Alloimmune responses between Acropora hemprichi conspecifics: nontransitive patterns of overgrowth and delayed cytotoxicity |
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Authors: | B. Rinkevich U. Frank R. P. M. Bak W. E. G. Müller |
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Affiliation: | (1) Israel Oceanographic & Limnological Research, National Institute of Oceanography, Tel-Shikmona, P.O. Box 8030, 31080 Haifa, Israel;(2) Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, P.O. Box 59, 1790 AB Den Burg, Texel, The Netherlands;(3) ITZ, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands;(4) Institut für Physiologische Chemie, Universität Mainz, D-55099 Mainz, Germany |
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Abstract: | Allogeneic interactions between Acropora hemprichi (Ehrenberg) colonies were followed in situ up to 18 mo between 1990 and 1992 in Eilat, Red Sea. We established all 21 possible branch pair combinations among seven large colonies in three to eight replicates each (n=92 pairs), in addition in 14 pairs of grafts within-colonies. All isografts resulted in fusion. Allogeneic interactions revealed a variety of effector mechanisms which involved the appearance of dark blue-purple color in the tissues of interacting branch tips (<1 cm), unilateral overgrowths (1.0 to 1.5 mm mo-1 for 1 to 8 mo), rejections, healings, continuous overgrowths, reversals, repeated rejections and more. Direction of overgrowth was usually specific to a given combination of colonies. A hierarchial network of overgrowths was obtained by analyzing overgrowth directions of all pairwise combinations, which included 30 transitive and five nontransitive three-way combinations. These outcomes, similarly to responses of allogeneic encounters recorded from other coral species, show that colonies can respond selectively to different types of allogeneic challenges. It is suggested that corals may have the capacity to distinguish self from nonself by recognizing nonself attributes presented on conspecifics. |
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