← Back to Communities

Chlamydomonas-Methylobacterium Mutualistic Consortium

Ecological State STABLE
Environment freshwater environment
ENVO:01000306
Source File Chlamydomonas_Methylobacterium_Mutualism.yaml

A two-member mutualistic consortium consisting of the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and the methylotrophic bacterium Methylobacterium aquaticum, isolated from a freshwater environment. This natural association demonstrates reciprocal metabolic exchange under nitrogen stress conditions, mediated by indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) signaling. The alga provides photosynthetically fixed carbon and oxygen, while Methylobacterium modulates IAA levels through both production and degradation, influencing algal physiology and stress responses. This system serves as a model for understanding algae-bacteria interactions in freshwater ecosystems and potential applications in sustainable algal biotechnology under nutrient limitation.

Taxonomy

Taxon Ontology ID Functional Roles Abundance
Chlamydomonas reinhardtii NCBITaxon:3055
PRIMARY_PRODUCER
N/A
Methylobacterium aquaticum NCBITaxon:270351
SYNTROPHIC_PARTNER
N/A

Ecological Interactions

Photosynthetic Carbon Fixation and Oxygen Production

MUTUALISM

Source Taxon: Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

Metabolites: oxygen (CHEBI:15379), organic carbon compounds (CHEBI:50860)

Biological Processes:

Downstream Effects:
→ IAA Production and Degradation

Evidence

  • PMID:29385570 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)
    "However, we discovered that algal growth on these substrates is supported in association with Methylobacterium spp., and that a mutualistic carbon-nitrogen metabolic exchange between Chlamydomonas and Methylobacterium spp"

IAA Production and Degradation

MUTUALISM

Source Taxon: Methylobacterium aquaticum

Metabolites: indole-3-acetic acid (CHEBI:16411)

Biological Processes:

  • indole-3-acetic acid biosynthetic process (GO:0009684)
  • indole-3-acetic acid catabolic process (GO:0042436)
Downstream Effects:
→ Nitrogen Stress Response Modulation

Evidence

  • PMID:29385570 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)
    "The model alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii can grow efficiently on several inorganic nitrogen sources (e.g"

Nitrogen Stress Response Modulation

MUTUALISM

Source Taxon: Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

Metabolites: indole-3-acetic acid (CHEBI:16411)

Biological Processes:

Evidence

  • PMID:29385570 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)
    "However, we discovered that algal growth on these substrates is supported in association with Methylobacterium spp., and that a mutualistic carbon-nitrogen metabolic exchange between Chlamydomonas and Methylobacterium spp"

Environmental Factors

Factor Value Unit
Nitrogen Limitation Nitrogen-depleted conditions N/A
Light Illuminated culture conditions N/A
Aquatic Environment Freshwater medium N/A