Self-supporting artificial system of the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and the ascomycetous fungus Alternaria infectoria

Fungi are well-known decomposers of organic matter that thrive in virtually any environment on earth where they encounter wealths of other microbes. Some fungi evolved symbiotic lifestyles, including pathogens and mutualists, that have mostly been studied in binary interactions with their hosts. However, we now appreciate that such interactions are greatly influenced by the ecological context in which they take place. While establishing their symbioses, fungi not only interact with their hosts, but also with the host-associated microbiota. Thus, they target the host and its associated microbiota as a single holobiont. Recent studies have shown that fungal pathogens manipulate the host microbiota by means of secreted effector proteins with selective antimicrobial activity to stimulate disease development. In this review we discuss the ecological contexts in which such effector-mediated microbiota manipulation is relevant for the fungal lifestyle and argue that this is not only relevant for pathogens of plants and animals, but beneficial in virtually any niche where fungi occur. Moreover, we reason that effector-mediated microbiota manipulation likely evolved already in fungal ancestors that encountered microbial competition long before symbiosis with land plants and mammalian animals evolved. Thus, we claim that effector-mediated microbiota manipulation is fundamental to fungal biology.

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“… 2013 , Hom and Murray 2014 , Simon et al . 2017 , Du et al . 2019 ), suggesting an inherent ability of fungi to interact with algae.…”

Section: Fungal Effector-mediated Manipulation In a Wide Diversity Of...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Microbiota manipulation through the secretion of effector proteins is fundamental to the wealth of lifestyles in the fungal kingdom

Snelders

Rövenich

Thomma

2022

FEMS Microbiology Reviews

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“…For example, reciprocal transfer of carbon and nitrogen was shown for synthetic consortia composed of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and a diverse panel of ascomycete fungi, demonstrating a latent capacity of ascomycetous yeasts and filamentous fungi to interact with algae (Hom and Murray, 2014). In a separate study, the filamentous ascomycetous fungus Alternaria infectoria was demonstrated to provision nitrogen to C. reinhardtii in a long-lived bipartite system, whereby the nitrogen-starved alga responded favorably to the growing fungus (Simon et al, 2017). A non-lichen algal-fungal mutualism was described involving the chytrid fungus Rhizidium phycophilum and the green alga Bracteacoccus providing evidence that early diverging fungi have evolved mutualisms with algae based on solute exchange (Picard et al, 2013).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Algal-fungal symbiosis leads to photosynthetic mycelium

Zienkiewicz

Pol

et al. 2019

eLife

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Mutualistic interactions between free-living algae and fungi are widespread in nature and are hypothesized to have facilitated the evolution of land plants and lichens. In all known algal-fungal mutualisms, including lichens, algal cells remain external to fungal cells. Here, we report on an algal–fungal interaction in which Nannochloropsis oceanica algal cells become internalized within the hyphae of the fungus Mortierella elongata. This apparent symbiosis begins with close physical contact and nutrient exchange, including carbon and nitrogen transfer between fungal and algal cells as demonstrated by isotope tracer experiments. This mutualism appears to be stable, as both partners remain physiologically active over months of co-cultivation, leading to the eventual internalization of photosynthetic algal cells, which persist to function, grow and divide within fungal hyphae. Nannochloropsis and Mortierella are biotechnologically important species for lipids and biofuel production, with available genomes and molecular tool kits. Based on the current observations, they provide unique opportunities for studying fungal-algal mutualisms including mechanisms leading to endosymbiosis.

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“…In closed systems under illumination with glucose and nitrite Saccharomyces cerevisiae metabolizes glucose to feed with CO2 Chlamydomonas, which provides the yeast with ammonium produced from nitrite. The ascomycetous fungus Alternaria infectoria fixes N2 that can be supplied to Chlamydomonas in the form of organic nitrogen, and they can form long-living consortia [47]. The rhizospheric bacteria Mesorhizobium japonicum and Ensifer meliloti can provide Chlamydomonas with vitamin B12 promoting algal growth in exchange for algal fixed C [50,58].…”

Section: Biodiversity In the Chlamydomonas Phycosphere: Who's At The ...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Chlamydomonas cells were found to physically interact with the filamentous fungi Neurospora crassa and Aspergillus nidulans, to likely facilitate nutrient exchange [46]. Moreover, Chlamydomonas and the ascomycetous fungus Alternaria infectoria can form long-living consortia that persist for up to several years in the absence of a N source other than atmospheric N2, which is fixed by the fungus and likely supplied to the alga as amino acids [47].…”

Section: Chlamydomonas' Fungal Partners: the Fun Guysmentioning

confidence: 99%

<em>Chlamydomonas Reinhardtii, </em>a Reference Organism to Study Algal-Microbial Interactions. <em>Why Can’t They Be Friends</em>

Calatrava¹,

Tejada-Jimenez²,

Sanz-Luque³

et al. 2023

Preprint

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The stability and harmony of ecological niches rely on intricated interactions between their members. During evolution, organisms have developed the ability to thrive in different environments taking advantage of each other’s metabolic symphonies. Among them, microalgae are a highly diverse and widely distributed group of major primary producers whose interactions with other organisms play essential roles in their habitats. Understanding the basis of these interactions is crucial to control and exploit these communities for ecological and biotechnological applications. The green microalga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, a well-established model, is emerging as a model organism for studying a wide variety of microbial interactions with ecological and economic significance. In this review, we bring together and discuss current knowledge that points to C. reinhardtii as a model organism for studying microbial interactions.

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Self-supporting artificial system of the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and the ascomycetous fungus Alternaria infectoria

Cited by 11 publications

References 42 publications

Microbiota manipulation through the secretion of effector proteins is fundamental to the wealth of lifestyles in the fungal kingdom

Microbiota manipulation through the secretion of effector proteins is fundamental to the wealth of lifestyles in the fungal kingdom

Algal-fungal symbiosis leads to photosynthetic mycelium

<em>Chlamydomonas Reinhardtii, </em>a Reference Organism to Study Algal-Microbial Interactions. <em>Why Can’t They Be Friends</em>

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