Document of bibliographic reference 405805

BibliographicReference record

Type

Bibliographic resource

Type of document

Book/Monograph

Type of document

Dissertation

BibLvlCode

M

Title

The symbioses of the upside-down jellyfish Cassiopea xamachana; from prokaryote to eukaryote

Abstract

Symbiosis is the basis of all biological life, from the evolution of eukaryotic cells to animal health driven by gut microbiomes. Holobionts, or the collection of a host and its symbionts, are often difficult to study due to difficulties rearing species of interest in a lab and manipulating the host-symbiont collection. Model organisms on questions of symbiosis can reveal mechanisms applicable to a wide range of related species, and benefit from ease of husbandry in labs. Proper care of these model organisms is critical for ethical considerations and the accurate collection of data. In this dissertation, I establish husbandry standards for the upside-down jellyfish Cassiopea xamachana and carry these standards into an exploration of host-symbiont interactions. My first chapter serves as the first guide to C. xamachana husbandry at all points of its life cycle, aiding labs beginning to work on this model and senior labs alike. My second chapter then explores the plasticity of C. xamachana with photosymbiotic dinoflagellates in the family Symbiodiniaceae. It both reveals the difference in offspring production when symbiotic with various species, and establishes a list of species and lab-grown strains of Symbiodiniaceae that can form symbiosis with C. xamachana. Finally, my third chapter explores the existence of fungal symbionts in adult C. xamachana. The work presented here facilitates laboratory research on C. xamachana and reveals symbiont diversity in a marine holobiont.

Bibliographic citation

Sharp, V. (2024). The symbioses of the upside-down jellyfish Cassiopea xamachana; from prokaryote to eukaryote. PhD Thesis. Pennsylvania State University: Pennsylvania. 157 pp.

Topic

Marine

Access rights

open access

Is accessible for free

true