Coupled carbon and nitrogen cycling regulates the cnidarian-algal symbiosis.

ABSTRACT: Efficient nutrient recycling underpins the ecological success of cnidarian-algal symbioses in oligotrophic waters. In these symbioses, nitrogen limitation restricts the growth of algal endosymbionts in hospite and stimulates their release of photosynthates to the cnidarian host. However, the mechanisms controlling nitrogen availability and their role in symbiosis regulation remain poorly understood. Here, we studied the metabolic regulation of symbiotic nitrogen cycling in the sea anemone Aiptasia by experimentally altering labile carbon availability in a series of experiments. Combining ¹³C and ¹⁵N stable isotope labeling experiments with physiological analyses and NanoSIMS imaging, we show that the competition for environmental ammonium between the host and its alga

SUBMITTER: Radecker N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10620199 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature