Single symbiotic cell transcriptome sequencing of coral

Area of Science:

• Marine Biology
• Symbiotic Systems
• Molecular Ecology

Background:

• Coral and zooxanthellae form a vital intracellular symbiotic system.
• The molecular mechanisms governing this symbiosis remain largely uncharacterized.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize the coral-zooxanthellae symbiotic system at the single-cell level.
• To identify molecular markers and gene expression patterns associated with symbiosis.

Main Methods:

• Single-cell gene expression analysis of coral and zooxanthellae.
• Bioinformatic clustering using Seurat.
• Development and application of a "symbiosis index".

Main Results:

• Identified 4871 symbiotic cells and clustered them into five groups based on differential gene expression.
• The "symbiosis index" correlated with coral gene ANKRD40 and metabolism-related genes (DAGLA, betaGlu).
• Observed significant expression changes in four zooxanthellae genes (PRPF19, ATRN, aAA-ATPases, AK812-SmicGene44833) within the symbiotic environment.

Conclusions:

• The study provides molecular evidence for the coral-zooxanthellae symbiotic system.
• The "symbiosis index" is a valuable tool for assessing symbiotic states and cell lineage.
• Identified specific genes crucial for maintaining the symbiotic relationship.