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Waminoa litus is a zooxanthella-bearing acoel worm that infests corals. It is unique to Bilateria in that it transmits its algal symbionts vertically via eggs irrespective of the heterogeneity of the symbionts. It simultaneously harbors two dinoflagellate genera: Symbiodinium and Amphidinium. In this study, we examined the timing and vertical transmission pathway of algal symbionts in W. litus using light and electron microscopy. The oogenesis of the worm can be divided into three stages: stage I, in which the ovary is absent; stage II, the early vitellogenic zone containing immature oocytes formed in the ovary; and stage III, with both early and late vitellogenic zones in the body. In the early vitellogenic zone at stage II, oocytes are surrounded by accessory-follicle cells (AFCs). Both Symbiodinium and Amphidinium symbionts are not initially observed in the oocytes, but are observed in the AFCs. In the late vitellogenic zone at stage III, oocytes are enveloped by a complete sheath of AFCs; the algal symbionts are taken up by the late vitellogenic oocytes. These observations suggest that AFCs mediate the transfer of the algae from the parent to the oocytes. Ribotype analyses of the Symbiodinium symbionts revealed that they differ from those harbored by coral in the same experimental aquarium. These results indicate that W. litus has an active algal transport pathway and maintains a specific lineage of Symbiodinium via vertical transmission.

Mechanisms of Maternal Inheritance of Dinoflagellate Symbionts in the Acoelomorph WormWaminoa litus