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Latent virus‐like infections are present in a diverse range of S ymbiodinium spp. (Dinophyta)
Author(s) -
Lawrence Scott A.,
Wilson William H.,
Davy Joanne E.,
Davy Simon K.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
journal of phycology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.85
H-Index - 127
eISSN - 1529-8817
pISSN - 0022-3646
DOI - 10.1111/jpy.12242
Subject(s) - biology , symbiodinium , coral , mutualism (biology) , symbiosis , ecology , abiotic component , coral reef , coral bleaching , population , dinoflagellate , algae , bacteria , genetics , demography , sociology
Coral reefs are increasingly threatened by disease outbreaks, which affect the coral animal and/or its algal symbionts ( S ymbiodinium spp.) and can cause mass mortalities. Currently around half of the recognized coral diseases have unknown causative agents. While many of the diseases are thought to be bacterial in origin, there is growing evidence that viruses may play a role. In particular, it appears that viruses may infect the algal symbionts, causing breakdown of the coral‐algal mutualism. In this study, we screened a wide range of S ymbiodinium cultures in vitro for the presence of latent viral infections. Using flow cytometry and electron microscopy, we found that many types of S ymbiodinium apparently harbor such infections, and that the type of putative virus varied within and among host types. Furthermore, the putative viral infections could be induced via abiotic stress and cause host cell lysis and population decline. If similar processes occur in S ymbiodinium cells in hospite , they may provide an explanation for some of the diseases affecting corals and other organisms forming symbioses with these algae.