Cyanobacteria-bryophyte symbioses

Correction: Bryophyte-Cyanobacteria Associations during Primary Succession in Recently Deglaciated Areas of Tierra del Fuego (Chile)

Bryophyte establishment represents a positive feedback process that enhances soil development in newly exposed terrain. Further, biological nitrogen (N) fixation by cyanobacteria in association with mosses can be an important supply of N to terrestrial ecosystems, however the role of these associations during post-glacial primary succession is not yet fully understood. Here, we analyzed chronos...

Marine Chemosynthetic Symbioses

Bacteria and marine eukaryotes often coexist in symbioses that significantly influence the ecology, physiology and evolution of both partners. De Bary (1879) defined symbiosis as “the living together of differently named organisms,” implying that the term encompasses both positive (e.g., mutualism) and negative (e.g., parasitism) associations. Many researchers now view symbiotic interactions as...

Symbioses, Biocomplexity, and Metagenomes

Archaea in Symbioses

During the last few years, the analysis of microbial diversity in various habitats greatly increased our knowledge on the kingdom Archaea. At the same time, we became aware of the multiple ways in which Archaea may interact with each other and with organisms of other kingdoms. The large group of euryarchaeal methanogens and their methane oxidizing relatives, in particular, take part in essentia...

Photosynthetic symbioses in animals.

Animals acquire photosynthetically-fixed carbon by forming symbioses with algae and cyanobacteria. These associations are widespread in the phyla Porifera (sponges) and Cnidaria (corals, sea anemones etc.) but otherwise uncommon or absent from animal phyla. It is suggested that one factor contributing to the distribution of animal symbioses is the morphologically-simple body plan of the Porifer...