''Chlorococcum amblystomatis'', synonym ''Oophila amblystomatis'', commonly known as chlamydomonad algae or salamander algae, is a species of single-celled green algae. When placed in the genus ''Oophila'', it was the only species. The

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

specific name ''amblystomatis'' means "loves salamander eggs". It does not occur anywhere in nature other than in the eggs of the spotted salamander, ''

Ambystoma maculatum The spotted salamander or yellow-spotted salamander (''Ambystoma maculatum'') is a mole salamander common in eastern United States and Canada. The spotted salamander is the state amphibian of Ohio and South Carolina. This salamander ranges from N ...

''. The alga can invade and grow in the amphibian's egg capsule. Once inside, it metabolizes the

carbon dioxide Carbon dioxide ( chemical formula ) is a chemical compound made up of molecules that each have one carbon atom covalently double bonded to two oxygen atoms. It is found in the gas state at room temperature. In the air, carbon dioxide is trans ...

produced by the embryo and provides it with

oxygen Oxygen is the chemical element with the symbol O and atomic number 8. It is a member of the chalcogen group in the periodic table, a highly reactive nonmetal, and an oxidizing agent that readily forms oxides with most elements as ...

and sugar as a result of

photosynthesis Photosynthesis is a process used by plants and other organisms to convert light energy into chemical energy that, through cellular respiration, can later be released to fuel the organism's activities. Some of this chemical energy is stored i ...

. This is an example of symbiosis,Nature Trivia, Spotted Salamander
a
Henderson State University
Accessed 4 August 2008. and the only known example of an intracellular

endosymbiont An ''endosymbiont'' or ''endobiont'' is any organism that lives within the body or cells of another organism most often, though not always, in a mutualistic relationship. (The term endosymbiosis is from the Greek: ἔνδον ''endon'' "within ...

microbe in vertebrates. This symbiosis between ''Chlorococcum amblystomatis'' and the salamander may exist beyond the oocyte and early embryonic stage. Chlorophyll autofluorescence observation and ribosomal DNA analysis suggest that this algal species has invaded embryonic salamander tissues and cells during development and may even be transmitted to the next generation. ''Chlorococcum amblystomatis'' are only found in freshwater in woodland ponds. They grow best at a water depth of with the water temperature being and an air temperature of . Their optimal pH tolerance ranges from 6.26 to 6.46 and they require an environment where there is 12 hours of sunlight and 12 hours of darkness. Cells are motile are able to move the water by the use of a flagelluma. ''Oophila amblystomatis'' can also reproduce sexually and asexually. 16S rRNA has been partially sequenced as well as the 18S rRNA for the plasmid, however whole genome sequencing has not been done.

References

External links

Green Eggs and Jam: Adaptations That Help Spotted Salamanders Reproduce
a
Henderson State University

''Ambystoma maculatum''
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AmphibiaWeb

a
North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences
Symbiosis Flora of North America Chlorococcaceae {{Chlorophyceae-stub

See also

References

Further reading

External links