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

自深海海底热液喷口发现以来，在各种还原性海洋环境中发现了含有内共生细菌的双壳类动物。这些新的共生关系吸引了许多研究，以了解宿主和细菌之间的关系。研究人员没有解决的一个主要问题是共生体代代相传的机制。直到最近，这个问题都是无法解决的，因为这些双壳类动物的早期生活阶段是不可获得的，也没有一种技术可以在足够精细的范围内解决细菌。几种含有共生体的双壳类现在可以通过变态培养，并提供了一个理想的模型系统来解决这个问题。结合使用寡核苷酸荧光探针的原位杂交技术现在通常用于区分和枚举真核和原核细胞。利用这些技术，将有可能确定在宿主早期发育阶段感染的初始位置和共生体结合的细胞过程。本研究将解决三个具体问题：共生体的传播机制是什么，共生体进入宿主组织的细胞过程是什么，共生体在整合过程中的代谢状态是什么？

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?