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.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bak, R. P. M., Criens, S. R. (1982). Experimental fusion in Atlantic Acropora (Scleractinia). Mar. Biol. Lett. 3: 67–72
Brace, R. C. (1981). Intraspecific aggression in the colour morphs of the anemone Phymactis clematis from Chile. Mar. Biol. 64: 85–93
Buss, L. W., McFadden, C. S., Keene, D. R. (1984). Biology of hydractiniid hydroids. 2. Histocompatibility effector system/ competitive mechanism mediated by nematocyst discharge. Biol. Bull. mar. biol. Lab., Woods Hole 167: 139–158
Chadwick-Furman, N. E., Rinkevich, B. (1994). A complex allorecognition in a reef building coral: delayed responses, reversals and nontransitive hierarchies. Coral Reefs (in press)
Elgar, A., Crozier, R. H. (1989). Animal allorecognition systems: how to get to known yourself. Trends Ecol. Evol. 4: 288–289
Francis, L. (1973). Clone specific segregation in the sea anemone Anthopleura elegantissima. Biol. Bull. mar. biol. Lab., Woods Hole 144: 64–72
Grosberg, R. K. (1988). The evolution of allorecognition specificity in clonal invertebrates. Q. Rev. Biol. 63: 377–412
Heyward, A. J., Stoddart, J. A. (1985). Genetic structure of two species of Montipora on a patch reef: conflicting results from electrophoresis and histocompatibility. Mar. Biol. 85: 117–121
Hidaka, M. (1985). Tissue compatibility between colonies and newly settled larvae of Pocillopora damicornis. Coral Reefs 4: 111–116
Hidaka, M., Yamazato, K. (1984). Intraspecific interactions in a scleractinian coral, Galaxea fascicularis: induced formation of sweeper tentacles. Coral Reefs 3: 77–85
Hildemann, W. H., Bigger, C. H., Johnston, I. S. (1979). Histoincompatibility reactions and allogeneic polymorphism among invertebrates. Transplantn Proc. N.Y. 11: 1136–1141
Hildermann, W. H., Jokiel, P. L., Bigger, C. H., Johnston, I. S. (1980). Allogeneic polymorphism and alloimmune memory in the coral, Montipora verrucosa. Transplantation 30: 297–301
Hildemann, W. H., Linthicum, D. S., Vann, D. C. (1975). Transplantation and immunocompatibility reactions among reefbuilding corals. Immunogenetics 2: 269–284
Hildemann, W. H., Raison, R. L., Cheung, G., Hull, C. J., Akaka, L., Okamoto, J. (1977b). Immunological specificity and memory in a scleractinian coral. Nature, Lond. 270: 219–223
Hildemann, W. H., Raison, R. L., Hull, C. J. (1977a). Immunocompetence in corals: issues of specificity, memory and mechanisms. In: Solomon, J. B., Horton, J. D. (eds) Developmental immunology. Elsevier, Amsterdam, p. 9–15
Hunter, C. L. (1985). Assessment of clonal diversity and population structure of Porites compressa (Cnidaria, Scleractinia). Proc. 5th int. Coral Reef Congr. 6: 69–74 [Gabrié, C. et al. (eds.) Antenne Museum-EPH, Moorea, French Polynesia]
Leddy, S. V., Green, D. R. (1991). Historecognition in the Cnidaria. In: Warr, G. W., Cohen, N. (eds.) Phylogenesis of immune functions. CRC Press, Boca Raton, p. 103–116
Loya, Y. (1972). Community structure and species diversity of hermatypic corals at Eilat, Red Sea. Mar. Biol. 13: 100–123
Lubbock, R. (1980). Clone-specific cellular recognition in a sea anemone. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 77: 6667–6669
Müller, W. E. G., Müller, I., Zahn, R. K., Maidhof, A. (1984) Intraspecific recognition system in scleractinian corals: morphological and cytochemical description of the autolysis mechanism. J. Histochem. Cytochem. 32: 285–288
Neigel, J. E. (1988). Recognition of self or nonself? Theoretical implications and an empirical test. In: Grosberg, R. K., Hedgecock, D., Nelson, K. (eds.) Invertebrate historecognition. Plenum Press, New York, p. 127–142
Neigel, J. E., Avise, J. C. (1983). Histocompatibility bioassays of population structure in marine sponges. J. Hered. 74: 134–140
Neigel, J. E., Avise, J. C. (1985). The precision of histocompatibility response in clonal recognition in tropical marine sponges. Evolution, Lawrence, Kansas 39: 724–732
Neigel, J. E., Schmahl, G. P. (1984). Phenotypic variation within histocompatibility-defined clones of marine sponges. Science, N.Y. 224: 413–415
Potts, D. C. (1976). Growth interactions among morphological variants of the coral Acropora palifera. In: Mackie, G. O. (ed.) Coelenterate ecology and behavior. Plenum Press, New York, p. 79–88
Resing, J. M., Ayre, D. J. (1985). The usefulness of the tissue grafting bioassay as an indicator of clonal identity in scleractinian corals (Great Barrier Reef-Australia). Proc. 5th int. Coral Reef Congr. 6: 75–81 [Gabrié, C. et al. (eds.) Antenne Museum-EPHE, Moorea, French Polynesia]
Rinkevich, B., Loya, Y. (1983a). Intraspecific competitive networks in the Red Sea coral Stylophora pistillata. Coral Reefs 1: 161–172
Rinkevich, B., Loya, Y. (1983b). Oriented translocation of energy in grafted reef corals. Coral Reefs 1: 243–247
Rinkevich, B., Loya, Y. (1985). Intraspecific competition in a reef coral: effects on growth and reproduction. Oecologia 66: 100–105
Stoddart, J. A. (1988). Historecognition and fine-scale spatial genetic structure in sessile benthic invertebrates. In: Grosberg, R. K., Hedgecock, D., Nelson, K. (eds.) Invertebrate historecognition. Plenum Press, New York, p. 111–125
Stoddart, J. A., Ayre, D. J., Willis, B., Heyward, A. J. (1985). Self recognition in sponges and corals. Evolution, Lawrence, Kansas 39: 461–463
Theodor, J. L. (1966). Contribution a l'etude des Gorgones (V): les greffes chez les Gorgones; etude d'un systeme de reconnaisance de tissus. Bull. Inst. océanogr. Monaco 66: 1–7
Theodor, J. L. (1970). Distinction between “self” and “not-self” in lower invertebrates. Nature, Lond. 227: 690–692
Theodor, J. L. (1976). Histoincompatibility in a natural population of gorgonians. Zool. J. Linn. Soc. 58: 173–176
Van Veghel, M. L. S., Bak, R. P. M. (1993). Intraspecific variation of a dominant Caribbean reef building coral, Montastrea annularis: genetic, behavioral and morphometric aspects. Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 92: 255–265
Willis, B. L., Ayre, D. J. (1985). Asexual reproduction and genetic determination of growth form in the coral Pavona cactus: biochemical, genetic and immunogenic evidence. Oecologia 65: 516–525
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Communicated by O. Kinne, Oldendorf/Luhe
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Rinkevich, B., Frank, U., Bak, R.P.M. et al. Alloimmune responses between Acropora hemprichi conspecifics: nontransitive patterns of overgrowth and delayed cytotoxicity. Marine Biology 118, 731–737 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00347522
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00347522