Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 18, 2026

Targeted Laser Ablation in the Embryo of Saccharina latissima
Published on: March 11, 2022
Intracapsular algae provide fixed carbon to developing embryos of the salamander Ambystoma maculatum
Erin R Graham1, Scott A Fay, Adam Davey
1Department of Biology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA. erin.r.graham@temple.edu
Abstract:
Each spring, North American spotted salamander (Ambystoma maculatum) females each lay hundreds of eggs in shallow pools of water. Eggs are surrounded by jelly layers and are deposited as large gelatinous masses. Following deposition, masses are penetrated by a mutualistic green alga, Oophila amblystomatis, which enters individual egg capsules, proliferates and aggregates near the salamander embryo, providing oxygen that enhances development. We examined the effects of population density of intracapsular O. amblystomatis on A. maculatum embryos and show that larger algal populations promote faster embryonic growth and development. Also, we show that carbon fixed by O. amblystomatis is transferred to the embryos, providing the first evidence of direct translocation of photosynthate from a symbiont to a vertebrate host.
Related Concept Videos
Red Algae
Green Algae
Other Algae
Overview of Algae
Seed Structure and Early Development of the Sporophyte
Diversity of Protists II

