A comprehensive transcriptomic analysis of the gill symbiosis of deep-sea mussel Gigantidas platifrons

In this study, we analyzed the gill symbiosis of the model bathymodiolin mussel Gigantidas platifrons by profiling gene expressions of the three major parts of its symbiosis: the non-symbiotic part of the gill, the bacteriocytes, and the symbiont. We isolated and enriched bacteriocytes, which are the specialized epidermal cells hosting symbiont. We performed RNA-seq based comparative transcriptomic analysis, identified the genes that differentially expressed between the whole gill homogenates and the enriched bacteriocytes. We have also profiled the symbiont gene expression through a metatranscriptomic approach.