IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/natcom/v11y2020i1d10.1038_s41467-019-13963-z.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Symbiont population control by host-symbiont metabolic interaction in Symbiodiniaceae-cnidarian associations

Author

Listed:
  • Tingting Xiang

    (Carnegie Institution for Science
    University of North Carolina at Charlotte)

  • Erik Lehnert

    (Stanford University School of Medicine)

  • Robert E. Jinkerson

    (University of California)

  • Sophie Clowez

    (Carnegie Institution for Science)

  • Rick G. Kim

    (Carnegie Institution for Science)

  • Jan C. DeNofrio

    (Stanford University School of Medicine)

  • John R. Pringle

    (Stanford University School of Medicine)

  • Arthur R. Grossman

    (Carnegie Institution for Science)

Abstract

In cnidarian-Symbiodiniaceae symbioses, algal endosymbiont population control within the host is needed to sustain a symbiotic relationship. However, the molecular mechanisms that underlie such population control are unclear. Here we show that a cnidarian host uses nitrogen limitation as a primary mechanism to control endosymbiont populations. Nitrogen acquisition and assimilation transcripts become elevated in symbiotic Breviolum minutum algae as they reach high-densities within the sea anemone host Exaiptasia pallida. These same transcripts increase in free-living algae deprived of nitrogen. Symbiotic algae also have an elevated carbon-to-nitrogen ratio and shift metabolism towards scavenging nitrogen from purines relative to free-living algae. Exaiptasia glutamine synthetase and glutamate synthase transcripts concomitantly increase with the algal endosymbiont population, suggesting an increased ability of the host to assimilate ammonium. These results suggest algal growth and replication in hospite is controlled by access to nitrogen, which becomes limiting for the algae as their population within the host increases.

Suggested Citation

  • Tingting Xiang & Erik Lehnert & Robert E. Jinkerson & Sophie Clowez & Rick G. Kim & Jan C. DeNofrio & John R. Pringle & Arthur R. Grossman, 2020. "Symbiont population control by host-symbiont metabolic interaction in Symbiodiniaceae-cnidarian associations," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 11(1), pages 1-9, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:11:y:2020:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-019-13963-z
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-13963-z
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-019-13963-z
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/s41467-019-13963-z?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Nils Rädecker & Stéphane Escrig & Jorge E. Spangenberg & Christian R. Voolstra & Anders Meibom, 2023. "Coupled carbon and nitrogen cycling regulates the cnidarian–algal symbiosis," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-10, December.
    2. Guoxin Cui & Jianing Mi & Alessandro Moret & Jessica Menzies & Huawen Zhong & Angus Li & Shiou-Han Hung & Salim Al-Babili & Manuel Aranda, 2023. "A carbon-nitrogen negative feedback loop underlies the repeated evolution of cnidarian–Symbiodiniaceae symbioses," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-12, December.
    3. Kaare-Rasmussen, Jakob O. & Moeller, Holly V. & Pfab, Ferdinand, 2023. "Modeling food dependent symbiosis in Exaiptasia pallida," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 481(C).

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:11:y:2020:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-019-13963-z. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.