significantly facilitates studies of coral cell physiology, we demonstrate in vitro excretion of ECM by primary (nondividing) tissue cultures of both soft (Xenia elongata) and hard (Montipora digitata) corals. There are structural differences between the ECM produced by X. elongata cell cultures and that of M. digitata, and ascorbic acid, a critical cofactor for proline hydroxylation, significantly increased the production of collagen in the ECM of the latter species. We further demonstrate in vitro production of SOM and extracellular mineralized particles in cell cultures of M. digitata. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry analysis of Sr/Ca ratios revealed the particles to be aragonite. De novo calcification was confirmed by following the incorporation of 45Ca into acid labile macromolecules. Our results demonstrate the ability of isolated, differentiated coral cells to undergo fundamental processes required for multicellular organization.
AB - The evolution of multicellularity in animals required the production of extracellular matrices that serve to spatially organize cells according to function. In corals, three matrices are involved in spatial organization: (i) an organic ECM, which facilitates cell- cell and cell-substrate adhesion; (ii) a skeletal organic matrix (SOM), which facilitates controlled deposition of a calcium carbonate skeleton; and (iii) the calcium carbonate skeleton itself, which provides the structural support for the 3D organization of coral colonies. In this report, we examine the production of these three matrices by using an in vitro culturing system for coral cells. In this system, which significantly facilitates studies of coral cell physiology, we demonstrate in vitro excretion of ECM by primary (nondividing) tissue cultures of both soft (Xenia elongata) and hard (Montipora digitata) corals. There are structural differences between the ECM produced by X. elongata cell cultures and that of M. digitata, and ascorbic acid, a critical cofactor for proline hydroxylation, significantly increased the production of collagen in the ECM of the latter species. We further demonstrate in vitro production of SOM and extracellular mineralized particles in cell cultures of M. digitata. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry analysis of Sr/Ca ratios revealed the particles to be aragonite. De novo calcification was confirmed by following the incorporation of 45Ca into acid labile macromolecules. Our results demonstrate the ability of isolated, differentiated coral cells to undergo fundamental processes required for multicellular organization.
KW - Aragonite
KW - Calcification
KW - Cell culture
KW - Cnidaria
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=38349132706&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1073/pnas.0710604105
DO - 10.1073/pnas.0710604105
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C2 - 18162537
AN - SCOPUS:38349132706
SN - 0027-8424
VL - 105
SP - 54
EP - 58
JO - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
JF - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
IS - 1
ER -