Discovery of Symbiotic Nitrogen-Fixing Cyanobacteria in Corals

• DOI: 10.1126/science.1099128
• Publication Date: 2004-08-13T09:03:46Z
• Authors: Michael P. Lesser; Charles H. Mazel; Maxim Y. Gorbunov; Paul G. Falkowski
• Keywords: Zooxanthellae; Phycobilisome

Colonies of the Caribbean coral Montastraea cavernosa exhibit a solar-stimulated orange-red fluorescence that is spectrally similar to variety fluorescent proteins expressed by corals. The source this phycoerythrin in unicellular, nonheterocystis, symbiotic cyanobacteria within host cells coral. coexist with dinoflagellates (zooxanthellae) and express nitrogen-fixing enzyme nitrogenase. presence prokaryotic symbiont nitrogen-limited zooxanthellate suggests nitrogen fixation may be an important limiting element for association.