Journal
MOLECULAR ECOLOGY
Volume 28, Issue 4, Pages 847-862Publisher
WILEY
DOI: 10.1111/mec.14982
Keywords
amoeba; Burkholderia; Dictyostelium discoideum; phylogeny; symbiont specificity; symbiosis
Funding
- Division of Integrative Organismal Systems [1256416, 1656756]
- John Templeton Foundation [43667]
- Division of Environmental Biology [1146375]
- National Science Foundation [NSF IOS 1656756, NSF DEB1146375, NSF IOS 1256416]
- Direct For Biological Sciences
- Division Of Environmental Biology [1146375] Funding Source: National Science Foundation
- Direct For Biological Sciences
- Division Of Integrative Organismal Systems [1656756] Funding Source: National Science Foundation
- Direct For Biological Sciences
- Division Of Integrative Organismal Systems [1256416] Funding Source: National Science Foundation
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The establishment of symbioses between eukaryotic hosts and bacterial symbionts in nature is a dynamic process. The formation of such relationships depends on the life history of both partners. Bacterial symbionts of amoebae may have unique evolutionary trajectories to the symbiont lifestyle, because bacteria are typically ingested as prey. To persist after ingestion, bacteria must first survive phagocytosis. In the social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum, certain strains of Burkholderia bacteria are able to resist amoebal digestion and maintain a persistent relationship that includes carriage throughout the amoeba's social cycle that culminates in spore formation. Some Burkholderia strains allow their host to carry other bacteria, as food. This carried food is released in new environments in a trait called farming. To better understand the diversity and prevalence of Burkholderia symbionts and the traits they impart to their amoebae hosts, we first screened 700 natural isolates of D. discoideum and found 25% infected with Burkholderia. We next used a multilocus phylogenetic analysis and identified two independent transitions by Burkholderia to the symbiotic lifestyle. Finally, we tested the ability of 38 strains of Burkholderia from D. discoideum, as well as strains isolated from other sources, for traits relevant to symbiosis in D. discoideum. Only D. discoideum native isolates belonging to the Burkholderia agricolaris, B. hayleyella, and B. bonniea species were able to form persistent symbiotic associations with D. discoideum. The Burkholderia-Dictyostelium relationship provides a promising arena for further studies of the pathway to symbiosis in a unique system.
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