Green Hydra Research Articles

Modeling the pH-ammonia toxicity relationship for Hydra viridissima in soft waters with low ionic concentrations.

There are limited data concerning the toxicity of ammonia in fresh soft waters. Ammonia toxicity is largely dependent on pH and temperature. The US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) has derived equations to adjust species toxicity estimates based on changes in pH and temperature. It has been reported that the pH-ammonia toxicity relationship, derived by the USEPA, may differ in waters with low ionic concentrations because of the absence of potentially ameliorative ionic constituents. The present study aimed to assess the pH-ammonia toxicity relationship for the tropical green hydra, Hydra viridissima, across a range of pH values in a natural water with low ionic content. Ammonia toxicity to H. viridissima was assessed at a pH range between 6.0 and 8.5 and temperature 27.5 ± 1 °C. Test solution pH was maintained using a pH buffer. The resulting median effect concentrations ranged from 9.62 (7.95-11.65) mg L-1 total ammonia nitrogen at pH 6.0 to 0.64 (0.50-0.81) mg L-1 total ammonia nitrogen at pH 7.9. The results indicated that increasing pH increased the sensitivity of H. viridissima to ammonia. The pH dependence equation derived by the USEPA accurately described the relationship between pH and ammonia toxicity for H. viridissima. However, when the model parameters for the generic pooled relationship were used, the fit was less accurate (r2 = 0.66), indicating that the generic pooled pH-dependence equations may not be appropriate for use with this species. Environ Toxicol Chem 2018;37:1189-1196. © 2017 SETAC.

Morphometrical Characterization of Green Hydra Symbiosis

Morphometrical Characterization of Green Hydra Symbiosis

Towards Morphological Variability of Symbiotic Algae

Green hydra is the host to unicellular algae in its gastrodermal myoepithelial cells. It is known that different xenobiotics can damage this symbiotic relationship. The effects of sublethal doses of antibiotics on the hydra-alga symbiotic relationship are assessed using cTEM microscopy. Chloroplasts showed changes in thylakoid structures. Pronounced changes in mitochondria of both hydra and algae are noted. In some algae plastoglobules are visible and the number of ribosomes in cytoplasm of algae is changed. Results show that endosymbiotic algae represent a stronger partner with less pronounced damages compared to hydra host in the studied symbiotic model.

Manganese toxicity to tropical freshwater species in low hardness water.

Elevated manganese (Mn) is a common contaminant issue for mine water discharges, and previous studies have reported that its toxicity is ameliorated by H(+), Ca(2+), and Mg(2+) ions. In the present study, the toxicity of Mn was assessed in a high risk scenario, that is, the slightly acidic, soft waters of Magela Creek, Kakadu National Park, Northern Territory, Australia. Toxicity estimates were derived for 6 tropical freshwater species (Chlorella sp., Lemna aequinoctialis, Amerianna cumingi, Moinodaphnia macleayi, Hydra viridissima, and Mogurnda mogurnda). Low effect chronic inhibition concentration (IC10) and acute lethal concentration (LC05) values ranged between 140 μg L(-1) and 80,000 μg L(-1), with 3 of the species tested (M. macleayi, A. cumingi, and H. viridissima) being more sensitive to Mn than all but 1 species in the international literature (Hyalella azteca). A loss of Mn was observed on the final day for 2 of the H. viridissima toxicity tests, which may be a result of the complex speciation of Mn and biological oxidation. International data from toxicity tests conducted in natural water with a similar physicochemistry to Magela Creek water were combined with the present study's data to increase the sample size to produce a more reliable species sensitivity distribution. A 99% protection guideline value of 73 μg L(-1) (33-466 μg L(-1)) was derived; the low value of this guideline value reflects the higher toxicity of Mn in slightly acidic soft waters.

Response of green hydra (Hydra viridissima) to variability and directional changes in food availability

AbstractNatural environments tend to be variable resulting in alternating periods of high and low food availability. Therefore, animals have to be able to accommodate to sudden environmental changes by adjusting their physiology and behaviour to new conditions. We investigated how simulated food variability affects life history traits (asexual reproduction and stress tolerance) and response to environmental change in laboratory experiments with green hydra (Hydra viridissima). We assigned hydra into four groups differing in feeding frequency (high or low) and food regularity (random or stable). After 21 days of accommodation, feeding frequency was changed (increased or decreased) in half of each group, the other half was kept as a control group. Hydra showed a delayed response to environmental change (increased or decreased feeding frequency). This delay in response was greater under an unpredictable feeding scheme. Animals on a random scheme had lower budding rates and lower stress tolerance. Follow-up experiments suggest that this might be due to receiving food on subsequent days, since we found that animals fed daily have lower budding rates than those fed on alternate days. We hypothesize that frequent feeding might cause high levels of oxidative/xenobiotic stress which could overwhelm the defence system of these animals.

Algal endosymbionts in European Hydra strains reflect multiple origins of the zoochlorella symbiosis

Symbiotic associations are of broad significance in evolution and biodiversity. Green Hydra is a classic example of endosymbiosis. In its gastrodermal myoepithelial cells it harbors endosymbiotic unicellular green algae, most commonly from the genus Chlorella. We reconstructed the phylogeny of cultured algal endosymbionts isolated and maintained in laboratory conditions for years from green Hydra strains collected from four different geographical sites within Croatia, one from Germany and one from Israel. Nuclear (18S rDNA, ITS region) and chloroplast markers (16S, rbcL) for maximum likelihood phylogenetic analyses were used. We focused on investigating the positions of these algal endosymbiotic strains within the chlorophyte lineage. Molecular analyses established that different genera and species of unicellular green algae are present as endosymbionts in green Hydra, showing that endosymbiotic algae growing within green Hydra sampled from four Croatian localities are not monophyletic. Our results indicate that the intracellular algal endosymbionts of green Hydra have become established several times independently in evolution.

Hydra viridissima (green Hydra) rapidly recovers from multiple magnesium pulse exposures.

The time taken for organisms to recover from a pulsed toxicant exposure is an important consideration when water quality guidelines are applied to intermittent events in the environment. Organisms may appear to have recovered by standard toxicity testing methods but could carry residual toxicant or damage that may make them more sensitive to subsequent pulses. Such cumulative effects may render guidelines underprotective. The present study evaluated recovery of the freshwater cnidarian Hydra viridissima following multiple pulse exposure to magnesium (Mg). The H. viridissima were exposed to 4-h pulses of 790 mg/L and 1100 mg/L separated by 2-h, 10-h, 18-h, 24-h, 48-h, and 72-h recovery periods. Twenty-four-hour pulses of 570 mg/L, 910 mg/L, and 940 mg/L were separated by 24-h, 96-h, and 168-h recovery periods. All treatments showed similar or reduced sensitivity to the second pulse when compared with the single pulse, indicating that full recovery occurred prior to a second pulse-exposure. Five variations of equivalent time-weighted average concentrations were used to compare sensitivity of Hydra with various pulse scenarios. The sensitivity of the organisms to the multiple pulses was significantly lower than the time-weighted average continuous exposure response in 3 of the 4 scenarios tested, indicating that the Hydra benefited from interpulse recovery periods. The findings will be utilized alongside those from other species to inform the use of a site-specific, duration-based water quality guideline for Mg, and they provide an example of the use of empirical data in the regulation of toxicant pulses in the environment.

Genetic variability and taxonomic revision of the genus Auxenochlorella (Shihira et Krauss) Kalina et Puncocharova (Trebouxiophyceae, Chlorophyta).

The monotypic genus Auxenochlorella with its typespecies A.protothecoides is so far only known from specific habitats such as the sap of several tree species. Several varieties were described according to physiological performances in culture on different organic substrates. However, two strains designated as Auxenochlorella were isolated from other habitats (an endosymbiont of Hydra viridis and an aquatic strain from an acidic volcano stream). We studied those isolates and compared them with six strains of Auxenochlorella belonging to different varieties. The integrative approach used inthis study revealed that all strains showed similar morphology but differed in their SSU and ITS rDNA sequences. The Hydra endosymbiont formeda sister taxon to A.protothecoides, which included the varieties protothecoides, galactophila, and communis. The variety acidicola is not closely related to Auxenochlorella and represented its own lineage within the Trebouxiophyceae. In view of these results, we propose a new species of Auxenochlorella, A.symbiontica, for the Hydra symbiont, and a new genus Pumiliosphaera, with its type species, P.acidophila, for acidophilic strain. These results are supported by several compensatory base changes in the conserved region of ITS-2 and ITS-2 DNA barcodes.

Life history trade‐offs and stress tolerance in green hydra (Hydra viridissima Pallas 1766): the importance of nutritional status and perceived population density

AbstractClonally reproducing animals, such as freshwater hydra, can achieve very quick population growth, potentially resulting in high density when dispersal is limited. The reproductive value of any offspring produced clonally in such a high density population is low because of the strong competition for food. Therefore, animals experiencing such conditions should allocate their resources to self‐maintenance, to increase survival chances. Increased allocation to self‐maintenance in turn should enable animals to withstand higher levels of genotoxic stress. To test this prediction, we exposed green hydra (Hydra viridissima Pallas 1766) to a perceived high density (by keeping them in crowded culture medium) or low density (fresh culture medium) without altering food availability. We also manipulated nutritional status (by starving animals for different time periods) and previous exposure to mild stress in a full factorial experimental design. At the end of the experiment we exposed animals to a high concentration of hydrogen‐peroxide and scored stress tolerance. We found that stress tolerance is greatly elevated in animals perceiving high density, confirming our prediction. Stress tolerance decreased in animals starved for a few days, suggesting that the ability to maintain an elevated stress tolerance function has nutritional costs and is possible only when resource availability is high. On the other hand, previous exposure to mild stress had a small effect on the ability to tolerate subsequent exposure to stress, and only in the low density treatment group. Thus, stress tolerance in hydra is dynamically modulated in response to social, environmental and nutritional cues.

Toxicity of magnesium pulses to tropical freshwater species and the development of a duration‐based water quality guideline

Six freshwater species (Chlorella sp., Lemna aequinoctialis, Amerianna cumingi, Hydra viridissima, Moinodaphnia macleayi, and Mogurnda mogurnda) were exposed to 4-h, 8-h, and 24-h Mg pulses in natural creek water. Magnesium toxicity to all species increased with exposure duration; however, the extent of increase and the nature of the relationship differed greatly between species. Based on median inhibitory concentrations (IC50s), and compared with continuous exposure data from a previous study, the increase in toxicity with increasing exposure duration from 4 h to continuous (72-144 h) ranged from approximately 2-fold for Chlorella sp. and H. viridissima to greater than 40-fold for A. cumingi. Moreover, the form of the relationship between Mg toxicity and duration ranged from linear or near-linear to exponential for different species. The life-stage at which M. macleayi was exposed was important, with cladocerans pulsed at the onset of reproductive maturity being approximately 4 times more sensitive (based on IC50s) than younger than 6-h-old neonates. Species sensitivity distributions were constructed for the 4-h, 8-h, and 24-h pulse durations, from which 99% species protection guideline values (95% confidence limits [CLs]) of 94 (6.4-1360) mg/L, 14 (0.5-384) mg/L, and 8.0 (0.5-144) mg/L Mg, respectively, were derived. These values were plotted against exposure duration (h) and polynomial interpolation used to derive a guideline value for any pulse duration within the range assessed.

A search for predators and food selectivity of two native species of Hydra (Cnidaria: Hydrozoa) from Brazil

The Hydra is the most common representative of freshwater cnidarians. In general, it is found in freshwaters on every continent, with the exception of Antarctica. The aim of the present study is to gather biological and ecological data on aspects of two species of Hydra native to Brazil: Hydra viridissima and Hydra salmacidis. Predation and food selectivity experiments were performed to assess the possible predators and the prey preferences, respectively, of the two species. The results indicate that the two species of Hydra were not consumed by any of the predators that were tested, which are typical predators of invertebrates in freshwater: nymphs of Odonata Anisoptera and the phantom midge larvae of Chaoborus sp. (Insecta), adults of Copepoda Cyclopoida (Crustacea) and the small fish Poecilia reticulata. It was observed that the smaller Hydra, H. viridissima, positively selected the nauplii and copepodites of calanoid copepods and small cladocerans and rejected large prey, such as the adults of calanoid copepods and ostracods. The larger H. salmacidis, besides the nauplii and copepodites of the calanoid copepods and small cladocerans, also positively selected the large adults of the calanoid copepods. It can be concluded that both H. viridissima and H. salmacidis are most likely preyed on little or not preyed on at all in many freshwater bodies, as they are top predators in the food chain. At the same time, they are efficient predators, and a positive relationship was observed between the prey size and the Hydra species size. Food selectivity was related to prey size as well as other prey characteristics, such as carapace thickness and swimming efficiency.

Effects of Quercetin on the Green Hydra (Hydra viridissima Pallas, 1766)

Effects of quercetin on the green hydra, Hydra viridissima Pallas, and its endosymbiotic alga were studied under laboratory conditions. Quercetin is the most studied flavonoid known for its ability to act as an antioxidant, but it can also show a pro-oxidative effect. Green hydras were treated with four concentrations of quercetin (0.12 g/L, 0.2 g/L, 0.25 g/L and 0.3 g/L) for three days and compared to the control group of animals. Through the use of light microscopy, morphometry and macroscopic observations the results showed morphological changes in the hydra body as well as behavioral changes: depigmentation, migration, deformation, disordered locomotion, diminished reactions to mechanical stimuli and mortality. Further, different histopathological changes in the hydra body were detected. Different changes were monitored in the endosymbiotic alga: cell viability, division, shape and size of cells and chloroplasts, the level of damage and intensity of green color. Based on our results, the most important conclusion is that quercetin has a possible pro-oxidative effect on the green hydra.

The complete mitochondrial genome of Chinese green hydra, Hydra sinensis (Hydroida: Hydridae)

The complete mitochondrial genome of Chinese green hydra, Hydra sinensis (Hydroida: Hydridae) is a linear molecule of 16,189 bp in length, containing 13 protein-coding genes, small and large subunit ribosomal RNAs, methionine and tryptophan transfer RNAs, a pseudogene consisting of a partial copy of COI and terminal sequences at two ends of the linear mitochondrial DNA. The A + T content of the overall base composition of H-strand is 77.2% (T: 41.7%; C: 10.9%; A: 35.5%; and G: 11.9%). COI and ND1 genes begin with GTG as start codon, while other 11 protein-coding genes start with a typical ATG initiation codon. COII, ATP8, ATP6, COIII, ND5, ND6, ND3, ND1, ND4 and COI genes are terminated with TAA as stop codon, ND4L ends with TAG, ND2 ends with TA and Cyt b ends with T.

Hydra of Hawaii: phylogenetic relationships with continental species

The presence of freshwater hydra in the Hawaiian Islands, over 3,700 km from the nearest continental margin, provokes the question of how these animals could reach the islands. We examined three islands for hydra and found two species (the brown hydra, Hydra vulgaris Pallas 1766, and green hydra, H. viridissima Pallas 1766) present at multiple locations on Oahu and Kauai, and at a single site on Hawaii. Phylogenetic analysis based on the internal transcribed spacer (ITS1 and ITS2) regions of ribosomal DNA indicates that all collected strains of brown hydra were closely related to each other—consistent with a single introduced origin. The analysis also shows that all sampled Hawaiian brown hydra fall within a specific clade of H. vulgaris. This clade is sister to a North American clade and nested within a deeper North/Central America clade. The clade with all the Hawaiian brown hydra includes also individuals from Southern California, suggesting a Californian origin for the brown Hawaiian hydra. Hawaiian hydra were probably transported to the islands by man.

Highly treated mine waters may require major ion addition before environmental release

Mining operations often use passive and/or active water treatments to improve water quality prior to environmental release. Key considerations in choosing a treatment process include the extent to which the water quality is actually improved, and the potential residual environmental risks of the release of such water. However, there are few published studies concerning the environmental impacts of treated waste waters. This study used toxicity identification evaluation (TIE) methods to quantify and identify the “toxic” constituents of a highly-treated water (distillate) produced by brine concentration of a mining process water. Exposure of five freshwater species (Chlorella sp., Lemna aequinoctialis, Hydra viridissima, Moinodaphnia macleayi and Mogurnda mogurnda) to a concentration range of the distillate (0, 25, 50 and 100%) found that it was toxic to H. viridissima (50–100% effect when exposed to 100% distillate). TIE tests demonstrated that the effect wasn't due to residual ammonia (~1mgL−1N) or trace organics, and unlikely to be due to manganese (Mn; 130–230μgL−1). Conversely, addition of 0.2 and 0.5mgL−1 calcium improved the growth rate of H. viridissima by 61 and 66%, respectively, while addition of calcium, sodium and potassium (0.5, 1.0 and 0.4mgL−1, respectively) to levels comparable to that in the local aquatic environment resulted in 100% recovery. Further assessment on the likelihood of residual metal toxicity indicated that Mn concentrations in the distillate were at levels that could inhibit the growth of H. viridissima. Ultimately, the results demonstrated that ion deficiency should be considered as a potential stressor in risk/impact assessments of the discharge of treated wastewaters, and these may need to be supplemented with the deficient ions to reduce environmental impacts. The findings have highlighted the need for water managers to consider the possibility of unintended environmental risks from the discharge of highly-treated wastewaters.

What Hydra Has to Say About the Role and Origin of Symbiotic Interactions

The Hydra holobiont involves at least three types of organisms that all share a long coevolutionary history and appear to depend on each other. Here I review how symbiotic algae and stably associated bacteria interact with the Hydra host and where in the tissue they are located. In particular I discuss the role of Toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling in maintaining Hydra's species-specific microbiota. I also discuss studies in Hydra viridis and its symbiotic Chlorella algae which indicate that the symbiotic algae are critically involved in the control of sexual differentiation in green Hydra. Finally, I review the state of "omics" in this tripartite association and the fact that the functioning of this holobiont is also a tale of several genomes.

Cell biology of cnidarian-dinoflagellate symbiosis.

The symbiosis between cnidarians (e.g., corals or sea anemones) and intracellular dinoflagellate algae of the genus Symbiodinium is of immense ecological importance. In particular, this symbiosis promotes the growth and survival of reef corals in nutrient-poor tropical waters; indeed, coral reefs could not exist without this symbiosis. However, our fundamental understanding of the cnidarian-dinoflagellate symbiosis and of its links to coral calcification remains poor. Here we review what we currently know about the cell biology of cnidarian-dinoflagellate symbiosis. In doing so, we aim to refocus attention on fundamental cellular aspects that have been somewhat neglected since the early to mid-1980s, when a more ecological approach began to dominate. We review the four major processes that we believe underlie the various phases of establishment and persistence in the cnidarian/coral-dinoflagellate symbiosis: (i) recognition and phagocytosis, (ii) regulation of host-symbiont biomass, (iii) metabolic exchange and nutrient trafficking, and (iv) calcification. Where appropriate, we draw upon examples from a range of cnidarian-alga symbioses, including the symbiosis between green Hydra and its intracellular chlorophyte symbiont, which has considerable potential to inform our understanding of the cnidarian-dinoflagellate symbiosis. Ultimately, we provide a comprehensive overview of the history of the field, its current status, and where it should be going in the future.

Dissolved organic carbon reduces the toxicity of aluminum to three tropical freshwater organisms

The influence of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) on the toxicity of aluminum (Al) at pH 5 (relevant to acid mine drainage conditions), to the tropical green hydra (Hydra viridissima), green alga (Chlorella sp.), and cladoceran (Moinodaphnia macleayi) was assessed. Two DOC sources, a natural in situ DOC in soft billabong water (SBW) and Suwannee River fulvic acid (SRFA) standard, were compared. The order of sensitivity of the test organisms to dissolved Al (0.1 µm fraction) was Hydra viridissima > Moinodaphnia macleayi > Chlorella sp. with DOC reducing dissolved Al toxicity most for Hydra viridissima. However, colloidal or precipitated Al may contribute indirectly to the toxicity for M. macleayi and Chlorella sp. The toxicity of dissolved Al was up to six times lower in test waters containing 10 mg L(-1) DOC (in the form of SRFA), relative to toxicity observed at 1 mg L(-1) DOC. In contrast, the toxicity of Al was up to two times lower in SBW containing 10 mg L(-1) DOC, relative to water containing 1 mg L(-1) DOC. The increased ability of SRFA in reducing Al toxicity was linked to its greater affinity for complexing Al compared with the in situ DOC. This has important implications for studies that use commercial standards of humic substances to predict Al toxicity in local environments. Speciation modeling demonstrated that Al(3+) and AlOH(2+) provided a strong relationship with toxicity. An empirical relationship is provided for each organism that can be used to predict Al toxicity at a given Al and DOC concentration.

Value of the Hydra model system for studying symbiosis

Green Hydra is used as a classical example for explaining symbiosis in schools as well as an excellent research model. Indeed the cosmopolitan green Hydra (Hydra viridissima) provides a potent experimental framework to investigate the symbiotic relationships between a complex eumetazoan organism and a unicellular photoautotrophic green algae named Chlorella. Chlorella populates a single somatic cell type, the gastrodermal myoepithelial cells (also named digestive cells) and the oocyte at the time of sexual reproduction. This symbiotic relationship is stable, well-determined and provides biological advantages to the algal symbionts, but also to green Hydra over the related non-symbiotic Hydra i.e. brown hydra. These advantages likely result from the bidirectional flow of metabolites between the host and the symbiont. Moreover genetic flow through horizontal gene transfer might also participate in the establishment of these selective advantages. However, these relationships between the host and the symbionts may be more complex. Thus, Jolley and Smith showed that the reproductive rate of the algae increases dramatically outside of Hydra cells, although this endosymbiont isolation is debated. Recently it became possible to keep different species of endosymbionts isolated from green Hydra in stable and permanent cultures and compare them to free-living Chlorella species. Future studies testing metabolic relationships and genetic flow should help elucidate the mechanisms that support the maintenance of symbiosis in a eumetazoan species.

Environmental condition related reproductive strategies and sex ratio in hydras

Kaliszewicz, A. and Lipińska, A. 2011. Environmental condition related reproductive strategies and sex ratio in hydras. —Acta Zoologica (Stockholm) 00:1–7. Temperature and food supply appeared to affect sex ratio, sex composition and percentage of sexual individuals in three Hydra species: Hydra vulgaris, Hydra circumcincta and Hydra viridissima. We found three sexes present: females, males and hermaphrodites depending on environmental conditions. Hydra vulgaris appeared to be a species with a temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD). The males and hermaphrodites were present only under rising temperatures, whereas females were observed exclusively at lowering temperatures. Hydras reproduced asexually at constant room temperature. Unlimited food affected sex ratios and induced the presence of males in H. circumcincta at lowering temperatures. Thus, H. circumcincta may be recognised as another Hydra species in which sex is determined by environmental factors (ESD). Under rising temperatures, the number of hermaphroditic individuals was higher when food supply was unlimited in all three species, indicating that hermaphrodites may need more energy to produce both male and female gonads. Both temperature changes and food supply positively affected asexual reproductive strategies in hydras, especially budding rates. Hydra circumcincta appeared to be less agile than other hydras and able to self-fertilise. It is likely that self-fertilisation is an adaptation to the low probability of meeting a mate belonging to the other clone.