Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain
the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in
Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles
and JavaScript.
Chemosynthetic symbioses occur in a wide range of ocean habitats, from deep-sea vents and cold seeps to whale falls and shallow-water sediments. This Review reveals the diversity and complexity of these symbioses, some of which include multiple symbiotic partners.
Wolbachiaare symbiotic bacteria that live inside invertebrate host cells and can manipulate host biology in dramatic ways, such as sperm–egg incompatibility, feminization and male killing. This Review focuses on the basic biology of these symbionts and their interaction with a range of host invertebrates.
In this Review, Edward Ruby examines five widely investigated systems that describe the morphology, behaviour, ecology and evolution of symbiotic partners. This descriptive foundation allows the correct questions to be framed in a biologically relevant context.
Fungi of the phylum Glomeromycota form tree-like structures called arbuscules within plant root cells. The fungi transport water, phosphate, nitrogen and other nutrients to the plant roots, and in return, obtain carbohydrates from the plant. The short arbuscule half-life results in constant renewal and rewiring of the hyphal network and competition between potential fungal partners.
Ley, Gordon and colleagues have analysed and compared published sequences of bacterial communities from humans with both free-living communities and those that are associated with diverse animals. They conclude that gut-associated microbiotas are profoundly different from other free-living microbiotas, and call for widespread sampling of the human gut microbiota to study how different cultures, lifestyles and technologies are impacting on the biodiversity within these fascinating communities.
New and improved technologies are helping us to detect and characterize symbiotic microorganisms, whereas model symbiosis systems are revealing the molecular basis for partnerships. In this Essay, Margaret McFall-Ngai provides the historical context for the study of symbiosis and discusses the challenges that this emerging field faces.
Microbial symbioses include beneficial, harmful and neutral relationships and are important in animal and plant health, immunity and disease and in ecology and the environment. This special Focus issue highlights exciting advances in our understanding of partnerships between organisms and their environments.
