Bacteria Transmission in Endosymbiont-Containing Bivalves Resolved using In Situ Hybridization Techniques: Research Fellowship in Marine Biotechnology

自从发现深海海底热液喷口以来， 已经鉴定出含有内共生细菌的双壳类 在各种各样的还原海洋环境中。 这些新颖 共生现象吸引了大量的研究， 宿主与细菌的关系 的一大难题 研究人员一直没有弄清楚的是 是代代相传的 这个问题， 直到最近，都是无法接近的，因为早期的生命阶段 这些双壳类动物中没有一种是可用的， 可以在足够精细的尺度上分解细菌。 几种含有共生体的双壳类现在可以 通过变态培养，并提供一个理想的模式系统 来解决这个问题。 原位杂交技术 结合寡核苷酸荧光探针的使用， 现在常规用于区分和计数真核生物， 原核细胞 使用这些技术，它将 可以确定感染的初始部位和 共生体的细胞过程中， 宿主的早期发育阶段。 这项研究将 解决三个具体问题： 共生体的传播， 共生体并入宿主组织， 共生体的代谢状态， 合并？

Since the discovery of deep-sea-floor hydrothermal vents, bivalves that contain endosymbiotic bacteria have been identified in a wide variety of reducing marine environments. These novel symbioses have attracted much research into understanding the relationship between the host and bacteria. A major problem that has eluded investigators is the mechanisms by which the symbionts are transmitted from generation to generation. This problem, until recently, was unapproachable because the early life stages of these bivalves were not available nor was there a technique that could resolve bacteria at a fine enough scale. Several species of symbiont-containing bivalves can now be cultured through metamorphosis, and provide an ideal model system to address this problem. In situ hybridization techniques incorporating the use of oligonucleotide fluorescent probes are now routinely used to differentiate and enumerate eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells. Employing these techniques, it will be possible to determine the initial site of infection and the cellular process of the incorporation of the symbiont during the early developmental stages of the host. This research will address three specific questions: what is the mechanism of symbiont transmission, what are the cellular processes of symbiont incorporation into the host tissue, and what is the metabolic state of the symbiont during the process of incorporation?