Skip to main content
. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2010 Dec 10.
Published in final edited form as: FEMS Microbiol Rev. 2010 Jan;34(1):41–58. doi: 10.1111/j.1574-6976.2009.00193.x

Table 1.

Selected experimental models of animal-microbe mutualism

Host/Habitat Symbiont Host association structure Host-Derived Fitness Benefit Transmission Strategy Presence of lectin-binding residues
Steinernema carpocapsae terrestrial Xenorhabdus nematophila Receptacle/Intestine Insect pathogenicity, nutrition/reproduction Horizontal (within insect) oligo-initiated colonization WGA intravesicular structure inside receptacle
Heterorhabditis bacteriophora terrestrial Photorhabdus luminescens Intestine Insect pathogenicity, nutrition/reproduction Vertical (within nematode mother) oligo-initiated colonization N.T.
Hirudo verbana freshwater Aeromonas veronii biovar sobria Rikenella-like Crop Putative: nutrition, passive or active exclusion Likely vertical, poly-initiated colonization WGA-S Microcolonies embedded in intraluminal fluid
Eisenia foetida terrestrial Verminophrobacter eiseniae Nephridia Putative: protein degradation or N-cycling Vertical colonization (egg case) N.T.
Riftia pachyptila deep sea marine ‘Candidatus Endoriftia persephone’ Trophosome Nutrition Horizontal oligo-initiated colonization N.T.
Laxus oneistus shallow marine Gamma-proteobacterium (a single phylotype) Cuticle Nutrition Likely Horizontal WGA, conA bacterial surface
Euprymna scolopes shallow marine Vibrio fischeri Light organ Counterillumination Horizontal oligo-initiated colonization WGA, sophora japonica Mucous at pores of light organ
Hydra viridis freshwater Chlorella sp. Intracellular vesicles Nutrition Vertical oligo-initiated colonization Horizontal colonization also occurs Concanavalin A