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Ecology

 Symbiosis with Coral

A zooxanthella in symbiosis with coral is contained in vacuoles of the host’s gastrodermal cells and is of the genus Symbiodinium. Zooxanthellae provide nutrients to their host cnidarians in the form of sugars, glycerol, and amino acids and in return gains carbon dioxide, phosphates, and nitrogen compounds. A coral exposed to environmental stressors can result in expulsion of zooxanthellae from host tissues. This in turn strips the coral of its color in this phenomenon, known as coral bleaching, where the now transparent tissues of the coral reveal its internal, white skeletal structure. Variations in salinity, light intensity, temperature, pollution, sedimentation, and disease can all impact the photosynthetic efficiency of zooxanthellae or result in expulsion from their mutualistic relationships.

The physiological mechanisms behind endosymbiont expulsion remain under research but are speculated to involve various means of detachment of zooxanthellae or gastrodermal cells from host corals. During a bleaching event, entire gastrodermal cells containing zooxanthellae may leave the host. In other cases, gastrodermal cells will remain in the host tissues, but zooxanthellae contained in vacuoles may separately undergo damage or may physically leave the cells and entire surrounding environment.

Life History

Zooxanthellae alternate between life phases expressed as cysts and as motile organisms in the water column. In zooxanthellae of the genus Gymnodinium, one possible life cycle of the cell begins as an immature cyst which reaches maturity then divides to form an immature cyst once more. Once growing into an older cell, it becomes no longer useful. In the life cycle of a motile zooxanthellae cell, its youngest stage is known as a zoosporangium, which matures into a zoospore capable of motility. This motile cell produces and releases gametes for reproduction.

The vegetative phase in the life cycle of a zooxanthellae is the predominant form of the organism. In this form, the single-celled organism is comprised of a thin cell wall. As opposed to the zoospore, the zooxanthella contains numerous chloroplasts. Once the cell continues growing, however, chloroplasts decrease in abundance. The vegetative cell will either divide into two separate daughter cells or transition into a cyst stage.

The most common phases in the life history of zooxanthellae following the vegetative phase are cysts, dividing cysts, and degenerate cysts. Cysts possess a thick cell wall yet retain the composition of the cytoplasm and comprise the majority of clustered zooxanthellae in host tissues. This stage of the cell provides the host with a reddish-brown hue. Dividing cysts make up a fourth of the composition of zooxanthellae clusters in host tissues and are expressed as cell stages where two daughter cells remain adjoined but possess individual cell walls. Degenerate cysts are present in clusters, though rare, and lose much of their mutualistic benefit to the host they reside in due to a decrease in photosynthetic efficiency. The young zoosporangium and motile zoospore stages, though seen in zooxanthellae life cycles, are much rarer amongst clades. The zoospore resides in the zoosporangium until the cell wall of the cyst bursts. Zooxanthellae is only motile if it originates as a zoospore.

Zooxanthellae in the zoospore stage exhibit motility as forward movement or gyratory movement. In moving forward, the organism rotates on the posterior flagellum’s axis whilst simultaneously propelling through the water column. The zoospore gyrates through the water column via attachment of the posterior flagellum to a substrate.

Morphology & Classification

Zooxanthellae can be grouped in the classes of Bacillariophyceae, Cryptophyceae, Dinophyceae, and Rhodophycaeae and of the genera Amphidinium, Gymnodinium, Aureodinium, Gyrodinium, Prorocentrum, Scrippsiella, Gloeodinium, and most commonly, Symbiodinium. Zooxanthellae of genus Symbiodinium belong to a total of eight phylogenetic clades A-H, differentiated via their nuclear ribosomal DNA and chloroplast DNA.

Zooxanthellae are autotrophs containing chloroplasts composed of thylakoids present in clusters of three. A pyrenoid protrudes from each chloroplast and is encased along with the chloroplast by a thick, starchy covering. Within the cell’s cytoplasm also exists lipid vacuoles, calcium oxalate crystals, dictyosomes, and mitochondria. DNA in the cell exists in the form of chromatin coils tightly compacted together. The cell wall of zooxanthellae varies in structure across species. One structure consists of an outer membrane, middle layer compact with electrons, and a thin inner layer. In other species, the characteristics of this low-density inner layer make up the cell wall’s entire structure. Beneath the cell wall is the cell membrane, and beneath the cell membrane are thecal vesicles.