Evidence that glucose is the major transferred metabolite in dinoflagellate-cnidarian symbiosis.

ABSTRACT: Reef-building corals and many other cnidarians are symbiotic with dinoflagellates of the genus Symbiodinium. It has long been known that the endosymbiotic algae transfer much of their photosynthetically fixed carbon to the host and that this can provide much of the host's total energy. However, it has remained unclear which metabolite(s) are directly translocated from the algae into the host tissue. We reexamined this question in the small sea anemone Aiptasia using labeling of intact animals in the light with (13)C-bicarbonate, rapid homogenization and separation of animal and algal fractions, and analysis of metabolite labeling by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. We found labeled glucose in the animal fraction within 2 min of exposure to (13)C-bicarbonate, whereas no significant lab

SUBMITTER: Burriesci MS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3597287 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature