Microfauna–Macrofauna Interaction in the Seafloor Lessons from the Tubeworm 英文参考文献.docVIP

Open access, freely available online Primer Microfauna–Macrofauna Interaction in the Sea?oor: Lessons from the Tubeworm Antje Boetius S ince their discovery in the 1970s and 1980s, giant tubeworms at hydrothermal vents and cold seeps have fascinated biologists and laymen alike—not only for are phylogenetically related to each other [7]. (For the only known exception see [8].) Tubeworm Mysteries their alien morphology (Figure 1), but also for epitomizing the perfect animal–microbe symbiosis. They are among the biggest worms on this planet—some over 3 m long— yet they do not eat other organisms. Tubeworms thrive independently of photosynthetic production [1]. They have even lost their entire digestive tract. One of the most exciting ?ndings in early tubeworm research was the discovery that the worm’s food is delivered by bacterial symbionts [2]. The chemoautotrophic symbionts live intracellularly in a specialized worm tissue called the trophosome. They are sul?de oxidizers, using the free energy yield from the oxidation of sul?de with oxygen to ?x carbon dioxide with their bacterial Rubisco enzyme. In exchange for providing nutrition for the worm, the symbionts are sheltered from grazing, but most importantly, they receive a steady source of sul?de and oxygen via the highly adapted blood circulation system of the worm. (I will never forget how horri?ed I was as a young student by the amounts of almost human-like blood ?owing into my lab dish while dissecting tubeworms to analyze trophosome enzyme activity.) Tubeworm blood physiology, in particular the hemoglobin molecules, are tailored speci?cally to the needs of the symbionts. However, the host metabolism in itself is not different from that of many other animals, the main source of energy being aerobic respiration of carbohydrates. In other words, tubeworms and their symbionts need oxygen as an electron acceptor—so, after all, they are dependent on photosynthesis, the main oxygen-producing process on earth. Th