Characterizing coral skeletal proteins: Traditional and novel techniques

Stony corals precipitatetheir calcium carbonate exoskeleton in a highly controlled biomineralization process mediated by a variety of macromolecules including proteins. Fully identifying and classifying these proteins-a part of the ‘biomineralization toolkit’-and their functions is crucial to understanding their rolesin exoskeleton formation. To date, approximately 30 such proteins have been identified from several coral species and a handful of these have been studied intensively. In this talk, I will detail some standardbiochemical tools as well as newer techniques sourced from a variety of fields that are being used by myself and colleagues to better understand the coral biomineralization mechanism. I will also describe how improved sensitivityin protein sequencing bymass spectrometry is expanding the list of coral skeletalproteins. Our increased knowledge about the coral biomineralization toolkit is important for understanding how corals are likely to fare under predicted anthropogenic climate change scenarios in the coming centuries.

Speaker: Jeana Drake, University of Haifa