Uric acid deposits in symbiotic marine algae

The symbiosis between cnidarians and dinoflagellate algae is not understood at the cell or molecular level, yet this relationship is responsible for the formation of thousands of square kilometres of coral reefs. We have investigated the nature of crystalline material prominent within marine algal s...

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Published in:Plant, cell and environment cell and environment, 2009-02, Vol.32 (2), p.170-177
Main Authors: CLODE, PETA L, SAUNDERS, MARTIN, MAKER, GARTH, LUDWIG, MARTHA, ATKINS, CRAIG A
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aiptasia
Allopurinol
anemone
Animals
Biological and medical sciences
calcium oxalate
cnidaria
coral
Eukaryota - chemistry
Eukaryota - physiology
Eukaryota - ultrastructure
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Marine
Microscopy, Electron, Transmission
nitrogen
Sea Anemones - physiology
Symbiosis - physiology
Uric Acid - chemistry
zooxanthellae
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Summary:The symbiosis between cnidarians and dinoflagellate algae is not understood at the cell or molecular level, yet this relationship is responsible for the formation of thousands of square kilometres of coral reefs. We have investigated the nature of crystalline material prominent within marine algal symbionts of Aiptasia sp. anemones. This material, which has historically been considered to be calcium oxalate, is shown to be uric acid. We demonstrate that these abundant uric acid stores can be mobilized rapidly, thereby allowing the algal symbionts to flourish in an otherwise N-poor environment. This is the first report of uric acid accumulation by symbiotic marine algae. These data provide new insight and considerations for understanding the physiological basis of algal symbioses, and represent a new and previously unconsidered aspect of N metabolism in cnidarian, and a variety of other, marine symbioses.
ISSN:0140-7791
1365-3040
DOI:10.1111/j.1365-3040.2008.01909.x