Symbiont acquisition strategies in post-settlement stages of two
co-occurring deep-sea Rimicaris shrimp.
Abstract
At deep-sea hydrothermal vents, deprived of light, most living
communities are fuelled by chemosynthetic microorganisms. These can form
symbiotic associations with metazoan hosts, which are then called
holobionts. Among these, two endemic shrimp of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge
(MAR), Rimicaris exoculata and Rimicaris chacei are
colonized by dense and diversified chemosynthetic symbiotic communities
in their cephalothoracic cavity and their digestive system. Although
both shrimp harbor similar communities, they exhibit widely different
population densities, distribution patterns at small scale and diet, as
well as differences in post-settlement morphological modifications
leading to the adult stage. These contrasting biological traits may be
linked to their symbiotic development success. Consequently, key
questions related to the acquisition of the symbionts and the
development of the holobiont are still open. Here we examined symbiotic
development in juveniles of R. exoculata and R. chacei
from TAG and Snake Pit using 16S metabarcoding to identify which
symbiotic lineages are present at each juvenile stage. In addition, we
highlighted the abundance and distribution of microorganisms at each
stage using Fluorescence in situ Hybridization (FISH) and
Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). For the first time,
Candidatus Microvillispirillaceae (midgut tube),
Candidatus Foregutplasma rimicarensis and Candidatus
BG2-rimicarensis (foregut) were identified in late juveniles stages.
However, these lineages were absent in early juveniles stages, which
coincides for the midgut tube with our observations of an immature
tissue, devoid of microvilli. Conversely, symbiotic lineages from the
cephalothoracic cavity were present from the earliest juvenile stages of
both species and their overall diversities were similar to those of
adults. These results suggest different symbiont acquisition dynamics
between the cephalothoracic cavity and the digestive system, which may
also involve distinct transmission mechanisms.