Dataset Information

Symbiosis constraints: Strong mycobiont control limits nutrient response in lichens.

ABSTRACT: Symbioses such as lichens are potentially threatened by drastic environmental changes. We used the lichen Peltigera aphthosa-a symbiosis between a fungus (mycobiont), a green alga (Coccomyxa sp.), and N2-fixing cyanobacteria (Nostoc sp.)-as a model organism to assess the effects of environmental perturbations in nitrogen (N) or phosphorus (P). Growth, carbon (C) and N stable isotopes, CNP concentrations, and specific markers were analyzed in whole thalli and the partners after 4 months of daily nutrient additions in the field. Thallus N was 40% higher in N-fertilized thalli, amino acid concentrations were twice as high, while fungal chitin but not ergosterol was lower. Nitrogen also resulted in a thicker algal layer and density, and a higher ?13C abundance in all three partners. Photosynthesis was not affected by either N or P. Thallus growth increased with light dose independent of fertilization regime. We conclude that faster algal growth compared to fungal lead to increased competition for light and CO 2 among the Coccomyxa cells, and for C between alga and fungus, resulting in neither photosynthesis nor thallus growth responded to N fertilization. This suggests that the symbiotic lifestyle of lichens may prevent them from utilizing nutrient abundance to increase C assimilation and growth.

SUBMITTER: Palmqvist K

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5606882 | biostudies-other | 2017 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Symbiosis constraints: Strong mycobiont control limits nutrient response in lichens.

Palmqvist Kristin K Franklin Oskar O Näsholm Torgny T

Ecology and evolution 20170811 18

Symbioses such as lichens are potentially threatened by drastic environmental changes. We used the lichen Peltigera aphthosa-a symbiosis between a fungus (mycobiont), a green alga (Coccomyxa sp.), and N2-fixing cyanobacteria (Nostoc sp.)-as a model organism to assess the effects of environmental perturbations in nitrogen (N) or phosphorus (P). Growth, carbon (C) and N stable isotopes, CNP concentrations, and specific markers were analyzed in whole thalli and the p ...[more]

PMID: 28944027

Similar Datasets

Project description:The two main agents of human malaria, Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium falciparum, can induce severe anemia and provoke strong, complex immune reactions. Which dynamical behaviors of host immune and erythropoietic responses would foster control of infection, and which would lead to runaway parasitemia and/or severe anemia? To answer these questions, we developed differential equation models of interacting parasite and red blood cell (RBC) populations modulated by host immune and erythropoietic responses. The model immune responses incorporate both a rapidly responding innate component and a slower-responding, long-term antibody component, with several parasite developmental stages considered as targets for each type of immune response. We found that simulated infections with the highest parasitemia tended to be those with ineffective innate immunity even if antibodies were present. We also compared infections with dyserythropoiesis (reduced RBC production during infection) to those with compensatory erythropoiesis (boosted RBC production) or a fixed basal RBC production rate. Dyserythropoiesis tended to reduce parasitemia slightly but at a cost to the host of aggravating anemia. On the other hand, compensatory erythropoiesis tended to reduce the severity of anemia but with enhanced parasitemia if the innate response was ineffective. For both parasite species, sharp transitions between the schizont and the merozoite stages of development (i.e., with standard deviation in intra-RBC development time <or=2.4 h) were associated with lower parasitemia and less severe anemia. Thus tight synchronization in asexual parasite development might help control parasitemia. Finally, our simulations suggest that P. vivax can induce severe anemia as readily as P. falciparum for the same type of immune response, though P. vivax attacks a much smaller subset of RBCs. Since most P. vivax infections are nonlethal (if debilitating) clinically, this suggests that P. falciparum adaptations for countering or evading immune responses are more effective than those of P. vivax.

Dataset Information

Symbiosis constraints: Strong mycobiont control limits nutrient response in lichens.

Publications

Symbiosis constraints: Strong mycobiont control limits nutrient response in lichens.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets