Gill Symbionts Colonize the Digestive Tract of their Host Raw sequence reads
Marine lucinid clams have a close relationship with sulfur-oxidizing bacteria in their gills. Most studies have focused mainly on these gill symbionts, assuming they only inhabit the gills. Using genetic sequencing and imaging techniques we found symbiont cells in other organs, including the digestive tract. Even after a 14-month starvation experiment, symbionts remained in the digestive tract but not in the gills, suggesting they may have different roles. Our findings reveal a more complex symbiotic relationship than previously thought, challenging the idea that these bacteria are confined to the gills. Sequencing was performed at the Joint Microbiome Facility of the Medical University of Vienna and the University of Vienna under the project ID JMF-2203-10 and JMF-2310-08