Single cell technology and endosymbioses
Understanding cellular processes at the individual cell level represents a critical frontier in life science research. Single-cell methodologies provide unprecedented insights, particularly when investigating the intricate dynamics of pathogen-host interactions and symbiotic relationships.
Microbial symbioses sustain life across Earth's ecosystems, with endosymbiosis representing the most profound integration between organisms. While conventional methods face limitations in revealing the origins of novel endosymbioses, our laboratory established single-cell technologies using Fluidic Force Microscopy (FluidFM). This platform enables precise manipulations including live-cell injection and extraction (including Live-Seq), organelle transplantation, and bacterial implantation—providing powerful tools for examining bacteria-host interactions.
Our recent investigations focused on the controlled implantation of bacteria into fungal cells, allowing us to monitor artificially induced endosymbiosis in real-time. This work demonstrated the transfer of metabolic capabilities between organisms, specifically the production of a natural product from the bacterial symbiont to the fungal host. We found that continuous positive selection during adaptive evolution mitigates the initial fitness costs associated with the newly established endosymbiotic relationship.
By shifting from retrospective analysis to prospective observation of endosymbiogenesis, our experimental framework creates opportunities to observe and understand the initial dynamics when one cell established within another. This direct observation allows us to document the molecular dialogue, metabolic integration, and genetic adaptations that occur during these critical early stages of endosymbiotic relationships. Furthermore, this approach opens opportunities to rationally design endosymbiotic partnerships for biotechnological applications.
Keywords:
Fluidic force microscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM), optical microscopy, endosymbioses
Funding:
external page Volkswagen-Foundation
external page ERC Advanced Grant