GFP to Create Graft

[EMeyer]

I believe the OP (correct me if I'm wrong) is referring to a myth started a few years ago about how grafted corals happen.

Someone started a rumor that grafted corals happen when a fluorescent protein from one coral somehow "infects" another coral. There is no evidence of this, and it is not known to happen anywhere else in all of biology (horizontal transfer of a gene by way of a protein).

In fact, "grafted" corals happen two ways
1. grafting - two colonies grow together. This happens in nature too, and these colonies are called chimeras. They have two different individual corals' genetics fused into one colony.
2. somatic mutation. All corals have multiple fluorescent protein (FP) genes, in a variety of colors. Sometimes one of these undergoes somatic mutation and a spot of a different color appears.

 

[User]

I cut my setosa in two years ago. The other half is pure orange and only ~3-4” away from this chunk. Green started as tiny spot and has slowly been spreading.

I know a bunch of corals Will graft and grow if they are the same species - are you saying that your orange setosa has super bright green spots under blue lights?

 

[User]

I believe the OP (correct me if I'm wrong) is referring to a myth started a few years ago about how grafted corals happen.

Someone started a rumor that grafted corals happen when a fluorescent protein from one coral somehow "infects" another coral. There is no evidence of this, and it is not known to happen anywhere else in all of biology (horizontal transfer of a gene by way of a protein).

In fact, "grafted" corals happen two ways
1. grafting - two colonies grow together. This happens in nature too, and these colonies are called chimeras. They have two different individual corals' genetics fused into one colony.
2. somatic mutation. All corals have multiple fluorescent protein (FP) genes, in a variety of colors. Sometimes one of these undergoes somatic mutation and a spot of a different color appears.

Point2. I wasn't aware ALL corals have multiple FP genes. Are they all functional or mostly inactivated? Are the somatc mutations reactivating the function, or enhancing low performing functionality (both are possible, I'm wondering what ch ones are thought be be in play in those cases)

Thanks

 

[EMeyer]

Point2. I wasn't aware ALL corals have multiple FP genes. Are they all functional or mostly inactivated? Are the somatc mutations reactivating the function, or enhancing low performing functionality (both are possible, I'm wondering what ch ones are thought be be in play in those cases)

Thanks

Keep in mind, many FP genes are not fluorescent. We call those chromoproteins, but they are just variations on the same genes. All the colors of corals come from variations on FP (except the brown -- that's the zooxanthellae). the non-fluorescent blues and purples are chromoproteins, the fluorescent colors are all FPs. All caused by very similar proteins.

In the coral genomes that have been sequenced, there are always multiple FP genes. I think A. millepora has 7? Anemones often have fewer.

I worked in a lab for a while that tinkered with FP sequences to modify the colors. A single mutation at the right position is often enough to convert a protein from one color to another, or change the brightness, or break the fluorescence altogether.

 

[sawdonkey]

I believe the OP (correct me if I'm wrong) is referring to a myth started a few years ago about how grafted corals happen.

Someone started a rumor that grafted corals happen when a fluorescent protein from one coral somehow "infects" another coral. There is no evidence of this, and it is not known to happen anywhere else in all of biology (horizontal transfer of a gene by way of a protein).

In fact, "grafted" corals happen two ways
1. grafting - two colonies grow together. This happens in nature too, and these colonies are called chimeras. They have two different individual corals' genetics fused into one colony.
2. somatic mutation. All corals have multiple fluorescent protein (FP) genes, in a variety of colors. Sometimes one of these undergoes somatic mutation and a spot of a different color appears.

Nah, I‘d never heard that rumor. I just read that the rainbow splice acro had GFP and then it clicked that my wife works with GFP. Like I said in my original post, this is way over my head and I just thought it would be cools to discuss with some people who are way more educated on this stuff than me.....and you and neilp have surely done that.
Now I’m off to go and graft some corals the old fashioned way...by rubbing to millies together.