Symbiosis of methylotrophic bacteria and deep-sea mussels (original) (raw)
- Letter
- Published: 22 January 1987
- Piet R. Levering2 nAff6,
- James S. Maki3,
- Ralph Mitchell3 &
- …
- Mary E. Lidstrom4
Nature volume 325, pages 346–348 (1987)Cite this article
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Abstract
Recently, dense assemblages of seep mussels and other benthic invertebrates resembling hydrothermal vent communities were found associated with reducing sediments at hypersaline seeps in the abyssal gulf of Mexico1. A symbiotic association with sulphur-oxidizing chemolithoautotrophic bacteria, similar to those recently reported (for review see ref. 2), was postulated for the seep mussel. However, the very negative δC13 values reported for the mussels (-74%‰) (ref. 3) suggested that these symbioses were different from those reported for bivalves from hydrothermal vents and reducing sediments (where δC13 ranges from -23 to -34‰ refs 4,5). Here, we present microscopical and enzymatic evidence supporting the hypothesis that methylotrophs, bacteria capable of using reduced C-1 compounds as their carbon and energy sources, occur as intracellular symbionts of the seep mussel.
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Author notes
- Colleen M. Cavanaugh
Present address: The Biological Laboratories, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02138, USA - Piet R. Levering
Present address: Microbiological Research and Development Laboratories, Organon International, PO Box 20, 5340 BH, Oss, The Netherlands
Authors and Affiliations
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Delft University of Technology, 2628 BC, Delft, The Netherlands
Colleen M. Cavanaugh - Department of Microbiology, Biological Centre, University of Gronigen, Kerklaan 30, 9751 NN, Haren, The Netherlands
Piet R. Levering - Laboratory of Microbial Ecology, Division of Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02138, USA
James S. Maki & Ralph Mitchell - Center for Great Lake Studies, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 600 E. Greenfield, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 53204, USA
Mary E. Lidstrom
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Cavanaugh, C., Levering, P., Maki, J. et al. Symbiosis of methylotrophic bacteria and deep-sea mussels.Nature 325, 346–348 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1038/325346a0
- Received: 10 July 1986
- Accepted: 04 November 1986
- Issue Date: 22 January 1987
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/325346a0