Characterization of fatty acid composition of healthy and diseased coral mucus released from host and/or endosymbiont for their possible role in coral health

• Published in: Marine biology 2025, Vol.172 (1), p.19, Article 19
• Main Authors: Bhagwat, Phartade Vilas, Ravindran, Chinnarajan, Keerthana, V., Mamatha, S. S.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Abiotic factors; Acropora; Amino acids; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Carbohydrates; Corals; Endosymbionts; Essential nutrients; Fatty acid composition; Fatty acids; Freshwater & Marine Ecology; Life Sciences; Marine & Freshwater Sciences; Microbiology; Mucus; Nutrients; Oceanography; Palmitic acid; Porites; Short Notes; Symbionts; Tissue; Zoology
• ISSN: 0025-3162; 1432-1793
• DOI: 10.1007/s00227-024-04582-4

Coral mucus serves as a barrier, protecting corals from a variety of biotic and abiotic stresses. Coral mucus contains all essential nutrients including carbohydrates, amino acids and fatty acids (FA). Although fatty acids, an essential nutrient, have been extensively studied in coral tissue and endosymbionts, their presence in coral mucus has been poorly understood. Besides, there is no clear study on the coral tissue or endosymbiont as a key contributor to their release of fatty acids into the mucus, and their potential function in disease and healthy states. Thus, the present study examined the fatty acid profiles of diseased and healthy Acropora sp. and Porites sp. mucus. The study reveals that mucus contains FAs, and Palmitic acid, a precursor fatty acid, was the most common mucus fatty acid found in both corals. However, there were also differences in FAs between Porites sp. and Acropora sp., and as well as healthy and diseased mucus, indicating that any biotic or abiotic stress affects the diversity and occurrence of mucus fatty acids. Furthermore, the FAs in mucus was similar to that of heterotrophic coral tissue FAs rather than endosymbionts. As a result, our study not only contributes to a better understanding of mucus FAs potential role as indicators of coral health and symbiotic association, but it also indicates the probable source of these FAs.