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Symbiosis of methylotrophic bacteria and deep-sea mussels

Nature volume 325, pages 346–348 (1987)Cite this article

Abstract

Recently, dense assemblages of seep mussels and other benthic invertebrates resembling hydrothermal vent communities were found associated with reducing sediments at hypersaline seeps in the abyssal gulf of Mexico1. A symbiotic association with sulphur-oxidizing chemolithoautotrophic bacteria, similar to those recently reported (for review see ref. 2), was postulated for the seep mussel. However, the very negative δC13 values reported for the mussels (-74%‰) (ref. 3) suggested that these symbioses were different from those reported for bivalves from hydrothermal vents and reducing sediments (where δC13 ranges from -23 to -34‰ refs 4,5). Here, we present microscopical and enzymatic evidence supporting the hypothesis that methylotrophs, bacteria capable of using reduced C-1 compounds as their carbon and energy sources, occur as intracellular symbionts of the seep mussel.

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Author notes

  1. Colleen M. Cavanaugh

    Present address: The Biological Laboratories, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02138, USA

  2. Piet R. Levering

    Present address: Microbiological Research and Development Laboratories, Organon International, PO Box 20, 5340 BH, Oss, The Netherlands

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Microbiology, Delft University of Technology, 2628 BC, Delft, The Netherlands

    Colleen M. Cavanaugh

  2. Department of Microbiology, Biological Centre, University of Gronigen, Kerklaan 30, 9751 NN, Haren, The Netherlands

    Piet R. Levering

  3. Laboratory of Microbial Ecology, Division of Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02138, USA

    James S. Maki & Ralph Mitchell

  4. Center for Great Lake Studies, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 600 E. Greenfield, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 53204, USA

    Mary E. Lidstrom

Authors
  1. Colleen M. Cavanaugh
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  2. Piet R. Levering
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  3. James S. Maki
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  4. Ralph Mitchell
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  5. Mary E. Lidstrom
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Cavanaugh, C., Levering, P., Maki, J. et al. Symbiosis of methylotrophic bacteria and deep-sea mussels. Nature 325, 346–348 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1038/325346a0

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