An early evolutionary stage of mutualistic endosymbiosis reveals a parasitic aspect of endosymbionts

Abstract

Mutualistic endosymbiosis is a cornerstone of evolutionary innovation, enabling organisms to exploit diverse niches unavailable to individual species. However, our knowledge about the early evolutionary stage of this relationship remains limited. The association between the ciliate Tetrahymena utriculariae and its algal endosymbiont Micractinium tetrahymenae indicates an incipient stage of endosymbiosis. Although T. utriculariae cells rely on endosymbiotic algae to grow in low-oxygen conditions, they gradually lose the endosymbionts in aerobic conditions. Our comparative genomics reveals that the mitochondria-related genes of T. utriculariae are fast-evolving. Symbiotic cells display elongated mitochondria, which interact intimately with endosymbionts. Moreover, inhibiting mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation reduces host fitness but increases the endosymbiont population. Time-series transcriptomics reveal physiological fine-tuning of the host during day and night, underscoring adaptations for nutrient exchange and regulation. Notably, endosymbiotic algae downregulate photosynthesis-related genes compared with free-living cells, correlated with a substantially reduced chlorophyll content. These findings indicate that the endosymbionts exploit host metabolites to supplement reduced photosynthesis. Consistently, symbiotic Tetrahymena cells exhibit lower fitness under aerobic conditions than aposymbiotic cells. Our results support that mutualistic and parasitic relationships between symbiotic organisms are condition-dependent, especially at an early evolutionary stage.