CESAM-Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, University of Aveiro, Aveiro 3810-193, Portugal.
Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, Aveiro 3810-193, Portugal.
Proc Biol Sci. 2021 Sep 29;288(1959):20211779. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2021.1779.
Some sea slugs are able to steal functional chloroplasts (kleptoplasts) from their algal food sources, but the role and relevance of photosynthesis to the animal host remain controversial. While some researchers claim that kleptoplasts are slowly digestible 'snacks', others advocate that they enhance the overall fitness of sea slugs much more profoundly. Our analysis shows light-dependent incorporation of C and N in the albumen gland and gonadal follicles of the sea slug , representing translocation of photosynthates to kleptoplast-free reproductive organs. Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids with reported roles in reproduction were produced in the sea slug cells using labelled precursors translocated from the kleptoplasts. Finally, we report reduced fecundity of by limiting kleptoplast photosynthesis. The present study indicates that photosynthesis enhances the reproductive fitness of kleptoplast-bearing sea slugs, confirming the biological relevance of this remarkable association between a metazoan and an algal-derived organelle.
有些海参能够从它们的藻类食物来源中窃取功能性叶绿体（盗食性叶绿体），但光合作用对动物宿主的作用和相关性仍然存在争议。虽然一些研究人员声称盗食性叶绿体是可缓慢消化的“零食”，但也有研究人员认为它们更深刻地提高了海参的整体适应度。我们的分析表明，在海参的蛋白腺和性腺滤泡中，光依赖性地掺入 C 和 N，代表光合作用产物向无盗食性叶绿体的生殖器官的转移。使用从盗食性叶绿体中转运的标记前体，在海参细胞中产生了具有报道的在生殖中作用的长链多不饱和脂肪酸。最后，我们报告说通过限制盗食性叶绿体的光合作用，减少了 的繁殖力。本研究表明，光合作用增强了携带盗食性叶绿体的海参的生殖适应度，证实了这种后生动物和藻类衍生细胞器之间显著关联的生物学相关性。
