Abundant toxin-related genes in the genomes of beneficial symbionts from deep-sea hydrothermal vent mussels
Lizbeth Sayavedra,
Manuel Kleiner,
Ruby Ponnudurai,
Silke Wetzel,
Eric Pelletier,
Valerie Barbe,
Nori Satoh,
Eiichi Shoguchi,
Dennis Fink,
Corinna Breusing,
Thorsten BH Reusch,
Philip Rosenstiel,
Markus B Schilhabel,
Dörte Becher,
Thomas Schweder,
Stephanie Markert,
Nicole Dubilier,
Jillian M Petersen
Affiliations
Lizbeth Sayavedra
Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Bremen, Germany
Manuel Kleiner
Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Bremen, Germany
Ruby Ponnudurai
Institute of Pharmacy, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-University, Greifswald, Germany
Silke Wetzel
Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Bremen, Germany
Eric Pelletier
Genoscope - Centre National de Séquençage, Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives, Evry, France; Metabolic Genomics Group, Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives, Evry, France; University of Évry-Val d'Essonne, Evry, France
Valerie Barbe
Genoscope - Centre National de Séquençage, Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives, Evry, France
Nori Satoh
Marine Genomics Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Onna, Japan
Eiichi Shoguchi
Marine Genomics Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Onna, Japan
Dennis Fink
Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Bremen, Germany
Corinna Breusing
Evolutionary Ecology, GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Kiel, Germany
Thorsten BH Reusch
Evolutionary Ecology, GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Kiel, Germany
Philip Rosenstiel
Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology, Kiel, Germany
Markus B Schilhabel
Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology, Kiel, Germany
Dörte Becher
Institute of Marine Biotechnology, Greifswald, Germany; Institute of Microbiology, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-University, Greifswald, Germany
Thomas Schweder
Institute of Pharmacy, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-University, Greifswald, Germany; Institute of Marine Biotechnology, Greifswald, Germany
Stephanie Markert
Institute of Pharmacy, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-University, Greifswald, Germany; Institute of Marine Biotechnology, Greifswald, Germany
Nicole Dubilier
Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Bremen, Germany; University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
Jillian M Petersen
Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Bremen, Germany
Bathymodiolus mussels live in symbiosis with intracellular sulfur-oxidizing (SOX) bacteria that provide them with nutrition. We sequenced the SOX symbiont genomes from two Bathymodiolus species. Comparison of these symbiont genomes with those of their closest relatives revealed that the symbionts have undergone genome rearrangements, and up to 35% of their genes may have been acquired by horizontal gene transfer. Many of the genes specific to the symbionts were homologs of virulence genes. We discovered an abundant and diverse array of genes similar to insecticidal toxins of nematode and aphid symbionts, and toxins of pathogens such as Yersinia and Vibrio. Transcriptomics and proteomics revealed that the SOX symbionts express the toxin-related genes (TRGs) in their hosts. We hypothesize that the symbionts use these TRGs in beneficial interactions with their host, including protection against parasites. This would explain why a mutualistic symbiont would contain such a remarkable ‘arsenal’ of TRGs.
