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Symbiotic nutrient cycling enables the long-term survival of Aiptasia in the absence of heterotrophic food sourcesuse asterix (*) to get italics
Nils Radecker, Anders MeibomPlease use the format "First name initials family name" as in "Marie S. Curie, Niels H. D. Bohr, Albert Einstein, John R. R. Tolkien, Donna T. Strickland"
2023
<p style="text-align: justify;">Phototrophic Cnidaria are mixotrophic organisms that can complement their heterotrophic diet with nutrients assimilated by their algal endosymbionts. Metabolic models suggest that the translocation of photosynthates and their derivatives from the algae may be sufficient to cover the metabolic energy demands of the host. However, the importance of heterotrophy to the nutritional budget of these holobionts remains unclear. Here, we report on the long-term survival of the photosymbiotic anemone Aiptasia in the absence of heterotrophic food sources. Following one year of heterotrophic starvation, these anemones remained fully viable but showed an 85 % reduction in biomass compared to their regularly fed counterparts. This shrinking was accompanied by a reduction in host protein content and algal density, indicative of severe nitrogen limitation. Nonetheless, isotopic labeling experiments combined with NanoSIMS imaging revealed that the contribution of algal-derived nutrients to the host metabolism remained unaffected due to an increase in algal photosynthesis and more efficient carbon translocation. Taken together, our results suggest that, on a one-year timescale, heterotrophic feeding is not essential to fulfilling the energy requirements of the holobiont. But, while symbiotic nutrient cycling effectively retains carbon in the holobiont over long time scales, our data suggest that heterotrophic feeding is a critical source of nitrogen required for holobiont growth under oligotrophic conditions.</p>
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7400842You should fill this box only if you chose 'All or part of the results presented in this preprint are based on data'. URL must start with http:// or https://
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7400842You should fill this box only if you chose 'Scripts were used to obtain or analyze the results'. URL must start with http:// or https://
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Aiptasia | heterotrophy | NanoSIMS | nitrogen limitation | photosymbiosis | Symbiodiniaceae
NonePlease indicate the methods that may require specialised expertise during the peer review process (use a comma to separate various required expertises).
Eco-evolutionary dynamics, Microbial ecology & microbiology, Symbiosis
Paola Furla, Paola.FURLA@univ-cotedazur.fr, Oren Levy, Oren.Levy@biu.ac.il, David Suggett, David.Suggett@uts.edu.au, Shawna Foo, shawna.foo@sydney.edu.au No need for them to be recommenders of PCIEcology. Please do not suggest reviewers for whom there might be a conflict of interest. Reviewers are not allowed to review preprints written by close colleagues (with whom they have published in the last four years, with whom they have received joint funding in the last four years, or with whom they are currently writing a manuscript, or submitting a grant proposal), or by family members, friends, or anyone for whom bias might affect the nature of the review - see the code of conduct
Manuel Aranda e.g. John Doe [john@doe.com]
2022-12-12 10:50:55
Ulisse Cardini