Starvation Decreases Immunity and Immune Regulatory Factor NF-κB in the Starlet Sea Anemone Nematostella vectensis

Lack of proper nutrition (malnutrition) or the complete absence of all food (starvation) have important consequences on the physiology of all organisms. In many cases, nutritional status affects immunity, but, for the most part, the relationship between nutrition and immunity has been limited to studies in vertebrates and terrestrial invertebrates. Herein, we describe a positive correlation between nutrition and immunity in the sea anemone Nematostella vectensis. Gene expression profiling of adult fed and starved anemones showed downregulation of many genes involved in nutrient metabolism and cellular respiration, as well as immune-related genes, in starved animals. Starved adult anemones also had reduced protein levels and DNA-binding activity of immunity-related transcription factor NF-{kappa}B. Starved juvenile anemones had increased sensitivity to bacterial infection and also had lower NF-{kappa}B protein levels, as compared to fed controls. Weighted Gene Correlation Network Analysis (WGCNA) revealed significantly correlated gene networks that were inversely associated with starvation. Based on the WGCNA and a reporter gene assay, we identified TRAF3 as a likely NF-{kappa}B target gene in N. vectensis. Overall, these experiments demonstrate a correlation between nutrition and immunity in a basal marine metazoan, and the results have implications for the survival of marine organisms as they encounter changing environments. Significance StatementAdequate nutrition is required to sustain proper biological function. One factor threatening many marine organisms, as a result of modern day anthropogenic environmental changes, is nutrient availability. Here, we characterize transcriptional changes following food deprivation in the cnidarian model sea anemone Nematostella vectensis. We show that starvation is correlated with decreased expression of genes associated with nutrient metabolism and immunity, among others. Moreover, starvation reduces the level of expression and activity of immune regulatory transcription factor NF-{kappa}B and causes anemones to have increased susceptibility to bacterial infection. These results demonstrate that this basal organism responds at the transcriptional level to the absence of food, and that, in addition to changes in metabolic factors, starvation leads to a reduction in immunity.