Publications by authors named "Michael T Connelly"
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.
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.
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.
FEMS Microbiol Lett
February 2021
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
- 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.
Dev Comp Immunol
August 2020
Article Synopsis
- Corals consist of a host organism and various microbes, and their immune system plays a crucial role in managing these interactions while also defending against pathogens.
- Research on Pocillopora damicornis and Pocillopora acuta corals revealed that immune responses are influenced by coral genotype when exposed to lipopolysaccharides (LPS), which stimulate immune reactions.
- The study found that while gene expression and immune factor activation varied among coral genotypes, exposure to LPS did not alter the bacteria communities associated with the corals, emphasizing the importance of coral genetics in understanding host-microbe relationships.
