Marine ecosystems are rich in “omega-3” long-chain (C 20-24) polyunsaturated fatty acids
(LC-PUFA). Their production has been historically accepted to derive mostly from marine …

Kleptoplasty, the process by which a host organism sequesters and retains algal
chloroplasts, is relatively common in protists. The origin of the plastid varies, as do the length …

Some sea slugs are able to steal functional chloroplasts (kleptoplasts) from their algal food
sources, but the role and relevance of photosynthesis to the animal host remain …

Background Sequencing and annotating genomes of non-model organisms helps to
understand genome architecture, the genetic processes underlying species traits, and how …

One of the main mysteries regarding photosynthetic sea slugs is how the slug plastids
handle photoinhibition, the constant light-induced damage to Photosystem II of …

Three populations of the solar-powered sea slug Elysia crispata on reefs from the southern
Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean were analyzed. The aim was to describe and compare the …

Simple Summary Kleptoplasty is the capacity of a non-photosynthetic organism to acquire
and maintain structurally intact chloroplasts from its algal food source (s), thereafter termed …

The sacoglossan sea slug Plakobranchus ocellatus is a pantropical gastropod that pilfers
and incorporates algal chloroplasts (kleptoplasts) into its digestive cells and benefits from …

Several species of sacoglossan sea slugs possess the incredible ability to sequester
chloroplasts from the algae they consume. These “photosynthetic animals” incorporate …

Photosymbiosis is a widespread form of mutualistic symbiosis found among many metazoan
lineages (Melo Clavijo et al., 2018) and is particularly beneficial for the animal host. The …