Discussion
Synchronized growth of A. elegantissima and S. muscatinei occurred in freshly
collected A. elegantissima. This natural coupling suggests that under
intertidal conditions, cellular growth of A. elegantissima and S. muscatinei
is synchronized. Such synchrony indicates that host and symbionts may cooperate in a way to
regulate symbiont density.
Why is this important?
Constant year-round density of S. muscatinei in A. elegantissima
gastrodermal cells suggests that symbiont densities must be controlled by the holobiont.
Regulation of symbiont density through cell cycle synchrony may be more effective than
simply removing extra symbionts from host gastrodermal cells. Understanding this pattern
of regulation between A. elegantissima and S. muscatinei may provide insight into host-symbiont interactions in other cnidarian-algae symbioses.
