共生において褐虫藻を制御する因子:レクチン

摘要

The survival of corals greatly depends on symbiosis with zooxanthellae, and it is important in control of zooxanthellae for acquisition and maintenance. Since the carbohydrates and/or carbohydrate binding proteins, lectins, could be related to these control of zooxanthellae, we purified lectins from some corals and examine the effect to zooxanthellae. A lectin SLL-2 purified from a octocoral Sinularia lochmodes change zooxanthellae forms from the mortile form to the coccoid form. Aother lectin ActL and AtTL-2 involved in the acquisition of zooxanthellae. Especially ActL attracts zooxanthellae. The amino acid sequences of these lectins had no similarity each other, and cnidarian genomes contains more diverse lectins. Thus, other lectins in corals could participate in the control of zooxanthellae.