Assimilation of symbiont-derived photosynthates in some solitary and colonial radiolaria

Abstract

Evidence for host assimilation of 14C-labeled symbiont photosynthates is presented from laboratory studies of the solitary radiolarian Thalassicolla nucleata and the colonial species Collosphaera huxleyi. The amount of 14C-labeled product assimilated in the central capsule of T. nucleata is directly related to the amount of 14C incorporated by the symbionts. In C. huxleyi central capsules, the percentage of 14C-label occurring in the water-soluble fraction is 38% and in the lipid-soluble fraction is 20%, the remainder being in insoluble products. Within the lipid-soluble fraction, a substantial percentage of the 14C activity is associated with the triglyceride and wax ester fractions. The significance of these findings is discussed in relation to the possible physiological role of symbionts in sustaining the host and stabilizing the host-symbiont association. © 1983 Springer-Verlag.