Hub genes of Acropora hemprichii response to microplastics were screened based on bioinformatics

Abstract

This study presents the urgent issue of microplastic pollution threatening coral reef ecosystems through an innovative cross-species conservation analysis strategy. Using 26 validated microplastic differential expression genes from zebrafish (Danio rerio) as query sequences, homologous alignment of the protein profile of Acropora hemprichii was performed via BLAST, successfully identifying 26 core homologous genes responsive to microplastics in corals. A protein interaction network (PPI) was constructed using the STRING database, with the top 8 hub genes selected through Cytoscape topology analysis and CytoHubba's MCC algorithm. Functional enrichment analysis (p<0.05) revealed significant enrichment of core genes in endoplasmic reticulum stress, MAPK signaling pathways, peroxisomes, and cytoplasmic DNA sensing pathways. For the first time, this study discovered that coral-specific genes participate in symbiotic maintenance pathways, where LRR1 proteins mediate coral-algal interactions, while microplastic-adsorbed polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) competitively inhibit this process. The established "homology mapping-network topology-functional module" framework provides a novel perspective for deciphering microplastic-induced coral bleaching mechanisms, advancing applications in coral health biomarker development, stress-resistant strain breeding, and ecological risk assessment of microplastics, thereby contributing to global coral reef conservation.