Gene loss and symbiont switching during adaptation to the deep sea in a globally distributed symbiosis.

ABSTRACT: Chemosynthetic symbioses between bacteria and invertebrates occur worldwide from coastal sediments to the deep sea. Most host groups are restricted to either shallow or deep waters. In contrast, Lucinidae, the most species-rich family of chemosymbiotic invertebrates, has both shallow- and deep-sea representatives. Multiple lucinid species have independently colonized the deep sea, which provides a unique framework for understanding the role microbial symbionts play in evolutionary transitions between shallow and deep waters. Lucinids acquire their symbionts from their surroundings during early development, which may allow them to flexibly acquire symbionts that are adapted to local environments. Via metagenomic analyses of museum and other samples collected over decades, we investigated th

SUBMITTER: Osvatic JT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9938160 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature