Infection of algae-free Climacostomum virens with symbiotic Chlorella sp. isolated from algae-containing C. virens
The ciliate Climacostomum virens normally contains algae as symbionts in its cytoplasm and retains them over many generations. An aposymbiotic strain of C. virens which cannot re-establish a new symbiotic association by ingestion of algae derived from green Climacostomum was recently isolated in our...
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| Published in: | European journal of protistology Vol. 43; no. 2; pp. 141 - 146 |
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| Main Authors: | , , , |
| Format: | Journal Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Germany
Elsevier GmbH
01-06-2007
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | Get full text |
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| Summary: | The ciliate
Climacostomum virens normally contains algae as symbionts in its cytoplasm and retains them over many generations. An aposymbiotic strain of
C. virens which cannot re-establish a new symbiotic association by ingestion of algae derived from green
Climacostomum was recently isolated in our laboratory. Results of infection experiments showed that all newly ingested, potentially symbiotic algae were digested in food vacuoles. To clarify whether these ciliates have completely lost their ability to sustain symbiosis with algae or whether this ability can eventually be re-established, infection experiments were performed using a microinjection technique. We have achieved successful infection of algae-free
Climacostomum using this method. The endosymbiont population was established in ciliates from as few as 3–5 injected algae, which have retained an intact perialgal vacuole membrane around them. To our knowledge, this is the first evidence of successful infection of aposymbiotic ciliates with algae by microinjection. |
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| Bibliography: | ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 23 |
| ISSN: | 0932-4739 1618-0429 |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.ejop.2007.01.001 |