Mutualistic dinoflagellates with big disparities in ribosomal DNA variation may confound estimates of symbiont diversity and ecology in the jellyfish Cotylorhiza tuberculata
Mutualistic dinoflagellates with big disparities in ribosomal DNA variation may confound estimates of symbiont diversity and ecology in the jellyfish Cotylorhiza tuberculata
The precise identification of mutualistic dinoflagellates is critical for understanding the physiology, ecology and evolution of their mutualisms with animals. Cotylorhiza tuberculata (Macri 1778) is a common scyphozoan endemic to the Mediterranean Sea and relies in part on endosymbiotic dinoflagellates (zooxanthellae) for survival and growth. To further study the diversity of symbionts associated with these animals, we analyzed specimens of C. tuberculata collected across the western Mediterranean Sea and from public aquaria, using a combination of next generation sequencing (NGS) of ITS2 rDNA and direct Sanger sequencing of partial 28 S rRNA and mitochondrial cob genes. Two diagnostic ITS2 profiles were characterized during our analysis of NGS data. Combined with information from additional genetic markers, each profile corresponds to a single species of symbiont, not diverse community assemblages as are sometimes inferred. Breviolum psygmophilum was common in all specimens, while Philozoon medusarum occurred at lower abundances in many individuals. The ribosomal array of B. psygmophilum was highly heterogeneous and contained ~ 15 co-occurring sequence variants found in the same relative proportions across all samples obtained in this study, while the ribosomal array in the genomes of P. medusarum was relatively homogeneous represented mostly by one abundant sequence variant. This precise interpretation of rDNA data improves understanding of the ecology and evolution of these mutualisms. Cotylorhiza tuberculata’s association with dinoflagellate symbionts from different genera is consistent with previous findings and suggests that evolutionary divergent symbionts with dissimilar niches are better able to coexist in hospite.
Breviolum, Coexistence, Eukaryotic rDNA, Mediterranean, Philozoon, Scyphozoa, Symbiodiniaceae
1-10
Lajeunesse, Todd C.
1b4c7871-1dbd-44a6-8b5c-ea7877249e1e
Casado-amezúa, Pilar
c48efadf-e23b-4348-8075-88540e0b85ea
Hume, Benjamin C. C.
dab8d735-3726-4193-9058-c2c1cfac349d
Butler, Caleb C.
29f94a26-1c28-4d66-a2e2-38016994fca7
Mordret, Solenn
7811d080-c219-4796-98df-d2074d21a487
Piredda, Roberta
81ee6f87-b5e0-4eea-a6e9-58655b17c7e5
De Luca, Pasquale
95718578-4866-4cb1-b800-ba3d6b1d9634
Pannone, Raimondo
e7236b84-7694-4147-a783-d940ffba5168
Sarno, Diana
b25a16bf-16a9-44a5-ac2c-91f875bebe24
Wiedenmann, Joerg
ad445af2-680f-4927-90b3-589ac9d538f7
D’ambra, Isabella
dd22cb8d-9e5e-469d-8e51-d531c9143295
1 December 2022
Lajeunesse, Todd C.
1b4c7871-1dbd-44a6-8b5c-ea7877249e1e
Casado-amezúa, Pilar
c48efadf-e23b-4348-8075-88540e0b85ea
Hume, Benjamin C. C.
dab8d735-3726-4193-9058-c2c1cfac349d
Butler, Caleb C.
29f94a26-1c28-4d66-a2e2-38016994fca7
Mordret, Solenn
7811d080-c219-4796-98df-d2074d21a487
Piredda, Roberta
81ee6f87-b5e0-4eea-a6e9-58655b17c7e5
De Luca, Pasquale
95718578-4866-4cb1-b800-ba3d6b1d9634
Pannone, Raimondo
e7236b84-7694-4147-a783-d940ffba5168
Sarno, Diana
b25a16bf-16a9-44a5-ac2c-91f875bebe24
Wiedenmann, Joerg
ad445af2-680f-4927-90b3-589ac9d538f7
D’ambra, Isabella
dd22cb8d-9e5e-469d-8e51-d531c9143295
Lajeunesse, Todd C., Casado-amezúa, Pilar, Hume, Benjamin C. C., Butler, Caleb C., Mordret, Solenn, Piredda, Roberta, De Luca, Pasquale, Pannone, Raimondo, Sarno, Diana, Wiedenmann, Joerg and D’ambra, Isabella
(2022)
Mutualistic dinoflagellates with big disparities in ribosomal DNA variation may confound estimates of symbiont diversity and ecology in the jellyfish Cotylorhiza tuberculata.
Symbiosis, 88 (1-3), .
(doi:10.1007/s13199-022-00880-x).
Abstract
The precise identification of mutualistic dinoflagellates is critical for understanding the physiology, ecology and evolution of their mutualisms with animals. Cotylorhiza tuberculata (Macri 1778) is a common scyphozoan endemic to the Mediterranean Sea and relies in part on endosymbiotic dinoflagellates (zooxanthellae) for survival and growth. To further study the diversity of symbionts associated with these animals, we analyzed specimens of C. tuberculata collected across the western Mediterranean Sea and from public aquaria, using a combination of next generation sequencing (NGS) of ITS2 rDNA and direct Sanger sequencing of partial 28 S rRNA and mitochondrial cob genes. Two diagnostic ITS2 profiles were characterized during our analysis of NGS data. Combined with information from additional genetic markers, each profile corresponds to a single species of symbiont, not diverse community assemblages as are sometimes inferred. Breviolum psygmophilum was common in all specimens, while Philozoon medusarum occurred at lower abundances in many individuals. The ribosomal array of B. psygmophilum was highly heterogeneous and contained ~ 15 co-occurring sequence variants found in the same relative proportions across all samples obtained in this study, while the ribosomal array in the genomes of P. medusarum was relatively homogeneous represented mostly by one abundant sequence variant. This precise interpretation of rDNA data improves understanding of the ecology and evolution of these mutualisms. Cotylorhiza tuberculata’s association with dinoflagellate symbionts from different genera is consistent with previous findings and suggests that evolutionary divergent symbionts with dissimilar niches are better able to coexist in hospite.
Text
SYMB-D-22-00063_Cotylorhiza_symbionts_R1_final (1)
- Accepted Manuscript
More information
Accepted/In Press date: 15 October 2022
e-pub ahead of print date: 8 November 2022
Published date: 1 December 2022
Additional Information:
Wiedenmann was funded by the Natural Environment Research Council NERC (NE/T001364/1)
Keywords:
Breviolum, Coexistence, Eukaryotic rDNA, Mediterranean, Philozoon, Scyphozoa, Symbiodiniaceae
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 475324
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/475324
ISSN: 0334-5114
PURE UUID: 71f7120d-4da8-44b9-a845-8dfb9aaec69f
Catalogue record
Date deposited: 15 Mar 2023 17:40
Last modified: 06 Jun 2024 01:45
Export record
Altmetrics
Contributors
Author:
Todd C. Lajeunesse
Author:
Pilar Casado-amezúa
Author:
Benjamin C. C. Hume
Author:
Caleb C. Butler
Author:
Solenn Mordret
Author:
Roberta Piredda
Author:
Pasquale De Luca
Author:
Raimondo Pannone
Author:
Diana Sarno
Author:
Isabella D’ambra
Download statistics
Downloads from ePrints over the past year. Other digital versions may also be available to download e.g. from the publisher's website.
View more statistics
