1
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Tran C, Rosenfield GR, Cleves PA, Krediet CJ, Paul MR, Clowez S, Grossman AR, Pringle JR. Photosynthesis and other factors affecting the establishment and maintenance of cnidarian-dinoflagellate symbiosis. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2024; 379:20230079. [PMID: 38497261 PMCID: PMC10945401 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2023.0079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 03/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Coral growth depends on the partnership between the animal hosts and their intracellular, photosynthetic dinoflagellate symbionts. In this study, we used the sea anemone Aiptasia, a laboratory model for coral biology, to investigate the poorly understood mechanisms that mediate symbiosis establishment and maintenance. We found that initial colonization of both adult polyps and larvae by a compatible algal strain was more effective when the algae were able to photosynthesize and that the long-term maintenance of the symbiosis also depended on photosynthesis. In the dark, algal cells were taken up into host gastrodermal cells and not rapidly expelled, but they seemed unable to reproduce and thus were gradually lost. When we used confocal microscopy to examine the interaction of larvae with two algal strains that cannot establish stable symbioses with Aiptasia, it appeared that both pre- and post-phagocytosis mechanisms were involved. With one strain, algae entered the gastric cavity but appeared to be completely excluded from the gastrodermal cells. With the other strain, small numbers of algae entered the gastrodermal cells but appeared unable to proliferate there and were slowly lost upon further incubation. We also asked if the exclusion of either incompatible strain could result simply from their cells' being too large for the host cells to accommodate. However, the size distributions of the compatible and incompatible strains overlapped extensively. Moreover, examination of macerates confirmed earlier reports that individual gastrodermal cells could expand to accommodate multiple algal cells. This article is part of the theme issue 'Sculpting the microbiome: how host factors determine and respond to microbial colonization'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cawa Tran
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford CA 94305, USA
- Department of Biology, University of San Diego, San Diego, CA 92110, USA
| | - Gabriel R. Rosenfield
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford CA 94305, USA
| | - Phillip A. Cleves
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford CA 94305, USA
| | - Cory J. Krediet
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford CA 94305, USA
| | - Maitri R. Paul
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford CA 94305, USA
| | - Sophie Clowez
- Department of Plant Biology, Carnegie Institution for Science, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Arthur R. Grossman
- Department of Plant Biology, Carnegie Institution for Science, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - John R. Pringle
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford CA 94305, USA
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2
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Jacobovitz MR, Hambleton EA, Guse A. Unlocking the Complex Cell Biology of Coral-Dinoflagellate Symbiosis: A Model Systems Approach. Annu Rev Genet 2023; 57:411-434. [PMID: 37722685 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-genet-072320-125436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/20/2023]
Abstract
Symbiotic interactions occur in all domains of life, providing organisms with resources to adapt to new habitats. A prime example is the endosymbiosis between corals and photosynthetic dinoflagellates. Eukaryotic dinoflagellate symbionts reside inside coral cells and transfer essential nutrients to their hosts, driving the productivity of the most biodiverse marine ecosystem. Recent advances in molecular and genomic characterization have revealed symbiosis-specific genes and mechanisms shared among symbiotic cnidarians. In this review, we focus on the cellular and molecular processes that underpin the interaction between symbiont and host. We discuss symbiont acquisition via phagocytosis, modulation of host innate immunity, symbiont integration into host cell metabolism, and nutrient exchange as a fundamental aspect of stable symbiotic associations. We emphasize the importance of using model systems to dissect the cellular complexity of endosymbiosis, which ultimately serves as the basis for understanding its ecology and capacity to adapt in the face of climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie R Jacobovitz
- Cell Biology and Biophysics, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Elizabeth A Hambleton
- Division of Microbial Ecology, Department of Microbiology and Ecosystem Science, Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria;
| | - Annika Guse
- Faculty of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität Munich, Munich, Germany;
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3
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Cui G, Mi J, Moret A, Menzies J, Zhong H, Li A, Hung SH, Al-Babili S, Aranda M. A carbon-nitrogen negative feedback loop underlies the repeated evolution of cnidarian-Symbiodiniaceae symbioses. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6949. [PMID: 37914686 PMCID: PMC10620218 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42582-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Symbiotic associations with Symbiodiniaceae have evolved independently across a diverse range of cnidarian taxa including reef-building corals, sea anemones, and jellyfish, yet the molecular mechanisms underlying their regulation and repeated evolution are still elusive. Here, we show that despite their independent evolution, cnidarian hosts use the same carbon-nitrogen negative feedback loop to control symbiont proliferation. Symbiont-derived photosynthates are used to assimilate nitrogenous waste via glutamine synthetase-glutamate synthase-mediated amino acid biosynthesis in a carbon-dependent manner, which regulates the availability of nitrogen to the symbionts. Using nutrient supplementation experiments, we show that the provision of additional carbohydrates significantly reduces symbiont density while ammonium promotes symbiont proliferation. High-resolution metabolic analysis confirmed that all hosts co-incorporated glucose-derived 13C and ammonium-derived 15N via glutamine synthetase-glutamate synthase-mediated amino acid biosynthesis. Our results reveal a general carbon-nitrogen negative feedback loop underlying these symbioses and provide a parsimonious explanation for their repeated evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guoxin Cui
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division, Red Sea Research Center, Thuwal, 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia.
| | - Jianing Mi
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division, the BioActives Lab, Center for Desert Agriculture, Thuwal, 23955- 6900, Saudi Arabia
- State Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Syndrome, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Alessandro Moret
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division, Red Sea Research Center, Thuwal, 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Jessica Menzies
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division, Red Sea Research Center, Thuwal, 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Huawen Zhong
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division, Red Sea Research Center, Thuwal, 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Angus Li
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division, Red Sea Research Center, Thuwal, 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Shiou-Han Hung
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division, Red Sea Research Center, Thuwal, 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Salim Al-Babili
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division, the BioActives Lab, Center for Desert Agriculture, Thuwal, 23955- 6900, Saudi Arabia
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division, the Plant Science Program, Thuwal, 23955- 6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Manuel Aranda
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division, Red Sea Research Center, Thuwal, 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia.
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4
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Aagaard A, Liu S, Tregenza T, Braad Lund M, Schramm A, Verhoeven KJF, Bechsgaard J, Bilde T. Adapting to climate with limited genetic diversity: Nucleotide, DNA methylation and microbiome variation among populations of the social spider Stegodyphus dumicola. Mol Ecol 2022; 31:5765-5783. [PMID: 36112081 PMCID: PMC9827990 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2022] [Revised: 09/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the role of genetic and nongenetic variants in modulating phenotypes is central to our knowledge of adaptive responses to local conditions and environmental change, particularly in species with such low population genetic diversity that it is likely to limit their evolutionary potential. A first step towards uncovering the molecular mechanisms underlying population-specific responses to the environment is to carry out environmental association studies. We associated climatic variation with genetic, epigenetic and microbiome variation in populations of a social spider with extremely low standing genetic diversity. We identified genetic variants that are associated strongly with environmental variation, particularly with average temperature, a pattern consistent with local adaptation. Variation in DNA methylation in many genes was strongly correlated with a wide set of climate parameters, thereby revealing a different pattern of associations than that of genetic variants, which show strong correlations to a more restricted range of climate parameters. DNA methylation levels were largely independent of cis-genetic variation and of overall genetic population structure, suggesting that DNA methylation can work as an independent mechanism. Microbiome composition also correlated with environmental variation, but most strong associations were with precipitation-related climatic factors. Our results suggest a role for both genetic and nongenetic mechanisms in shaping phenotypic responses to local environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Aagaard
- Section for Genetics, Ecology & Evolution, Department of BiologyAarhus UniversityAarhus CDenmark
| | - Shenglin Liu
- Section for Genetics, Ecology & Evolution, Department of BiologyAarhus UniversityAarhus CDenmark
| | - Tom Tregenza
- Centre for Ecology & Conservation, School of BiosciencesUniversity of ExeterPenryn CampusUK
| | - Marie Braad Lund
- Section for Microbiology, Department of BiologyAarhus UniversityAarhus CDenmark
| | - Andreas Schramm
- Section for Microbiology, Department of BiologyAarhus UniversityAarhus CDenmark
| | - Koen J. F. Verhoeven
- Terrestrial Ecology DepartmentNetherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO‐KNAW)WageningenThe Netherlands
| | - Jesper Bechsgaard
- Section for Genetics, Ecology & Evolution, Department of BiologyAarhus UniversityAarhus CDenmark
| | - Trine Bilde
- Section for Genetics, Ecology & Evolution, Department of BiologyAarhus UniversityAarhus CDenmark
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5
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Sato Y, Wippler J, Wentrup C, Ansorge R, Sadowski M, Gruber-Vodicka H, Dubilier N, Kleiner M. Fidelity varies in the symbiosis between a gutless marine worm and its microbial consortium. MICROBIOME 2022; 10:178. [PMID: 36273146 PMCID: PMC9587655 DOI: 10.1186/s40168-022-01372-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2022] [Accepted: 09/15/2022] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Many animals live in intimate associations with a species-rich microbiome. A key factor in maintaining these beneficial associations is fidelity, defined as the stability of associations between hosts and their microbiota over multiple host generations. Fidelity has been well studied in terrestrial hosts, particularly insects, over longer macroevolutionary time. In contrast, little is known about fidelity in marine animals with species-rich microbiomes at short microevolutionary time scales, that is at the level of a single host population. Given that natural selection acts most directly on local populations, studies of microevolutionary partner fidelity are important for revealing the ecological and evolutionary processes that drive intimate beneficial associations within animal species. RESULTS In this study on the obligate symbiosis between the gutless marine annelid Olavius algarvensis and its consortium of seven co-occurring bacterial symbionts, we show that partner fidelity varies across symbiont species from strict to absent over short microevolutionary time. Using a low-coverage sequencing approach that has not yet been applied to microbial community analyses, we analysed the metagenomes of 80 O. algarvensis individuals from the Mediterranean and compared host mitochondrial and symbiont phylogenies based on single-nucleotide polymorphisms across genomes. Fidelity was highest for the two chemoautotrophic, sulphur-oxidizing symbionts that dominated the microbial consortium of all O. algarvensis individuals. In contrast, fidelity was only intermediate to absent in the sulphate-reducing and spirochaetal symbionts with lower abundance. These differences in fidelity are likely driven by both selective and stochastic forces acting on the consistency with which symbionts are vertically transmitted. CONCLUSIONS We hypothesize that variable degrees of fidelity are advantageous for O. algarvensis by allowing the faithful transmission of their nutritionally most important symbionts and flexibility in the acquisition of other symbionts that promote ecological plasticity in the acquisition of environmental resources. Video Abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yui Sato
- Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Celsiusstr. 1, D-28359, Bremen, Germany.
| | - Juliane Wippler
- Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Celsiusstr. 1, D-28359, Bremen, Germany
| | - Cecilia Wentrup
- Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Celsiusstr. 1, D-28359, Bremen, Germany
| | - Rebecca Ansorge
- Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Celsiusstr. 1, D-28359, Bremen, Germany
- Gut Microbes and Health Programme, Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich, NR4 7UQ, UK
| | - Miriam Sadowski
- Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Celsiusstr. 1, D-28359, Bremen, Germany
| | - Harald Gruber-Vodicka
- Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Celsiusstr. 1, D-28359, Bremen, Germany
| | - Nicole Dubilier
- Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Celsiusstr. 1, D-28359, Bremen, Germany.
| | - Manuel Kleiner
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA.
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6
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Cziesielski MJ, Liew YJ, Cui G, Aranda M. Increased incompatibility of heterologous algal symbionts under thermal stress in the cnidarian-dinoflagellate model Aiptasia. Commun Biol 2022; 5:760. [PMID: 35902758 PMCID: PMC9334593 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03724-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Accepted: 07/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Rising ocean temperatures are increasing the rate and intensity of coral mass bleaching events, leading to the collapse of coral reef ecosystems. To better understand the dynamics of coral-algae symbioses, it is critical to decipher the role each partner plays in the holobiont's thermotolerance. Here, we investigated the role of the symbiont by comparing transcriptional heat stress responses of anemones from two thermally distinct locations, Florida (CC7) and Hawaii (H2) as well as a heterologous host-symbiont combination composed of CC7 host anemones inoculated with the symbiont Breviolum minutum (SSB01) from H2 anemones (CC7-B01). We find that oxidative stress and apoptosis responses are strongly influenced by symbiont type, as further confirmed by caspase-3 activation assays, but that the overall response to heat stress is dictated by the compatibility of both partners. Expression of genes essential to symbiosis revealed a shift from a nitrogen- to a carbon-limited state only in the heterologous combination CC7-B01, suggesting a bioenergetic disruption of symbiosis during stress. Our results indicate that symbiosis is highly fine-tuned towards particular partner combinations and that heterologous host-symbiont combinations are metabolically less compatible under stress. These results are essential for future strategies aiming at increasing coral resilience using heterologous thermotolerant symbionts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maha J Cziesielski
- Marine Science Program, Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.,Red Sea Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Yi Jin Liew
- Marine Science Program, Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.,Red Sea Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.,CSIRO Health & Biosecurity, North Ryde, NSW, Australia
| | - Guoxin Cui
- Marine Science Program, Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.,Red Sea Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Manuel Aranda
- Marine Science Program, Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. .,Red Sea Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
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7
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Heat Stress of Algal Partner Hinders Colonization Success and Alters the Algal Cell Surface Glycome in a Cnidarian-Algal Symbiosis. Microbiol Spectr 2022; 10:e0156722. [PMID: 35639004 PMCID: PMC9241721 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.01567-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Corals owe their ecological success to their symbiotic relationship with dinoflagellate algae (family Symbiodiniaceae). While the negative effects of heat stress on this symbiosis are well studied, how heat stress affects the onset of symbiosis and symbiont specificity is less explored. In this work, we used the model sea anemone, Exaiptasia diaphana (commonly referred to as Aiptasia), and its native symbiont, Breviolum minutum, to study the effects of heat stress on the colonization of Aiptasia by algae and the algal cell-surface glycome. Heat stress caused a decrease in the colonization of Aiptasia by algae that were not due to confounding variables such as algal motility or oxidative stress. With mass spectrometric analysis and lectin staining, a thermally induced enrichment of glycans previously found to be associated with free-living strains of algae (high-mannoside glycans) and a concomitant reduction in glycans putatively associated with symbiotic strains of algae (galactosylated glycans) were identified. Differential enrichment of specific sialic acid glycans was also identified, although their role in this symbiosis remains unclear. We also discuss the methods used to analyze the cell-surface glycome of algae, evaluate current limitations, and provide suggestions for future work in algal-coral glycobiology. Overall, this study provided insight into how stress may affect the symbiosis between cnidarians and their algal symbionts by altering the glycome of the symbiodinian partner. IMPORTANCE Coral reefs are under threat from global climate change. Their decline is mainly caused by the fragility of their symbiotic relationship with dinoflagellate algae which they rely upon for their ecological success. To better understand coral biology, researchers used the sea anemone, Aiptasia, a model system for the study of coral-algal symbiosis, and characterized how heat stress can alter the algae's ability to communicate to the coral host. This study found that heat stress caused a decline in algal colonization success and impacted the cell surface molecules of the algae such that it became more like that of nonsymbiotic species of algae. This work adds to our understanding of the molecular signals involved in coral-algal symbiosis and how it breaks down during heat stress.
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8
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Matsuda SB, Chakravarti LJ, Cunning R, Huffmyer AS, Nelson CE, Gates RD, van Oppen MJH. Temperature-mediated acquisition of rare heterologous symbionts promotes survival of coral larvae under ocean warming. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2022; 28:2006-2025. [PMID: 34957651 PMCID: PMC9303745 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2021] [Revised: 12/04/2021] [Accepted: 12/07/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Reef-building corals form nutritional symbioses with endosymbiotic dinoflagellates (Symbiodiniaceae), a relationship that facilitates the ecological success of coral reefs. These symbionts are mostly acquired anew each generation from the environment during early life stages ("horizontal transmission"). Symbiodiniaceae species exhibit trait variation that directly impacts the health and performance of the coral host under ocean warming. Here, we test the capacity for larvae of a horizontally transmitting coral, Acropora tenuis, to establish symbioses with Symbiodiniaceae species in four genera that have varying thermal thresholds (the common symbiont genera, Cladocopium and Durusdinium, and the less common Fugacium and Gerakladium). Over a 2-week period in January 2018, a series of both no-choice and four-way choice experiments were conducted at three temperatures (27, 30, and 31°C). Symbiont acquisition success and cell proliferation were measured in individual larvae. Larvae successfully acquired and maintained symbionts of all four genera in no-choice experiments, and >80% of larvae were infected with at least three genera when offered a four-way choice. Unexpectedly, Gerakladium symbionts increased in dominance over time, and at high temperatures outcompeted Durusdinium, which is regarded as thermally tolerant. Although Fugacium displayed the highest thermal tolerance in culture and reached similar cell densities to the other three symbionts at 31°C, it remained a background symbiont in choice experiments, suggesting host preference for other symbiont species. Larval survivorship at 1 week was highest in larvae associated with Gerakladium and Fugacium symbionts at 27 and 30°C, however at 31°C, mortality was similar for all treatments. We hypothesize that symbionts that are currently rare in corals (e.g., Gerakladium) may become more common and widespread in early life stages under climate warming. Uptake of such symbionts may function as a survival strategy in the wild, and has implications for reef restoration practices that use sexually produced coral stock.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shayle B. Matsuda
- Hawai‘i Institute of Marine BiologyUniversity of Hawai‘i at MānoaKāne‘oheHawai‘iUSA
| | | | - Ross Cunning
- Daniel P. Haerther Center for Conservation and ResearchJohn G. Shedd AquariumChicagoIllinoisUSA
| | - Ariana S. Huffmyer
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of Rhode IslandKingstonRhode IslandUSA
| | - Craig E. Nelson
- Daniel K. Inouye Center for Microbial Oceanography: Research and EducationDepartment of Oceanography and Sea Grant College ProgramUniversity of Hawai‘i at MānoaHonoluluHawai‘iUSA
| | - Ruth D. Gates
- Hawai‘i Institute of Marine BiologyUniversity of Hawai‘i at MānoaKāne‘oheHawai‘iUSA
| | - Madeleine J. H. van Oppen
- Australian Institute of Marine ScienceTownsvilleQueenslandAustralia
- School of BioSciencesThe University of MelbourneParkvilleVictoriaAustralia
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9
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Presnell JS, Wirsching E, Weis VM. Tentacle patterning during Exaiptasia diaphana pedal lacerate development differs between symbiotic and aposymbiotic animals. PeerJ 2022; 10:e12770. [PMID: 35047238 PMCID: PMC8757374 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.12770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2021] [Accepted: 12/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Exaiptasia diaphana, a tropical sea anemone known as Aiptasia, is a tractable model system for studying the cellular, physiological, and ecological characteristics of cnidarian-dinoflagellate symbiosis. Aiptasia is widely used as a proxy for coral-algal symbiosis, since both Aiptasia and corals form a symbiosis with members of the family Symbiodiniaceae. Laboratory strains of Aiptasia can be maintained in both the symbiotic (Sym) and aposymbiotic (Apo, without algae) states. Apo Aiptasia allow for the study of the influence of symbiosis on different biological processes and how different environmental conditions impact symbiosis. A key feature of Aiptasia is the ease of propagating both Sym and Apo individuals in the laboratory through a process called pedal laceration. In this form of asexual reproduction, small pieces of tissue rip away from the pedal disc of a polyp, then these lacerates eventually develop tentacles and grow into new polyps. While pedal laceration has been described in the past, details of how tentacles are formed or how symbiotic and nutritional state influence this process are lacking. Here we describe the stages of development in both Sym and Apo pedal lacerates. Our results show that Apo lacerates develop tentacles earlier than Sym lacerates, while over the course of 20 days, Sym lacerates end up with a greater number of tentacles. We describe both tentacle and mesentery patterning during lacerate development and show that they form through a single pattern in early stages regardless of symbiotic state. In later stages of development, Apo lacerate tentacles and mesenteries progress through a single pattern, while variable patterns were observed in Sym lacerates. We discuss how Aiptasia lacerate mesentery and tentacle patterning differs from oral disc regeneration and how these patterning events compare to postembryonic development in Nematostella vectensis, another widely-used sea anemone model. In addition, we demonstrate that Apo lacerates supplemented with a putative nutrient source developed an intermediate number of tentacles between un-fed Apo and Sym lacerates. Based on these observations, we hypothesize that pedal lacerates progress through two different, putatively nutrient-dependent phases of development. In the early phase, the lacerate, regardless of symbiotic state, preferentially uses or relies on nutrients carried over from the adult polyp. These resources are sufficient for lacerates to develop into a functional polyp. In the late phase of development, continued growth and tentacle formation is supported by nutrients obtained from either symbionts and/or the environment through heterotrophic feeding. Finally, we advocate for the implementation of pedal lacerates as an additional resource in the Aiptasia model system toolkit for studies of cnidarian-dinoflagellate symbiosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason S. Presnell
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United States of America,Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States of America
| | - Elizabeth Wirsching
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United States of America,Department of Biology, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA, United States of America
| | - Virginia M. Weis
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United States of America
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10
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Osvatic JT, Wilkins LGE, Leibrecht L, Leray M, Zauner S, Polzin J, Camacho Y, Gros O, van Gils JA, Eisen JA, Petersen JM, Yuen B. Global biogeography of chemosynthetic symbionts reveals both localized and globally distributed symbiont groups. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:e2104378118. [PMID: 34272286 PMCID: PMC8307296 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2104378118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In the ocean, most hosts acquire their symbionts from the environment. Due to the immense spatial scales involved, our understanding of the biogeography of hosts and symbionts in marine systems is patchy, although this knowledge is essential for understanding fundamental aspects of symbiosis such as host-symbiont specificity and evolution. Lucinidae is the most species-rich and widely distributed family of marine bivalves hosting autotrophic bacterial endosymbionts. Previous molecular surveys identified location-specific symbiont types that "promiscuously" form associations with multiple divergent cooccurring host species. This flexibility of host-microbe pairings is thought to underpin their global success, as it allows hosts to form associations with locally adapted symbionts. We used metagenomics to investigate the biodiversity, functional variability, and genetic exchange among the endosymbionts of 12 lucinid host species from across the globe. We report a cosmopolitan symbiont species, Candidatus Thiodiazotropha taylori, associated with multiple lucinid host species. Ca. T. taylori has achieved more success at dispersal and establishing symbioses with lucinids than any other symbiont described thus far. This discovery challenges our understanding of symbiont dispersal and location-specific colonization and suggests both symbiont and host flexibility underpin the ecological and evolutionary success of the lucinid symbiosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jay T Osvatic
- Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Laetitia G E Wilkins
- Genome and Biomedical Sciences Facility, Genome Center, University of California, Davis, CA 95616
- Department of Symbiosis, Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, 28209 Bremen, Germany
| | - Lukas Leibrecht
- Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Matthieu Leray
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado 0843-03092, Balboa, Republic of Panama
| | - Sarah Zauner
- Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Julia Polzin
- Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Yolanda Camacho
- Centro de Investigación en Ciencias del Mar y Limnología, Escuela de Biología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San Pedro 11501-2060, Costa Rica
| | - Olivier Gros
- UMR 7205, Institut de Systématique, Évolution, Biodiversité, Equipe Biologie de la Mangrove, Département de Biologie, Université des Antilles, 97159 Pointe-à-Pitre Cedex, Guadeloupe
| | - Jan A van Gils
- Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research,1790 AB Den Burg, The Netherlands
| | - Jonathan A Eisen
- Genome and Biomedical Sciences Facility, Genome Center, University of California, Davis, CA 95616
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616
| | - Jillian M Petersen
- Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria;
| | - Benedict Yuen
- Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria;
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11
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Fujiwara Y, Kawamura I, Reimer JD, Parkinson JE. Zoantharian Endosymbiont Community Dynamics During a Stress Event. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:674026. [PMID: 34122387 PMCID: PMC8193574 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.674026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2021] [Accepted: 04/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Coral reefs are complex ecosystems composed of many interacting species. One ecologically important group consists of zoantharians, which are closely related to reef-building corals. Like corals, zoantharians form mutualistic symbioses with dinoflagellate micro-algae (family Symbiodiniaceae), but their associations remain underexplored. To examine the degree to which zoantharians exhibit altered symbiont dynamics under changing environmental conditions, we reciprocally transplanted colonies of Zoanthus sansibaricus between intertidal (2 m) and subtidal (26 m) depths within a reef in Okinawa, Japan. At this location, Z. sansibaricus can associate with three Symbiodiniaceae species from two genera distributed along a light and depth gradient. We developed species-specific molecular assays and sampled colonies pre- and post-transplantation to analyze symbiont community diversity. Despite large environmental differences across depths, we detected few symbiont compositional changes resulting from transplantation stress. Colonies sourced from the intertidal zone associated with mixtures of a "shallow" Symbiodinium sp. and a "shallow" Cladocopium sp. independent of whether they were transplanted to shallow or deep waters. Colonies sourced from the subtidal zone were dominated by a "deep" Cladocopium sp. regardless of transplant depth. Subtidal colonies brought to shallow depths did not transition to the presumably high-light adapted shallow symbionts present in the new environment, but rather bleached and died. These patterns mirror observations of highly stable coral-algal associations subjected to depth transplantation. Our results indicate that Zoanthus-Symbiodiniaceae symbioses remain stable despite stress, suggesting these important reef community members have relatively low capacity to shuffle to more stress-tolerant micro-algae in response to ongoing climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Fujiwara
- Molecular Invertebrate Systematics and Ecology Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Biology, and Marine Science, Faculty of Science, University of the Ryukyus, Nishihara, Japan.,Nakajima Suisan Co. Ltd., Tokyo, Japan
| | - Iori Kawamura
- Molecular Invertebrate Systematics and Ecology Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Biology, and Marine Science, Faculty of Science, University of the Ryukyus, Nishihara, Japan
| | - James Davis Reimer
- Molecular Invertebrate Systematics and Ecology Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Biology, and Marine Science, Faculty of Science, University of the Ryukyus, Nishihara, Japan.,Tropical Biosphere Research Center, University of the Ryukyus, Nishihara, Japan
| | - John Everett Parkinson
- Molecular Invertebrate Systematics and Ecology Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Biology, and Marine Science, Faculty of Science, University of the Ryukyus, Nishihara, Japan.,Department of Integrative Biology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States
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12
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Gould AL, Fritts-Penniman A, Gaisiner A. Museum Genomics Illuminate the High Specificity of a Bioluminescent Symbiosis for a Genus of Reef Fish. Front Ecol Evol 2021; 9:630207. [PMID: 34485316 PMCID: PMC8412414 DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.630207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Symbiotic relationships between bioluminescent bacteria and fishes have evolved multiple times across hundreds of fish taxa, but relatively little is known about the specificity of these associations and how stable they are over host generations. This study describes the degree of specificity of a bioluminescent symbiosis between cardinalfishes in the genus Siphamia and luminous bacteria in the Vibrio family. Primarily using museum specimens, we investigated the codivergence of host and symbiont and test for patterns of divergence that correlate with both biogeography and time. Contrary to expectations, we determined that the light organ symbionts of all 14 Siphamia species examined belong to one genetic clade of Photobacterium mandapamensis (Clade II), indicating that the association is highly specific and conserved throughout the host genus. Thus, we did not find evidence of codivergence among hosts and symbionts. We did observe that symbionts hosted by individuals sampled from colder water regions were more divergent, containing more than three times as many single nucleotide polymorphisms than the rest of the symbionts examined. Overall, our findings indicate that the symbiosis between Siphamia fishes and P. mandapamensis Clade II has been highly conserved across host taxa and over a broad geographic range despite the facultative nature of the bacterial symbiont. We also present a new approach to simultaneously recover genetic information from a bacterial symbiont and its vertebrate host from formalin-fixed specimens, enhancing the utility of museum collections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison L. Gould
- California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | | | - Ana Gaisiner
- California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, CA, United States
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