Hologenome analysis reveals dual symbiosis in the deep-sea hydrothermal vent snail Gigantopelta aegis

Nat Commun. 2021 Feb 19;12(1):1165. doi: 10.1038/s41467-021-21450-7.

Abstract

Animals endemic to deep-sea hydrothermal vents often form obligatory symbioses with bacteria, maintained by intricate host-symbiont interactions. Most genomic studies on holobionts have not investigated both sides to similar depths. Here, we report dual symbiosis in the peltospirid snail Gigantopelta aegis with two gammaproteobacterial endosymbionts: a sulfur oxidiser and a methane oxidiser. We assemble high-quality genomes for all three parties, including a chromosome-level host genome. Hologenomic analyses reveal mutualism with nutritional complementarity and metabolic co-dependency, highly versatile in transporting and using chemical energy. Gigantopelta aegis likely remodels its immune system to facilitate dual symbiosis. Comparisons with Chrysomallon squamiferum, a confamilial snail with a single sulfur-oxidising gammaproteobacterial endosymbiont, show that their sulfur-oxidising endosymbionts are phylogenetically distant. This is consistent with previous findings that they evolved endosymbiosis convergently. Notably, the two sulfur-oxidisers share the same capabilities in biosynthesising nutrients lacking in the host genomes, potentially a key criterion in symbiont selection.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Bacteria / genetics*
  • Bacteria / metabolism
  • Gammaproteobacteria / genetics
  • Gammaproteobacteria / metabolism
  • Gene Expression
  • Genome, Bacterial
  • Genomics
  • Hydrothermal Vents / microbiology*
  • Phylogeny
  • Snails / genetics*
  • Snails / metabolism
  • Snails / microbiology*
  • Sulfur / metabolism
  • Symbiosis / genetics*
  • Symbiosis / physiology
  • Transcriptome

Substances

  • Sulfur

Associated data

  • figshare/10.6084/m9.figshare.13317932.v1