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. 2011 Jun;6(6):773-6.
doi: 10.4161/psb.6.6.15239. Epub 2011 Jun 1.

Forced symbiosis between Synechocystis spp. PCC 6803 and apo-symbiotic Paramecium bursaria as an experimental model for evolutionary emergence of primitive photosynthetic eukaryotes

Hiroshi Ohkawa  1 , Naoko Hashimoto, Shunsuke Furukawa, Takashi Kadono, Tomonori Kawano
Affiliations

Forced symbiosis between Synechocystis spp. PCC 6803 and apo-symbiotic Paramecium bursaria as an experimental model for evolutionary emergence of primitive photosynthetic eukaryotes

Hiroshi Ohkawa et al. Plant Signal Behav. 2011 Jun.

Abstract

Single-cell green paramecia (Paramecium bursaria) is a swimming vehicle that carries several hundred cells of endo-symbiotic green algae. Here, a novel model for endo-symbiosis, prepared by introducing and maintaining the cells of cyanobacterium (Synechocystis spp. PCC 6803) in the apo-symbiotic cells of P. bursaria is described.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Light microscopic images of P. bursaria and its ex-endosymbiotic algae. (A) Matured cell of P. bursaria harboring the symbiotic green algae. (B) Ex-symbiotic algae isolated from P. bursaria. (C) Alga-free apo-symbiotic host cell of P. bursaria. (D) Cyanobacteria (Synechocystis spp. PCC 6803).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Microscopic images of cyanobacteria-loaded cell of P. bursaria. (A) Light microscopic image. (B) Laser scanning confocal microscopic images (Left: nomarski differential interference image, Right: chlorophyll fluorescence image)
Figure 3
Figure 3
Continuous culturing of Synechocystis spp. PCC 6803 in the host cell. (A) Light microscopic images of wild-type P. bursaria. (B) Laser scanning confocal microscopic image of EmGFP-labeled E. coli-loaded cell of apo-symbiotic P. bursaria. (C) Light microscopic images of Synechocystis spp. PCC 6803-loaded cell of P. bursaria in the one-year-old symbiotic culture. (D) Statistical analysis of Synechocystis spp. PCC 6803 cells in 1 year-old symbiotic culture using a Symex flow particle image analyzer FPIA -2100.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Diagostic polymerase chain reaction for confirming the presence of Synechocystis spp. PCC 6803 cells in host cell from one-year-old symbiotic culture.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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