Endosymbiosis is a symbiotic relationship between two different organisms in which one organism lives within the other. It is a key event in the evolution of life on Earth, and it has had significant impacts on the diversity and complexity of life.
The dinoflagellate algae in the family Symbiodiniaceae forms a symbiotic relationship with many cnidarian hosts including coral, anemones, and jellyfish. Enclosed within the gastrodermal tissue (inner cell layer of the gut and tentacles), the symbiont algae provide coral with photosynthetically fixed carbon while the coral supplies the algae with inorganic nutrients and a haven from predation.
The upside-down jellyfish Cassiopea xamachana is an emerging model system to study its interaction with the endosymbiotic dinoflagellate algae in the family of Symbiodiniaceae.
The stony coral Acropora tenuis, natively hosting Symbiodinium tridacnidorum as the dominant symbiont type in the juvenile stage, has also been shown to form a symbiotic relationship with Symbiodiniaceae algae. We use aposymbiotic coral larvae and polyps from this species to evaluate symbiosis establishment in this host.
Some ciliates also form symbiosis with Symbiodiniaceae algae, and we use them to study the mechanisms underlying symbiosis establishment.
What are the metabolic pathways controlling the biosynthesis of the neurotoxins in red-tide dinoflagellate Karenia brevis?