Hydra viridis: transfer of metabolites between Hydra and symbiotic algae

"Back transfer" of metabolites from food to endosymbiotic algae in the digestive cells of Hydra viridis was demonstrated. Brine shrimp nauplii labeled with tritiated precursors of protein and nucleic acids (DNA and RNA) were fed to light and dark grown hydras. The fate of the label after a single feeding with radioactive material in hydra and algal fractions was followed by scintillation counting and autoradiographic techniques. Labeled thymidine was incorporated into DNA in both light- and dark-grown hydras. Although the symbiosis persists indefinitely in hydras in darkness (7-10 days) the number of algae per cell is reduced. Tritiated orotic acid and tritiated uridine, RNA precursors, were incorporated into peptides and proteins, and to a lesser extent into simple sugars, oligosaccharides, and oligonucleotides in hydra and algal fractions. Thus the metabolites of the brine shrimp food are available to both partners. A decrease over time in label introduced as 3H-orotic acid and 3H-uridine and incorporated into hydra RNA is compensated for by an increase in label in the algae, implying competition for constant quantities of metabolites from the single feeding. Although food availability, light, number of algae per cell, and other factors influence the quantity and rate of nutrient transfer between the partners, in both light and dark grown hydras the amount of "back transfer" of metabolites to the symbiotic algae is impressive.