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Appl Environ Microbiol. 1994 June; 60(6): 1852-1858
Copyright © 1994, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Assimilation of Inorganic Nitrogen by Marine Invertebrates and Their Chemoautotrophic and Methanotrophic Symbionts

Raymond W. Lee* and James J. Childress

1 Department of Biological Sciences, University of California at Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California 93106

ABSTRACT

Symbioses between marine invertebrates and their chemoautotrophic and methanotrophic symbionts are now known to exist in a variety of habitats where reduced chemical species are present. The utilization of chemical energy and reliance on C1 compounds by these symbioses are well documented. Much less is known about their metabolism of nitrogen. Earlier work has shown that the tissues of organisms in these associations are depleted of 15N compared with those of other marine organisms, indicating that local sources of nitrogen are assimilated and that novel mechanisms of nitrogen metabolism may be involved. Although these symbioses have access to rich sources of ammonium (NH4+ and NH3) and/or nitrate, several investigators have proposed that N2 fixation may account for some of these isotope values. Here we report that [15N]ammonium and, to a lesser degree, [15N]nitrate are assimilated into organic compounds by Solemya reidi, a gutless clam containing S-oxidizing bacteria, and seep mussel Ia, an undescribed mytilid containing methanotrophic bacteria. In contrast, Riftia pachyptila, the giant hydrothermal vent tube worm symbiotic with S-oxidizing bacteria, assimilated nitrate but not exogenous ammonium. The rates of assimilation of these sources are sufficient to at least partially support C1 compound metabolism. N2 assimilation was not exhibited by the symbionts tested.

FOOTNOTES

* Corresponding author. Present address: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alabama, Birmingham, AL 35294-1170.

Appl Environ Microbiol. 1994 June; 60(6): 1852-1858
Copyright © 1994, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Joyner, J. L., Peyer, S. M., Lee, R. W. (2003). Possible Roles of Sulfur-Containing Amino Acids in a Chemoautotrophic Bacterium-Mollusc Symbiosis. Biol. Bull. 205: 331-338 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Girguis, P. R., Lee, R. W., Desaulniers, N., Childress, J. J., Pospesel, M., Felbeck, H., Zal, F. (2000). Fate of Nitrate Acquired by the Tubeworm Riftia pachyptila. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 66: 2783-2790 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Lee, R., Robinson, J., Cavanaugh, C. (1999). Pathways of inorganic nitrogen assimilation in chemoautotrophic bacteria-marine invertebrate symbioses: expression of host and symbiont glutamine synthetase. J. Exp. Biol. 202: 289-300 [Abstract]  


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