Advanced genetic techniques and microscopy provide new insights into the symbiosis of anaerobic ciliates and methanogens

Recent studies have revealed important details about the relationship between anaerobic ciliates and methanogenic archaea. This relationship has fascinated scientists for decades. Researchers from Charles University School of Science and the University of Rhode Island used advanced genetic techniques and microscopy to study this relationship in 32 species of free-living anaerobic ciliates, primarily in the order Metopidae.

The findings, published in the ISME journal, highlight previously unknown patterns of host-symbiont specificity and provide insight into the complex interactions between these microorganisms.

In this study, we utilized both Sanger and Illumina sequencing to analyze the 16S rRNA gene and determined that each ciliate species was associated with methanogenic symbionts, specifically spp. Methanobacterium, Methanoregula, or Methanocolpusculum. It has been revealed that it hosts a major population of This strong specificity suggests that the classification of the host ciliate and its environment (whether saltwater, brackish, or freshwater) play an important role in determining which methanogen species are present. I’m doing it.

Furthermore, the innovative experimental setup of this study included coexisting pairs of different ciliate species, both naturally and artificially co-cultured. Despite these anthropogenic conditions, the researchers observed that the host-methanogen relationship was remarkably stable over short time scales, but there was no evidence of symbiotic exchange between hosts. However, over longer evolutionary periods, the researchers found that metopids can sometimes replace their methanogenic partners.

“This study provides a clearer understanding of how anaerobic ciliates have evolved mixed propagation modes to maintain and replace symbionts over time.” said Ivan Chepica and Daniel Méndez Sánchez, lead researchers of

“These findings help explain how these ciliates continue to thrive in oxygen-deficient environments and provide insight into the ecological and evolutionary mechanisms that drive microbial symbiosis between prokaryotes and protists. It offers an exciting new perspective.”

This study represents a major advance in the field of microbial ecology, highlighting the specificity and fidelity of anaerobic ciliate-methanogen associations, as well as the potential for evolutionary flexibility in these relationships. is also emphasized.