Summary
The octocorals are colonial cnidarians, many of which contain calcareous spicules in the mesoglea and, in some species, in the axis as well. The octocorals are excellent organisms for probing the mechanisms of biomineralization and demineralization, and the processes of calcification of spicules have been investigated extensively in recent years, especially in Leptogorgia virgulata. In this review, octocoral spicule formation is discussed relative to (1) the characteristics of scleroblasts, the spicule-forming cells, (2) calcium transport by the colonies, (3) rate of calcification, (4) role of carbonic anhydrase, (5) hormonal control of calcification, and (6) organic matrices and their possible functions in spicule formation.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Bayer FM, Harding BO (1968) The free-living lower invertebrates. Macmillan, London, pp 229
Vinogradov AP (1953) The elementary chemical composition of marine organisms. Mem Sears Fdn mar Res No. 2, New Haven, pp 647
Velimerov B, Bohm EL (1976) Calcium and magnesium carbonate concentrations in different growth regions of gorgonians. Mar Biol 35: 269–275
Kingsley RJ, Watabe N (1982) Ultrastructural investigation of spicule formation in the gorgonian Leptogorgia virgulata(Lamarck) (Coelenterata: Gorgonacea). Cell Tissue Res 223: 325–334
Dunkelberger DG, Watabe N (1974) An ultrastructural study on spicule formation in the Pennatulid colony Renilla reniformis. Tissue Cell 6: 573–586
Goldberg WM, Benyahu Y (1987) Spicule formation in the gorgonian coral Pseudoplexaura flagellosa1. Demonstration of intracellular and extracellular growth and the effect of Ruthenium red during decalcification. Bull Mar Sci 40: 287–303
Goldberg WM (1988) Chemistry, histochemistry and microscopy of the organic matrix of spicules from a gorgonian coral. Relationship to Alcian blue staining and calcium binding. Histochemistry 89: 163–170
Kingsley RJ, Bernhardt AM, Wilbur KM, Watabe N (1987) Scleroblast cultures from the gorgonian Leptogorgia virgulata(Lamarck) (Coelenterata: Gorgonacea). In Vitro Cell Dev Biol 23: 297–302
Kingsley RJ, Tsuzaki M, Watabe N, Mechanic GL (1990) Collagen in spicule organic matrix of the gorgonian Leptogorgia virgulata. Biol Bull 179: 207–213
Chia FS, Crawford B (1977) Comparative fine structural studies of planulae and primary polyp of identical age of the sea pen, Ptilosarcus gurneyi. J Morphol 151: 131–158
Ledger PW, Franc S (1978) Calcification of the collagenous axial skeleton of Veretillum cynomoriumPall. (Cnidaria: Pennatulacea). Cell Tissue Res 192: 249–266
Kingsley RJ, Watabe N (1984) Calcium uptake in the gorgonian Leptogorgia virgulata. The effects of ATPase inhibitors. Comp Biochem Physiol [A] 79: 487–491
Kingsley RJ, Watabe N (1985) An autoradiographic study of calcium transport in spicule formation in the gorgonian Leptogorgia virgulata(Lamarck) (Coelenterata: Gorgonacea). Cell Tissue Res 239: 305–310
Kingsley RJ, Watabe N (1985) Ca-ATPase localization and inhibition in the gorgonian Leptogorgia virgulata(Lamarck) (Coelenterata: Gorgonacea). J Exp Mar Biol Ecol 93: 157–167
Velimirov B, King J (1979) Calcium uptake and net calcification rate in the octocoral Eunicella papillosa. Mar Biol 50: 349–358
Barnes DJ, Crossland CJ (1972) Coral calcification: Sources of error in radioisotope techniques. Mar Biol 42: 119–129
Kingsley RJ, Watabe N (1989) The dynamics of spicule calcification in whole colonies of the gorgonian Leptogorgia virgulata(Lamarck) (Coelenterata: Gorgonacea). J Exp Mar Biol Ecol 133: 57–65
Goreau TF (1961) On the relation of calcification to primary productivity in reef-building organisms. In: Lenhoff HM, Loomis WF (eds) The biology of Hydra. University of Miami Press, Miami, pp 269–285
Kingsley RJ, Watabe N (1987) Role of carbonic anhydrase in calcification in the gorgonian Leptogorgia virgulata. J Exp Zool 241: 171–180
Graham D, Smillie RM (1976) Carbonate dehydratase in marine organisms of the Great Barrier Reef. Aust J Plant Physiol 3: 113–119
Sikes CS, Wheeler AP (1982) Carbonic anhydrase and carbon fixation in coccolithophorids. J Phycol 18: 423–426
Jones WC, Ledger PW (1986) The effect of diamox and various concentrations of calcium on spicule secretion in the calcareous sponge Sycon ciliatum. Comp Biochem Physiol [A] 84: 149–158
Gorbman AM, Clements M, O’Brien R (1959) Utilization of radioiodine by invertebrates, with special study of several annelida and mollusca. J Exp Zool 127: 75–89
Spangenberg DB (1984) Effects of exogenous thyroxine on statolith synthesis and resorption in Aurelia. Am Zool 24: 917–924
Kingsley RJ, Watabe N (1983) Analysis of proteinaceous components of the organic matrices of spicules from the gorgonian Leptogorgia virgulata. Comp Biochem Physiol [B] 76: 443–447
Fox DL, Smith VE, Grigg RW, MacLeod WD (1969) Some structural and chemical studies of the microspicules in the fan-coral Eugorgia amplaVerrill. Comp Biochem Physiol 28: 1103–1114
Silberberg MS, Ciereszko LS, Jacobson RA, Smith EC (1972) Evidence for a collagen-like protein within spicules of coelenterates. Comp Biochem Physiol [B] 43: 323–332
Samata T, Kingsley RJ, Watabe N (1989) Ca-binding glycoprotein from the spicules of the octocoral Leptogorgia virgulata. Comp Biochem Physiol [B] 94: 651–654
Watabe N, Oishi M, Kingsley RJ (1991) The organic matrix of spicules of the gorgonian Leptogorgia virgulata. In: Suga S, Nakahara H (eds) Mechanisms and phylogeny of mineralization in biological systems. Springer, Tokyo, pp 9–16
Shapeero W (1969) A positive chitosan test for spicules in the Anthozoan order, Pennatulacea. Pacif Sci 23: 261–263
Kingsley RJ, Watabe N (1984) Synthesis and transport of the organic matrix of the spicules of the gorgonian Leptogorgia virgulata(Lamarck) (Coelenterata: Gorgonacea) An autoradiographie investigation. Cell Tissue Res 235: 533–538
Gaton DD, Gaton E, Wolman M (1987) Are the effects of thyroid hormone on target organs mediated through lysosomal enzymes? Cell Mol Biol 33: 619–624
Watabe N, Berhnardt AM, Kingsley RJ, Wilbur KM (1986) Recalcification of decalcified spicule matrices of the gorgonian Leptogorgia virgulata(Cnidaria: Anthozoa). Trans Am Microsc Soc 105: 311–318
Crenshaw MA (1990) Mineral induction by immobilized polyanions. In: Suga S, Nakahara H (eds) Mechanisms and phylogeny of mineralization in biological systems. Springer, Tokyo, pp 101–105
Gunthorpe ME, Sikes CS, Wheeler AP (1990) Promotion and inhibition of calcium carbonate crystallization in vitro by matrix protein from blue crab exoskeleton. Biol Bull 179: 191–200
Watabe N, Kingsley RJ (1990) Extra-, inter-, and intracellular mineralization in invertebrates and algae. In: Crick RE (ed) Origin, evolution, and modern aspects of biomineralization in plants and animals. Plenum, New York, pp 209–223
Norwack H, Nordwig A (1974) Sea-anemone collagen: Isolation and characterization of the cyanogen-bromide peptides. Eur J Biochem 45: 333–342
Herring GM (1972) The organic matrix of bone. In: Bourne GH (ed) The biochemistry and physiology of bone structure, vol 1. Academic, New York, pp 127–189
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1992 Springer-Verlag Tokyo
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Watabe, N., Kingsley, R.J. (1992). Calcification in Octocorals. In: Suga, S., Watabe, N. (eds) Hard Tissue Mineralization and Demineralization. Springer, Tokyo. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-4-431-68183-0_9
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-4-431-68183-0_9
Publisher Name: Springer, Tokyo
Print ISBN: 978-4-431-68185-4
Online ISBN: 978-4-431-68183-0
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive