Partitioning of Respiration in an Animal-Algal Symbiosis: Implications for Different Aerobic Capacity between Symbiodinium spp.

Author(s)Hawkins, Thomas D.
Author(s)Hagemeyer, Julia C. G.
Author(s)Hoadley, Kenneth D.
Author(s)Marsh, Adam G.
Author(s)Warner, Mark E.
Ordered AuthorThomas D. Hawkins, Julia C. G. Hagemeyer, Kenneth D. Hoadley, Adam G. Marsh and Mark E. Warner
UD AuthorHawkins, Thomas D.en_US
UD AuthorHagemeyer, Julia C. G.en_US
UD AuthorHoadley, Kenneth D.en_US
UD AuthorMarsh, Adam G.en_US
UD AuthorWarner, Mark Een_US
Date Accessioned2016-10-13T14:58:40Z
Date Available2016-10-13T14:58:40Z
Copyright DateCopyright © 2016 Hawkins, Hagemeyer, Hoadley, Marsh and Warner.en_US
Publication Date2016-04-18
DescriptionPublisher's PDFen_US
AbstractCnidarian-dinoflagellate symbioses are ecologically important and the subject of much investigation. However, our understanding of critical aspects of symbiosis physiology, such as the partitioning of total respiration between the host and symbiont, remains incomplete. Specifically, we know little about how the relationship between host and symbiont respiration varies between different holobionts (host-symbiont combinations). We applied molecular and biochemical techniques to investigate aerobic respiratory capacity in naturally symbiotic Exaiptasia pallida sea anemones, alongside animals infected with either homologous ITS2-type A4 Symbiodinium or a heterologous isolate of Symbiodinium minutum (ITS2-type B1). In naturally symbiotic anemones, host, symbiont, and total holobiont mitochondrial citrate synthase (CS) enzyme activity, but not host mitochondrial copy number, were reliable predictors of holobiont respiration. There was a positive association between symbiont density and host CS specific activity (mg protein−1), and a negative correlation between host- and symbiont CS specific activities. Notably, partitioning of total CS activity between host and symbiont in this natural E. pallida population was significantly different to the host/symbiont biomass ratio. In re-infected anemones, we found significant between-holobiont differences in the CS specific activity of the algal symbionts. Furthermore, the relationship between the partitioning of total CS activity and the host/symbiont biomass ratio differed between holobionts. These data have broad implications for our understanding of cnidarian-algal symbiosis. Specifically, the long-held assumption of equivalency between symbiont/host biomass and respiration ratios can result in significant overestimation of symbiont respiration and potentially erroneous conclusions regarding the percentage of carbon translocated to the host. The interspecific variability in symbiont aerobic capacity provides further evidence for distinct physiological differences that should be accounted for when studying diverse host-symbiont combinations.en_US
DepartmentUniversity of Delaware. School of Marine Science and Policy.en_US
CitationHawkins TD, Hagemeyer JCG, Hoadley KD, Marsh AG and Warner ME (2016) Partitioning of Respiration in an Animal-Algal Symbiosis: Implications for Different Aerobic Capacity between Symbiodinium spp. Front. Physiol. 7:128. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2016.00128en_US
DOIdoi: 10.3389/fphys.2016.00128en_US
ISSN1664-042Xen_US
URLhttp://udspace.udel.edu/handle/19716/19810
Languageen_USen_US
PublisherFrontiers Media S.A.en_US
dc.rightsThis Document is Protected by copyright and was first published by Frontiers. All rights reserved. it is reproduced with permission. CC BYen_US
dc.sourceFrontiers in Physiologyen_US
dc.source.urihttp://journal.frontiersin.org/journal/physiologyen_US
TitlePartitioning of Respiration in an Animal-Algal Symbiosis: Implications for Different Aerobic Capacity between Symbiodinium spp.en_US
TypeArticleen_US
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