Symbiont Transmission in Marine Sponges

Symbiont transmission in sponges

Sponges shape their microbial communities by acquiring symbionts through two different strategies – horizontal and vertical symbiont transmission. Vertical transmission implies that symbionts are inherited through parental gametes or brooded embryos, while horizontal transmission usually occurs through acquisition from the surrounding environment. There are generally two vertical transmission strategies from parental sponges into their offspring. Symbionts may be either transferred within eggs in oviparous sponges, or within larvae in viviparous sponges. Different symbiont transmission strategies can provide beneficial traits for adaptability or acclimatization of sponge holobionts to a changing environment. While vertically transmitted microbes represent hereditable traits, environmentally acquired symbionts might provide acclimatization in the same generation.

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