Student Authors
Huanjia Zhang '17, Gettysburg College
Elizabeth M. Hill '17, Gettysburg College
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
5-2-2017
Department 1
Biology
Abstract
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.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
DOI
10.7554/eLife.22054
Version
Version of Record
Recommended Citation
Burns J, H. Zhang, E. Hill, E. Kim, R. Kerney. "Transciptome Analysis Illuminates the Nature of the Intracellular Interaction in a Vertebrate-Algal Symbiosis." eLife 6 (2017).
Required Publisher's Statement
Original version published online at https://elifesciences.org/articles/22054