TY - JOUR

T1 - Retention of Prey Genetic Material by the Kleptoplastidic Ciliate Strombidium cf. basimorphum

AU - Maselli, Maira

AU - Anestis, Konstantinos

AU - Klemm, Kerstin

AU - Hansen, Per Juel

AU - John, Uwe

PY - 2021

Y1 - 2021

N2 - Many marine ciliate species retain functional chloroplasts from their photosynthetic prey. In some species the functionality of the acquired plastids is connected to the simultaneous retention of prey nuclei. To date, this has never been documented in plastidic Strombidium species. The functionality of the sequestered chloroplasts in Strombidium species is thought to be independent from any nuclear control and only maintained via frequent replacement of chloroplasts from newly ingested prey. Chloroplasts sequestered from the cryptophyte prey Teleaulax amphioxeia have been shown to keep their functionality for several days in the ciliate Strombidium cf. basimorphum. To investigate the potential retention of prey genetic material in this ciliate we applied molecular marker specific for this cryptophyte prey. Here, we demonstrate that genetic material from prey nuclei, nucleomorphs and ribosomes is detectable inside the ciliate for at least five days after prey ingestion. Moreover, single-cell transcriptomic revealed the presence of transcripts of prey nuclear origin in the ciliate after four days of prey starvation. These new findings might lead to the reconsideration of the mechanisms regulating chloroplasts retention in Strombidium ciliates. The development and application of molecular tools appear promising to improve our understanding on chloroplasts retention in planktonic protists.

AB - Many marine ciliate species retain functional chloroplasts from their photosynthetic prey. In some species the functionality of the acquired plastids is connected to the simultaneous retention of prey nuclei. To date, this has never been documented in plastidic Strombidium species. The functionality of the sequestered chloroplasts in Strombidium species is thought to be independent from any nuclear control and only maintained via frequent replacement of chloroplasts from newly ingested prey. Chloroplasts sequestered from the cryptophyte prey Teleaulax amphioxeia have been shown to keep their functionality for several days in the ciliate Strombidium cf. basimorphum. To investigate the potential retention of prey genetic material in this ciliate we applied molecular marker specific for this cryptophyte prey. Here, we demonstrate that genetic material from prey nuclei, nucleomorphs and ribosomes is detectable inside the ciliate for at least five days after prey ingestion. Moreover, single-cell transcriptomic revealed the presence of transcripts of prey nuclear origin in the ciliate after four days of prey starvation. These new findings might lead to the reconsideration of the mechanisms regulating chloroplasts retention in Strombidium ciliates. The development and application of molecular tools appear promising to improve our understanding on chloroplasts retention in planktonic protists.

U2 - 10.3389/fmicb.2021.694508

DO - 10.3389/fmicb.2021.694508

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 34394035

VL - 12

JO - Frontiers in Microbiology

JF - Frontiers in Microbiology

SN - 1664-302X

M1 - 694508

ER -