Transcriptome analysis illuminates the nature of the intracellular interaction in a vertebrate-algal symbiosis

eLife

Huanjia Zhang¹  Elizabeth Hill²  Eunsoo Kim²  John A Burns³  Ryan Kerney³ 

[1] Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics, American Museum of Natural History, New York, United States;Department of Biology, Gettysburg College, Gettysburg, United States;Division of Invertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, United States;

关键词: symbiosis;    RNA-seq;    transcriptomics;    Oophila amblystomatis;    Ambystoma maculatum;   

DOI  :  10.7554/eLife.22054

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

During embryonic development, cells of the green alga Oophila amblystomatis enter cells of the salamander Ambystoma maculatum forming an endosymbiosis. Here, using de novo dual-RNA seq, we compared the host salamander cells that harbored intracellular algae to those without algae and the algae inside the animal cells to those in the egg capsule. This two-by-two-way analysis revealed that intracellular algae exhibit hallmarks of cellular stress and undergo a striking metabolic shift from oxidative metabolism to fermentation. Culturing experiments with the alga showed that host glutamine may be utilized by the algal endosymbiont as a primary nitrogen source. Transcriptional changes in salamander cells suggest an innate immune response to the alga, with potential attenuation of NF-κB, and metabolic alterations indicative of modulation of insulin sensitivity. In stark contrast to its algal endosymbiont, the salamander cells did not exhibit major stress responses, suggesting that the host cell experience is neutral or beneficial.

【 授权许可】

Unknown