Name
Title | ||
|---|---|---|
Auto-/heterotrophic endosymbiosis evolves in a mature stage of ecosystem development in a microcosm composed of an alga, a bacterium and a ciliate. |
Abstract | ||
|---|---|---|
We investigate an ecological mechanism by which endosymbiotic associations evolve, with a particular focus on the relationship between the evolution of endosymbiosis between auto- and heterotrophic organisms, and the stages of ecosystem development. For this purpose we conducted a long-term microcosm culture composed of three species, a green alga (Chlorella vulgaris), a bacterium (Escherichia coli), and a ciliated protozoan (Tetrahymena thermophila) for 3 years. During this culture T. thermophila cells harboring Chlorella cells emerged by phagocytotic uptake, and increased in frequency, reaching ca. 80–90%. This level was maintained in the late stage of ecosystem dynamics. Analysis of the ecosystem dynamics in the microcosm revealed that a complex causal process through direct/indirect interactions among ecosystem components led to reduction in dissolved O2 and food (E. coli) available to the T. thermophila, which gave a selective advantage to the organisms in the endosymbiotic association. This result suggests that the endosymbiosis evolves in a mature stage of ecosystem development, where reproduction and survival of prospective partner organisms is highly resource-limited and density-dependent, favoring efficient matter/energy transfers among participating organisms due to physical proximity. Consequently, a complex web of interactions and pathways of matter/energy flow in ecosystem evolves from an initially simple one. |
Year | DOI | Venue |
|---|---|---|
2009 | 10.1016/j.biosystems.2008.12.006 | Biosystems |
Keywords | Field | DocType |
Chlorella,Ecosystem development,Endosymbiosis,Evolution,Tetrahymena | Ecology,Chlorella,Heterotroph,Biology,Botany,Ciliate,Microcosm,Bacteria,Tetrahymena,Endosymbiosis,Ecosystem | Journal |
Volume | Issue | ISSN |
96 | 2 | 0303-2647 |
Citations | PageRank | References |
5 | 1.42 | 0 |
Authors | ||
3 | ||
Name | Order | Citations | PageRank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toshiyuki Nakajima | 1 | 14 | 4.03 |
| Akiko Sano | 2 | 5 | 1.76 |
| Hideaki Matsuoka | 3 | 5 | 1.42 |