Abstract
The association of the alcyonarian Heteroxenia fuscescens (Ehrb.) with its cytosymbiotic algae shows structural and physiological adaptations optimizing the living together of the two partners as one functional unit. To enhance the energetic contribution of the autotrophic partner, the organization of the heterotrophic partner bears typical plant-like imprints. Up to 20% of the inorganic C photosynthetically fixed was translocated to the host (=2 mg C mg d.w.-1 d-1). This net C gain by the host is used for anabolic purposes including the deposition of storage material. Especially the wax-esters and triglycerides of the host-in contrast to those of the symbionts-were intensively labelled. The in-vivo 14C-fixation of zooxanthellae is more than double the in-vitro fixation. In both symbionts and host, the lipids show the highest relative 14C-incorporation. In particular the polyol component was strongly labelled. After 120 min of continuous incubation, approximately 40 labelled intracellular metabolites were detectable in the ethanol/water soluble fractions of zooxanthellae. Glycerol is the main low-molecular weight carbohydrate being transferred. This is corroborated by the deacylation of lipids of the host.
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Communicated by O. Kinne, Hamburg
A second paper is concerned with the utilization of external acetate by Heteroxenia fuscescens
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Schlichter, D., Svoboda, A. & Kremer, B.P. Functional autotrophy of Heteroxenia fuscescens (Anthozoa: Alcyonaria): carbon assimilation and translocation of photosynthates from symbionts to host. Mar. Biol. 78, 29–38 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00392968
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00392968