Initial Observations of Kleptoplasty in the Foraminifera of Coastal South Carolina

Kleptoplasty is a mixotrophic condition acquired by a heterotrophic grazer that ingests photosynthetic eukaryotic cells, wherein the plastids are not digested but rather are retained in the heterotrophic cell or organism in a photosynthetically active state. This phenomenon has been described in sel...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Southeastern naturalist (Steuben, Me.) Me.), 2015-06, Vol.14 (2), p.361-372
Main Authors: Cevasco, Megan E., Lechliter, Shawnee M., Mosier, Alexander E., Perez, Jasmine
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Bacillariophyceae
eukaryotic cells
habitats
plastids
salt marshes
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Kleptoplasty is a mixotrophic condition acquired by a heterotrophic grazer that ingests photosynthetic eukaryotic cells, wherein the plastids are not digested but rather are retained in the heterotrophic cell or organism in a photosynthetically active state. This phenomenon has been described in select foraminiferal taxa inhabiting nearshore and salt-marsh coastal habitats. We applied molecular and microscopic techniques to living foraminifera collected from South Carolina salt marshes (Waties Island and North Inlet) to determine if we could detect kleptoplasty. Sequence and confocal-imaging data recovered from 2 foraminiferal genera (Elphidium and Haynesina) indicated the functional retention of diatom plastids within these taxa.
ISSN:1528-7092
1938-5412
DOI:10.1656/058.014.0216