The Xiamen Symposium on Marine Environmental Sciences (XMAS 2025)

Photosymbioses between heterotrophic hosts and autotrophic symbionts are evolutionarily prevalent and ecologically significant. However, the molecular mechanisms behind such symbioses remain less elucidated, especially in non-Cnidarians, which hinders our understanding of their origin and adaptive evolution. This study compared gene expression patterns in a photosymbiotic bivalve (Fragum sueziense) and a closely related non-symbiotic species (Trigoniocardia granifera) under different light conditions to detect potential molecular pathways involved in mollusc photosymbiosis. We discovered that the presence of algal symbionts greatly impacted host gene expression in symbiont-containing tissues. We found that the host immune functions were suppressed under normal light compared with those in the dark. In addition, we found that cilia in the symbiont-containing tissues play important roles in symbiont regulation or photoreception. Interestingly, many potential photosymbiosis genes could not be annotated or do not exhibit orthologues in T. granifera transcriptomes, indicating unique molecular functions in photosymbiotic bivalves. Overall, we found both novel and known molecular mechanisms involved in animal-algal photosymbiosis within bivalves. Given that many of the molecular pathways are shared among distantly related host lineages, such as molluscs and cnidarians, it indicates that parallel and/or convergent evolution is instrumental in shaping host–symbiont interactions and responses in these organisms. By identifying the shared pathways and adaptations that enable these organisms to thrive in symbiosis, we can develop more effective strategies to enhance the resilience of ecologically important species, such as corals, in the face of rising sea surface temperatures.