A predatory gastrula leads to symbiosis-independent settlement in Aiptasia
The planula larvae of the sea anemone Aiptasia have so far not been reported to complete their life cycle by undergoing metamorphosis into adult forms. This has been a major obstacle in their use as a model for coral-dinoflagellate endosymbiosis. Here, we show that Aiptasia larvae actively feed on c...
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| Autori principali: | , , , , , |
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| Natura: | Article (Journal) |
| Lingua: | inglese |
| Pubblicazione: |
September 25, 2023
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| In: |
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Year: 2023, Volume: 120, Fascicolo: 40, Pages: 1-3 |
| ISSN: | 1091-6490 |
| DOI: | 10.1073/pnas.2311872120 |
| Accesso online: | Verlag, lizenzpflichtig, Volltext: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2311872120 Verlag, lizenzpflichtig, Volltext: https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2311872120 
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| Note sull'autore: | Ira Maegele, Sebastian Rupp, Suat Özbek, Annika Guse, Elizabeth A. Hambleton, Thomas W. Holstein |
| Riassunto: | The planula larvae of the sea anemone Aiptasia have so far not been reported to complete their life cycle by undergoing metamorphosis into adult forms. This has been a major obstacle in their use as a model for coral-dinoflagellate endosymbiosis. Here, we show that Aiptasia larvae actively feed on crustacean nauplii, displaying a preference for live prey. This feeding behavior relies on functional stinging cells, indicative of complex neuronal control. Regular feeding leads to significant size increase, morphological changes, and efficient settlement around 14 d postfertilization. Surprisingly, the presence of dinoflagellate endosymbionts does not affect larval growth or settlement dynamics but is crucial for sexual reproduction. Our findings finally close Aiptasia’s life cycle and highlight the functional nature of its larvae, as in Haeckel’s Gastrea postulate, yet reveal its active carnivory, thus contributing to our understanding of early metazoan evolution. |
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| Descrizione del documento: | Gesehen am 15.11.2023 |
| Descrizione fisica: | Online Resource |
| ISSN: | 1091-6490 |
| DOI: | 10.1073/pnas.2311872120 |