title: Bacteria-host relationships in the bivalve mollusc Loripes lucinalis.
abstract: Loripes lucinalis, a lucinid species found in reduced sediments, contains endosymbiotic bacteria within specialized gill cells which contribute to the bivalve's nutrition. An additional bivalve-bacteria association can be seen in the digestive gland where large inclusion bodies filled with rickettsia- or chlamydia-like organisms are observed in the duct and tubule cells. Despite indications of a possible energy parasitism on the part of these endocellular digestive gland bacteria, the digestive epithelium of the host is not significantly damaged by the infection suggesting that this is a generalized and normal bivalve-bacteria association in adults of this species.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Marine Biology, University of Bretagne Occidentale, Brest, France.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Herry
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Le Pennec
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Johnson
mesh_terms: D020561:Alphaproteobacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D000818:Animals; D049872:Bivalvia / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002693:Chlamydiaceae / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004064:Digestive System / Q000382:microbiology; D005880:Gills / Q000382:microbiology; D013559:Symbiosis