Investigation of antiviral pathway in the sea anemone Nematostella vectensis reveals clues of functional conservation of innate immune system

Animals adopt complex and multi-component molecular mechanisms to protect themselves from viruses, and this constant reciprocal competition has resulted in an evolutionary arms race between the viruses and hosts. However, the mechanisms of arms race between viruses and animal hosts has been mostly limited to vertebrates and have been less elucidated in marine species. Given the lack of data regarding innate immune system of marine invertebrates, the present study aims to characterize host evolution utilizing the starlet sea anemone, Nematostella vectensis, which is a representative and well-studied model of the basally-branching Cnidaria, and to empirically identify host evolution in the laboratory and the field. This will enable characterizing the ecology and evolution of host-virus dynamics. Based on comparative genomics and positive selection signals of antiviral proteins obtained by comparing the transcriptomes of geographically-isolated anemones, we will functionally characterize these antiviral component by state-of-the-art genetic manipulation methods. In addition, we will conduct quantitative studies on adaptation to specific virus communities as well as identification of the specific gene expression through a combination of laboratory and microcosm. Our project will shed light on the innate immune system of non-bilaterian animals and its co-evolution with viruses, providing new insight into animal adaptation to viruses in natural populations.