The influence of ‘host release factor’ on carbon release by zooxanthellae isolated from fed and starved Aiptasia pallida (Verrill)

Abstract Symbiotic dinoflagellates (zooxanthellae) typically respond to extracts of host tissue with enhanced release of short-term photosynthetic products. We examined this ‘host release factor’ (HRF) response using freshly isolated zooxanthellae of differing nutritional status. The nutritional status was manipulated by either feeding or starving the sea anemone Aiptasia pallida (Verrill). The release of fixed carbon from isolated zooxanthellae was measured using 14 C in 30 min experiments. Zooxanthellae in filtered seawater alone released approximately 5% of photosynthate irrespective of host feeding history. When we used a 10-kDa ultrafiltrate of A. pallida host tissue as a source of HRF, approximately 14% of photosynthate was released to the medium. This increased to over 25% for zooxanthellae from anemones starved for 29 days or more. The cell-specific photosynthetic rate declined with starvation in these filtrate experiments, but the decline was offset by the increased percentage release. Indeed, the total amount of released photosynthate remained unchanged, or even increased, as zooxanthellae became more nutrient deficient. Similar trends were also observed when zooxanthellae from A. pallida were incubated in a 3-kDa ultrafiltrate of the coral Montastraea annularis , suggesting that HRF in the different filtrates operated in a similar manner. Our results support the suggestion that HRF diverts surplus carbon away from storage compounds to translocated compounds such as glycerol.