Assessment of metabolic modulation in free-living versus endosymbiotic Symbiodinium using synchrotron radiation-based infrared microspectroscopy

The endosymbiotic relationship between coral hosts and dinoflagellates of the genus Symbiodinium is critical for the growth and productivity of coral reef ecosystems. Here, synchrotron radiation-based infrared microspectroscopy was applied to examine metabolite concentration differences between endo...

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Published in:Biology letters (2005) 2012-06, Vol.8 (3), p.434-437
Main Authors: Peng, Shao-En, Chen, Chii-Shiarng, Song, Yen-Fang, Huang, Huai-Ting, Jiang, Pei-Luen, Chen, Wan-Nan U., Fang, Lee-Shing, Lee, Yao-Chang
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aiptasia pulchella
Animals
Cnidaria
Dinoflagellida - classification
Dinoflagellida - physiology
Marine Biology
Metabolome
Microspectrophotometry
Nitrogen Limitation
Photoperiod
Sea Anemones - cytology
Sea Anemones - physiology
Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared
Symbiodinium
Symbiosis
Synchrotrons
Time Factors
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Summary:The endosymbiotic relationship between coral hosts and dinoflagellates of the genus Symbiodinium is critical for the growth and productivity of coral reef ecosystems. Here, synchrotron radiation-based infrared microspectroscopy was applied to examine metabolite concentration differences between endosymbiotic (within the anemone Aiptasia pulchella) and free-living Symbiodinium over the light–dark cycle. Significant differences in levels of lipids, nitrogenous compounds, polysaccharides and putative cell wall components were documented. Compared with free-living Symbiodinium, total lipids, unsaturated lipids and polysaccharides were relatively enriched in endosymbiotic Symbiodinium during both light and dark photoperiods. Concentrations of cell wall-related metabolites did not vary temporally in endosymbiotic samples; in contrast, the concentrations of these metabolites increased dramatically during the dark photoperiod in free-living samples, possibly reflecting rhythmic cell-wall synthesis related to light-driven cell proliferation. The level of nitrogenous compounds in endosymbiotic cells did not vary greatly across the light–dark cycle and in general was significantly lower than that observed in free-living samples collected during the light. Collectively, these data suggest that nitrogen limitation is a factor that the host cell exploits to induce the biosynthesis of lipids and polysaccharides in endosymbiotic Symbiodinium.
ISSN:1744-9561
1744-957X
DOI:10.1098/rsbl.2011.0893