Publications by authors named "Nikki Traylor-Knowles"
Stem cell transplantation is a promising strategy for regenerating damaged tissues in Hexacorallia, a cnidarian subclass that includes stony corals threatened by anthropogenic stressors. Here, we present a protocol for cell transplantation in Nematostella vectensis, a Hexacorallian model. We describe steps for chemotherapy treatment, cell dissociation, and transplantation.
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- Coral reefs are declining due to human activities, prompting restoration efforts like outplanting corals to help recover these ecosystems.
- Understanding how outplanted corals, specifically Acropora palmata, react at a genetic level over time and across different reef sites is crucial for effective restoration.
- The study found that the genetic identity of the coral had a more significant impact on growth and survival than the location or timing of outplanting, suggesting that considering genetic diversity could enhance coral restoration success, especially when planting in cooler months for better growth outcomes.
Candidate stem cell isolation and transplantation in Hexacorallia.
Shani Talice
,
Itamar Kozlovski
,
Shany K Barkan
,
Grace A Snyder
,
Ton Sharoni
,
Nikki Traylor-Knowles
Cell Rep
November 2024
Stem cells are the foundation for cell therapy due to their ability to self-renew, differentiate into other cell types, and persist throughout the life of an organism. Stem cell isolation and transplantation have not yet been established in Hexacorallia, a cnidarian subclass containing stony corals and sea anemones. Here, we demonstrate that candidate stem cells in the hexacorallian Nematostella vectensis can be transplanted into adult animals.
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- Wildlife biodiversity helps keep ecosystems healthy and strong.
- Scientists study this diversity to learn more about life and how it started.
- Due to the rapid loss of various species, immediate action is needed from conservationists, and new techniques like stem cell technologies could help protect animal diversity.
Article Synopsis
- Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNAseq) is crucial for identifying cell types in various multicellular organisms, but its standard methods are mainly tailored for model organisms like humans and mice, leading to difficulties with non-model species.
- There are new strategies for annotating scRNAseq data in non-model organisms, including using evolutionary contexts and machine learning techniques that enable reference-free analyses.
- Leveraging unannotated genes as potential cell markers can improve cell type identification in non-model organisms, fostering the discovery of novel cell types and deepening our understanding of cellular diversity.
Article Synopsis
- Extracellular DNA traps (ETosis) are a defense mechanism used by immune cells to respond to microbes, initially identified in vertebrate neutrophils but recently found in various non-vertebrates.
- Research on the ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi and the oyster Crassostrea gigas reveals that these species have immune-like cells that can perform ETosis and phagocytosis.
- The study suggests that ETosis is an evolutionarily conserved response across different metazoan species, helping protect against pathogens.
Article Synopsis
- Long-read sequencing technology is enhancing genome assembly methods for previously understudied organisms, like stony corals, with new genome assemblies becoming publicly available.
- A new de-novo genome assembly for the endangered Caribbean star coral, Orbicella faveolata, significantly improved genome quality metrics compared to previous short-read methods, detecting 32,172 protein-coding genes.
- This new genome resource aims to support conservation efforts for O. faveolata, especially as it faces threats from human activities and is increasingly used in reef restoration projects.
Article Synopsis
- The text focuses on the cluster of differentiation 36 (CD36) domain, which is important for class B scavenger receptor (SR-B) proteins implicated in biological processes like immunity and metabolism in bilaterians.
- It discusses the analysis of SR-B homologs from 165 eukaryotic species, supporting the idea that these proteins have an ancient evolutionary origin with a common ancestor.
- The research findings indicate that while SR-B proteins maintain a similar structure (a beta barrel tertiary structure), there are unique adaptations in the CD36 ectodomain's apex region that may influence how different species sense ligands.
Article Synopsis
- Corals serve as key models for studying invertebrate host-microbe interactions, but to truly understand these relationships, experimental methods are needed to manipulate coral-bacteria associations.
- The study used antibiotics to alter the bacterial communities in two coral species, measuring their effects on coral health through photosynthetic efficiency of algal symbionts and oxygen consumption rates over 5 days.
- Results showed that while antibiotics changed bacterial diversity and decreased oxygen consumption, they didn't harm the photosynthetic efficiency of symbionts but increased the expression of immunity and stress genes in corals, highlighting the importance of native bacteria for coral health and providing a foundation for future research.
Article Synopsis
- - The study investigates how the Caribbean coral Acropora palmata responds to a known pathogen and disease while also considering the impact of short-term heat stress on these responses.
- - Researchers inoculated corals with Serratia marcescens and white band disease, observing strong similarities in gene expression and microbial community changes, regardless of the disease.
- - They found that immune and metabolic processes increased in corals that showed disease signs, while heat stress did not heighten disease susceptibility, with genetic variation among coral genets influencing baseline immune responses.
Article Synopsis
- Microeukaryotes, like the dinoflagellate family Symbiodiniaceae, show faster genetic and functional variations compared to physical traits, making it essential to analyze diversity across different biological levels for better evolutionary insights.
- Despite advancements in genomics, inconsistent interpretations of genetic data among researchers hinder progress in understanding Symbiodiniaceae and their roles in marine ecosystems.
- The article identifies challenges in evaluating genetic diversity at the species, population, and community levels, proposes accepted techniques, and emphasizes the need for collaboration to overcome unresolved issues and stimulate advancements in coral reef research.
Heat stress increases immune cell function in Hexacorallia.
Shir Eliachar
,
Grace Ann Snyder
,
Shany Klara Barkan
,
Shani Talice
,
Aner Otolenghi
,
Nikki Traylor-Knowles
Front Immunol
January 2023
Article Synopsis
- Climate change is causing more coral bleaching due to heat stress, and this involves immune genes that respond to that stress.
- Researchers studied two types of sea anemones to see how heat affects their immune functions, specifically looking at immune cell activity and its relation to the presence of algal symbionts.
- Their findings suggest that the immune response to heat stress is a fundamental reaction that occurs regardless of whether bleaching is happening, which helps in understanding coral immunity better.
Analysis of Spatial Gene Expression at the Cellular Level in Stony Corals.
Methods Mol Biol
April 2022
Article Synopsis
- Scleractinians, or stony corals, are colonial organisms with strong abilities to regenerate and a complex immune system, making them ideal for studying the relationship between immunity and regeneration.
- Understanding this relationship is crucial for maintaining the health of coral reefs, which are vital ecosystems.
- The text outlines a protocol for using in situ hybridization with RNA probes to explore how immune factors are expressed in stony corals during their regeneration process.
Functional Characterization of Hexacorallia Phagocytic Cells.
Grace A Snyder
,
Shir Eliachar
,
Michael T Connelly
,
Shani Talice
,
Uzi Hadad
,
Nikki Traylor-Knowles
Front Immunol
October 2021
Article Synopsis
- Phagocytosis is a key defense mechanism in innate immunity where cells engulf and break down harmful particles, like antigens from damaged cells and pathogens.
- In hexacorallians, such as corals and sea anemones, the specific phagocytic processes are not well understood, although certain immune cells called amoebocytes have been identified.
- The study characterizes different types of phagocytic cells that can engulf various materials and shows how cellular changes affect this process, laying groundwork for better understanding hexacorallian immune systems.
Success and impact metrics in science are based on a system that perpetuates sexist and racist "rewards" by prioritizing citations and impact factors. These metrics are flawed and biased against already marginalized groups and fail to accurately capture the breadth of individuals' meaningful scientific impacts. We advocate shifting this outdated value system to advance science through principles of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion.
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- Coral reefs are crucial ecosystems that play a significant role in the environment, yet they are not well understood at the cellular level.
- Levy et al. conducted a study on the gene expression of individual cells within the coral holobiont, which is the combination of coral and its associated microorganisms.
- Their research reveals a diverse range of cell types in corals, paving the way for deeper insights into coral biology and health.
Article Synopsis
- The challenges that academic mothers face have been a topic of discussion for years, and COVID-19 has amplified these issues, causing many womxn scientists to struggle with balancing parenting and academic responsibilities.
- The text suggests that strategic investments in specific solutions are necessary to address these inequalities and ensure a fairer environment for working mothers.
- Instead of returning to pre-COVID norms, it advocates for creating a new framework that benefits not just mothers, but various groups within academia.
Article Synopsis
- Cnidarians, like Nematostella vectensis and Pocillopora damicornis, are being studied as model organisms in cell and molecular biology, but creating successful cell cultures has been difficult due to issues with tissue dissociation and contamination.
- This report outlines different methods tested for culturing primary cells from these species, discovering that physical dissociation works best for N. vectensis, while antibiotic-assisted methods are optimal for P. damicornis.
- The study achieved an average cell viability of 12-13 days in cultures, demonstrating cell proliferation and maintaining a diverse mix of cell types, contributing valuable tools for future research in Cnidaria cell biology.
Article Synopsis
- Sampling specific regions of the cnidarian Nematostella vectensis revealed unique bacterial communities, particularly a high presence of spirochetes in the capitulum.
- In the capitulum, spirochetes from the family Spirochaetaceae made up 66% of the bacterial community, whereas their presence in other regions, like mesenteries and physa, was minimal (1.2% and 0.1%, respectively).
- Phylogenetic analysis indicated that these spirochetes are closely related to those found in wild N. vectensis and belong to a recently described genus, Oceanispirochaeta, highlighting a significant but not fully understood relationship between the organism and its symbiotic bacteria
Article Synopsis
- Climate change and human activities are increasing the frequency and severity of coral diseases, notably affecting the Caribbean branching coral Acropora palmata, which has already experienced a significant decline due to disease.
- This study is the first to characterize the transcriptomic response of A. palmata and its symbiont, Symbiodiniaceae, to disease exposure, finding that gene expression is primarily driven by the year and the type of disease.
- Key findings include the identification of 422 differentially expressed genes, with specific genes linked to disease resistance and an immune response possibly involving the enzyme D-amino acid oxidase, vital for coral immunity and microbiome balance.
Article Synopsis
- The invertebrate innate immune system is complex, and studying the phylum Cnidaria (like corals and sea anemones) can help us understand its evolutionary origins.
- Current knowledge of the Mpeg-1/P2 protein, crucial for defense against bacteria, is limited in cnidarians despite its significance in other species.
- The article highlights the need for further research into the role of Mpeg-1/P2 in cnidarian immunity, showcasing its conservation and varying responses to environmental stressors like disease.