Department of Ecology Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN 55108, USA.
Department of Biology, Saint Catherine University, Saint Paul, MN 55105, USA.
Sci Adv. 2024 Jun 14;10(24):eado2783. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.ado2783.
A core vulnerability in symbioses is the need for coordination between the symbiotic partners, which are often assumed to be closely physiologically integrated. We critically re-examine this assumed integration between symbionts in lichen symbioses, recovering a long overlooked yet fundamental physiological asymmetry in carbon balance. We examine the physiological, ecological, and transcriptional basis of this asymmetry in the lichen . This carbon balance asymmetry depends on hydration source and aligns with climatic range limits. Differences in gene expression across the symbiosis suggest that the physiologies of the primary lichen symbionts are decoupled. Furthermore, we use gas exchange data to show that asymmetries in carbon balance are widespread and common across evolutionarily disparate lichen associations. Using carbon balance asymmetry as an example, we provide evidence for the wide-ranging importance of physiological asymmetries in symbioses.
共生体的一个核心弱点是共生伙伴之间需要协调，而这些共生伙伴通常被认为在生理上紧密结合。我们批判性地重新审视了地衣共生体中这种共生体之间的假定整合，恢复了长期被忽视但却非常基础的碳平衡生理不对称性。我们研究了地衣中这种不对称性的生理、生态和转录基础。这种碳平衡不对称性取决于水合源，并与气候范围极限一致。共生体中基因表达的差异表明主要地衣共生体的生理学是解耦的。此外，我们使用气体交换数据表明，碳平衡的不对称性在进化上截然不同的地衣共生体中广泛存在且普遍。我们以碳平衡的不对称性为例，为共生体中生理不对称性的广泛重要性提供了证据。
