Infection of Paramecium bursaria by Symbiotic Chlorella Species

Kodama, Yuuki; Fujishima, Masahiro

doi:10.1007/978-3-540-92677-1_2

Cited by 21 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 47 publications

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“…To gain benefit from the association over an evolutionary timescale (i.e., one generation or more), Phaeocystis cells would need to be released to the environment in a viable condition following the symbiotic phase. If this is the case, the symbiosis likely plays a key role in the ecology of Phaeocystis, for example by protecting cells from grazing or viral attack (36) and/or by providing inocula for establishment of freeliving populations. The present-day ecological success of the microalga Phaeocystis may thus partly result from this ancient and persistent symbiosis with Acantharia.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

An original mode of symbiosis in open ocean plankton

Decelle

Probert

Bittner

et al. 2012

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

133

147

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International audienceSymbiotic relationships are widespread in nature and are fundamental for ecosystem functioning and the evolution of biodiversity. In marine environments, photosymbiosis with microalgae is best known for sustaining benthic coral reef ecosystems. Despite the importance of oceanic microbiota in global ecology and biogeochemical cycles, symbioses are poorly characterized in open ocean plankton. Here, we describe a widespread symbiotic association between Acantharia biomineralizing microorganisms that are abundant grazers in plankton communities, and members of the haptophyte genus Phaeocystis that are cosmopolitan bloom-forming microalgae. Cophylogenetic analyses demonstrate that symbiont biogeography, rather than host taxonomy, is the main determinant of the association. Molecular dating places the origin of this photosymbiosis in the Jurassic (ca. 175 Mya), a period of accentuated marine oligotrophy. Measurements of intracellular dimethylated sulfur indicate that the host likely profits from antioxidant protection provided by the symbionts as an adaptation to life in transparent oligotrophic surface waters. In contrast to terrestrial and marine symbioses characterized to date, the symbiont reported in this association is extremely abundant and ecologically active in its free-living phase. In the vast and barren open ocean, partnership with photosymbionts that have extensive free-living populations is likely an advantageous strategy for hosts that rely on such interactions. Discovery of the Acantharia-Phaeocystis association contrasts with the widely held view that symbionts are specialized organisms that are rare and ecologically passive outside the host

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

An original mode of symbiosis in open ocean plankton

Decelle

Probert

Bittner

et al. 2012

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

133

147

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Newly formed perialgal vacuoles are translocated from the cytopharynx region to near the cell surface, where photosynthesizing cells produce proteins that appear to prevent expansion of the vacuole, inhibit lysosome fusion, and promote attachment below the host's membrane surface (Kodama and Fujishima 2009a). Kodama and Fujishima (2005) have categorized stages of DV maturation and their differentiation into a perialgal vacuole.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Acquired Phototrophy in Ciliates: A Review of Cellular Interactions and Structural Adaptations1

Johnson

2011

Journal of Eukaryotic Microbiology

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Many ciliates acquire the capacity for photosynthesis through stealing plastids or harboring intact endosymbiotic algae. Both phenomena are a form of mixotrophy and are widespread among ciliates. Mixotrophic ciliates may be abundant in freshwater and marine ecosystems, sometimes making substantial contributions toward community primary productivity. While mixotrophic ciliates utilize phagotrophy to capture algal cells, their endomembrane system has evolved to partially bypass typical heterotrophic digestion pathways, enabling metabolic interaction with foreign cells or organelles. Unique adaptations may also be found in certain algal endosymbionts, facilitating establishment of symbiosis and nutritional interactions, while reducing their fitness for survival as free-living cells. Plastid retaining oligotrich ciliates possess little selectivity from which algae they sequester plastids, resulting in unstable kleptoplastids that require frequent ingestion of algal cells to replace them. Mesodinium rubrum (=Myrionecta rubra) possesses cryptophyte organelles that resemble a reduced endosymbont, and is the only ciliate capable of functional phototrophy and plastid division. Certain strains of M. rubrum may have a stable association with their cryptophyte organelles, while others need to acquire a cryptophyte nucleus through feeding. This process of stealing a nucleus, termed karyoklepty, was first described in M. rubrum and may be an evolutionary precursor to a stable, reduced endosymbiont, and perhaps eventually a tertiary plastid. The newly described Mesodinium"chamaeleon," however, is less selective of which cryptophyte species it will retain organelles, and appears less capable of sustained phototrophy. Ciliates likely stem from a phototrophic ancestry, which may explain their propensity to practice acquired phototrophy.

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“…Their symbiotic relationship is able to start over, i.e., artificially algae-removed P. bursaria can absorb again and fix the algae as new photobionts [1]. Despite the re-symbiosis ability of P. bursaria, there are unusual characteristics in terms of the small diversity of their photobionts.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Photobiont Flexibility in <i>Paramecium bursaria</i>: Double and Triple Photobiont Co-Habitation

Hoshina¹,

Fujiwara²

2012

AiM

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The green ciliate, Paramecium bursaria, has evolved a mutualistic relationship with endosymbiotic green algae (photobionts). Under culture conditions, photobionts are usually unified (to be single species) within each P. bursaria strain. In most cases, the algal partners are restricted to either Chlorella variabilis or Micractinium reisseri (Chlorellaceae, Trebouxiophyceae). Both species are characterized by particular physiology and atypical group I intron insertions, although they are morphologically indistinguishable from each other or from other Chlorella-related species. Both algae are exclusive species that are viable only within P. bursaria cells, and therefore their symbiotic relationship can be considered persistent. In a few cases, the other algal species have been reported as P. bursaria photobionts. Namely, P. bursaria have occasionally replaced their photobiont partner. This paper introduces some P. bursaria strains that maintain more than one species of algae for a long period. This situation prompts speculations about flexibility of host-photobiont relationships, how P. bursaria replaced these photobionts, and the infection theory of the group I introns.

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Infection of Paramecium bursaria by Symbiotic Chlorella Species

Cited by 21 publications

References 47 publications

An original mode of symbiosis in open ocean plankton

An original mode of symbiosis in open ocean plankton

Acquired Phototrophy in Ciliates: A Review of Cellular Interactions and Structural Adaptations1

Photobiont Flexibility in <i>Paramecium bursaria</i>: Double and Triple Photobiont Co-Habitation

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Infection of Paramecium bursaria by Symbiotic Chlorella Species

Cited by 21 publications

References 47 publications

An original mode of symbiosis in open ocean plankton

An original mode of symbiosis in open ocean plankton

Acquired Phototrophy in Ciliates: A Review of Cellular Interactions and Structural Adaptations1

Photobiont Flexibility in &lt;i&gt;Paramecium bursaria&lt;/i&gt;: Double and Triple Photobiont Co-Habitation

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Photobiont Flexibility in <i>Paramecium bursaria</i>: Double and Triple Photobiont Co-Habitation