Ecology, evolution and development of a symbiosis between a green alga and some amphibians

共生是一种引人入胜的生物互动，当两个或更多物种以持续的方式互动时，通常是为了互利。这种现象在自然界中很常见，通常涉及生活在光学透明或半透明宿主结构上或内部的较小的自养(自养)共生体。两个著名的例子包括造礁珊瑚和深海喷口生物，前者居住着被称为甲藻的单细胞光合作用有机体，后者居住着吃硫细菌。共生组合在生态上可能极其重要：整个生态系统(例如，大堡礁和深海喷口群落)都是这些共生的结果。尽管有许多光合真核生物与动物共生的例子，但没有观察到地球上最复杂的动物脊椎动物之间的这种相互作用。我们发现单细胞绿藻(

Symbioses are fascinating biological interactions that occur when two or more species interact in a sustained manner, usually for mutual benefit. This phenomenon is common in nature and often involves smaller autotrophic (self-feeding) symbionts that live on or inside optically transparent or translucent host structures. Two celebrated examples include reef-building corals, which house single celled photosynthetic organisms called dinoflagellates and deep sea vent organisms such as mussels or tube worms, which house sulfur-eating bacteria. Symbiotic associations can be extremely ecologically important: entire ecosystems (e.g., The Great Barrier Reef and Deep Sea Vent Communities) are generated as a result of these symbioses. Despite numerous examples of symbioses between photosynthetic eukaryotes and animals, no such interaction had been observed among vertebrates, the most complex animals on the planet. We discovered that unicellular green algae (