School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68588-2083, USA.
Department of Plant Pathology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68583-0722, USA.
Microb Ecol. 2023 Nov;86(4):2904-2909. doi: 10.1007/s00248-023-02292-w. Epub 2023 Aug 31.
Chemotaxis is widespread across many taxa and often aids resource acquisition or predator avoidance. Species interactions can modify the degree of movement facilitated by chemotaxis. In this study, we investigated the influence of symbionts on Paramecium bursaria's chemotactic behavior toward chloroviruses. To achieve this, we performed choice experiments using chlorovirus and control candidate attractors (virus stabilization buffer and pond water). We quantified the movement of Paramecia grown with or without algal and viral symbionts toward each attractor. All Paramecia showed some chemotaxis toward viruses, but cells without algae and viruses showed the most movement toward viruses. Thus, the endosymbiotic algae (zoochlorellae) appeared to alter the movement of Paramecia toward chloroviruses, but it was not clear that ectosymbiotic viruses (chlorovirus) also had this effect. The change in behavior was consistent with a change in swimming speed, but a change in attraction remains possible. The potential costs and benefits of chemotactic movement toward chloroviruses for either the Paramecia hosts or its symbionts remain unclear.
趋化性广泛存在于许多分类群中，通常有助于资源获取或避免捕食者。物种相互作用可以改变趋化性所促进的运动程度。在这项研究中，我们研究了共生体对草履虫向噬藻体的趋化行为的影响。为了实现这一目标，我们使用噬藻体和对照候选趋化剂（病毒稳定缓冲液和池塘水）进行了选择实验。我们量化了有或没有藻类和病毒共生体的草履虫向每种趋化剂的运动。所有草履虫都表现出对病毒的趋化性，但没有藻类和病毒的细胞对病毒的运动最多。因此，内共生藻类（虫黄藻）似乎改变了草履虫对噬藻体的运动，但外共生病毒（噬藻体）是否也有这种作用尚不清楚。行为的变化与游泳速度的变化一致，但仍有可能是吸引力的变化。对于草履虫宿主或其共生体来说，向噬藻体趋化运动的潜在成本和收益尚不清楚。
