Abstract

BARRIENTOS RAMIREZ, L. et al. Polyamines levels in Pocillopora capitata reef coral and their relationship to Central Mexican Pacific tides. Revista bio ciencias [online]. 2019, vol.6, e545.  Epub Mar 18, 2020. ISSN 2007-3380.  https://doi.org/10.15741/revbio.06.e545.

Polyamines are thought to be healers of stressinduced physiological damage in plants. It may be assumed that this healing function applies to coral as well, and that polyamines could be a marker of physiological state in these organisms. The levels of Putrescine, Spermidine and Spermine polyamines were measured in three different sites of coral reefs of the Central Mexican Pacific coasts. One of these sites, Playa Mora, exhibited a low tide which almost exposed the coral above the sea level. Tide levels and polyamines in coral samples were measured during February and October from 2012 to 2016. Surprisingly, the highest polyamines levels were measured during October, at a period when the highest tides and precipitations, were recorded with (42.91±1.40 µg/cm2 of Putrescine, 5.31±1.06 µg/cm2 of Spermidine and 12.10±0.75 µg/cm2 of Spermine). The lowest polyamines levels were observed during February, the month with the lowest tides and precipitations, with 1.35±0.16 µg/cm2 of Putrescine, 0.15±0.03 µg/cm2 of Spermidine and 0.07±0.02 µg/cm2 of Spermine. A relation between Spermidine and Spermine concentrations, and tide levels was established. It could be speculated that Polyamines levels are correlated with physiological stress levels of coral reef in these zones of the Central Mexican Pacific coast.

Keywords : Stony coral reef; stress; healers; Pacific.