Fluorescent Proteins Facilitate Healing

a textured, spindly coral grows from the seafloor with corals in the background with dark blue water

Biological Strategy

Staghorn coral

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Regulate Cellular Processes

Cells are the basic building blocks of all living systems, so cellular processes dictate how physiological processes occur within those systems. Cells (whether entire unicellular organisms or parts of multicellular living systems) grow, metabolize nutrients (that is, chemically transform them), produce proteins and enzymes, replicate, and move. Cells as part of multicellular systems rarely act alone, instead having ways to signal to start and complete simple to quite complex interactions. How skin heals is a good example of the role of cellular processes. Blood cells called platelets release clotting factors to stop the bleeding; white blood cells rid the area of foreign materials and release molecules to coordinate healing; cells called fibroblasts start rebuilding using proteins called collagen; new blood vessels form; and skin cells called keratinocytes create the new surface.

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Protect From Chemicals

Chemicals are everywhere in the bodies of living organisms and their external environments. While most chemicals are valuable or benign, some are toxic, including those used for defense (such as the mucus that protects clownfish from an anemone’s stinging tentacles). Even naturally-occurring chemicals, such as arsenic, must be managed to reduce their impact. Some living systems have strategies to break down harmful chemicals, alter them into less toxic forms, physically prevent chemicals from harming sensitive tissues, and more. For example, some herbivorous mammals can digest toxic compounds in plants because they have a particular enzyme that helps them process poisonous plant compounds.

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Coral and sea anemones

Class Anthozoa (“flower animals”): Corals and sea anemones

Most cnidarians are included in this class, which contains 6,000 species and 70% of all known cnidarians. These animals are exclusively found in marine environments. They have no jellyfish-like medusa stage, and so move very little or not at all throughout most of their life. They are carnivores and channel food down a groove lined with cilia, or hair-like appendages, to their mouths. Many also have a symbiotic relationship with photosynthetic algae, which are responsible for the vibrant colors associated with coral colonies.

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Fluorescent proteins in some corals may play a role in the host stress response by acting as antioxidants.

Image: Caroline V. Palmer, Chintan K. Modi, Laura D. Mydlarz / CC BY - Creative Commons Attribution alone

Blue pigmentation responses of coral A. millepora in response to breakage

Image: Caroline V. Palmer, Chintan K. Modi, Laura D. Mydlarz / CC BY - Creative Commons Attribution alone

Pink pigmentation response of Porites massive sp. coral in response to fish bites.

Protein Turns Sunlight Into Vivid Color

Mushroom anemone

Proteins made by Discosoma mushroom anemones produce color by using the sun’s energy to generate specific wavelengths of light.

“When a coral is broken or wounded, it releases highly reactive atoms of oxygen known as free radicals to close up the gashes..But [free radicals] can also inadvertently kill off some of the coral’s healthy cells. Hydrogen peroxide, for instance … can damage every part of the cell, from DNA to proteins…[It was observed that] corals with a brighter glow are best able to keep free radicals from damaging healthy cells… The glow is a result of so-called fluorescent proteins, which in corals act as antioxidants to keep free radicals at bay.” (Dell’Amore 2009)

http://web.archive.org/web/20091108092122/http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/11/091104-glowing-corals-antioxidants-picture.html

http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0007298

Last Updated May 31, 2018

References

Journal article

Coral Fluorescent Proteins as Antioxidants

PLoS ONE | 05/10/2009 | Caroline V. Palmer, Chintan K. Modi, Laura D. Mydlarz |

John F. Bruno

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