The Evolution, Assembly, and Dynamics of Marine Holobionts.
Raúl A González-Pech, Vivian Y Li, Vanessa Garcia, Elizabeth Boville, Marta Mammone, Hiroaki Kitano, Kim B Ritchie, Mónica Medina
Author Information
Raúl A González-Pech: Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; email: rag5851@psu.edu, vivianli@psu.edu, vpg5102@psu.edu, eboville@psu.edu, mkm7040@psu.edu, momedinamunoz@gmail.com.
Vivian Y Li: Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; email: rag5851@psu.edu, vivianli@psu.edu, vpg5102@psu.edu, eboville@psu.edu, mkm7040@psu.edu, momedinamunoz@gmail.com.
Vanessa Garcia: Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; email: rag5851@psu.edu, vivianli@psu.edu, vpg5102@psu.edu, eboville@psu.edu, mkm7040@psu.edu, momedinamunoz@gmail.com.
Elizabeth Boville: Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; email: rag5851@psu.edu, vivianli@psu.edu, vpg5102@psu.edu, eboville@psu.edu, mkm7040@psu.edu, momedinamunoz@gmail.com.
Marta Mammone: Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; email: rag5851@psu.edu, vivianli@psu.edu, vpg5102@psu.edu, eboville@psu.edu, mkm7040@psu.edu, momedinamunoz@gmail.com.
Hiroaki Kitano: The Systems Biology Institute, Tokyo, Japan; email: kitano@sbi.jp.
Kim B Ritchie: Department of Natural Sciences, University of South Carolina, Beaufort, South Carolina, USA; email: kritch@uscb.edu.
Mónica Medina: Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; email: rag5851@psu.edu, vivianli@psu.edu, vpg5102@psu.edu, eboville@psu.edu, mkm7040@psu.edu, momedinamunoz@gmail.com.
The holobiont concept (i.e., multiple living beings in close symbiosis with one another and functioning as a unit) is revolutionizing our understanding of biology, especially in marine systems. The earliest marine holobiont was likely a syntrophic partnership of at least two prokaryotic members. Since then, symbiosis has enabled marine organisms to conquer all ocean habitats through the formation of holobionts with a wide spectrum of complexities. However, most scientific inquiries have focused on isolated organisms and their adaptations to specific environments. In this review, we attempt to illustrate why a holobiont perspective-specifically, the study of how numerous organisms form a discrete ecological unit through symbiosis-will be a more impactful strategy to advance our understanding of the ecology and evolution of marine life. We argue that this approach is instrumental in addressing the threats to marine biodiversity posed by the current global environmental crisis.
