Pontus Felix Eriksson

• Eriksson, Pontus Felix; Kerney, Ryan; Larson-Pollock, River; Vickers, Elliana & Laugen, Ane Timenes (2025). Evidence of Holarctic distribution: common frog Rana temporaria eggs in Fennoscandia host photosymbiotic green algae (Oophila sp.). Oikos. ISSN 0030-1299. 2025(6). doi: 10.1111/oik.10752. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Symbiosis is a commonly occurring phenomenon, with most plants and animals being holobionts, comprising of a host and its corresponding symbionts. It is, however, less common to have a symbiont only under a specific life stage and even more so between a photosynthesizing organism and a vertebrate animal. One such relationship is found between the unicellular green algae Oophila amblystomatis and the North American yellow-spotted salamander Ambystoma maculatum, which is so far the only known endosymbiotic relationship between an alga and a vertebrate. In this study we investigate the possible occurrence of O. amblystomatis in Fennoscandian egg clutches from the genus Rana using citizen science data. We establish that egg capsules of the common frog Rana temporaria in Sweden act as a host species for two subclades of the monophyletic genus Oophila on a microgeographical scale (< 10 km) using a phylogenetic analysis. Furthermore, we investigated a possible endosymbiotic relationship between O. amblystomatis and R. temporaria embryos with f luorescence microscopy, which showed no algal invasion of frog tissue or cells in vivo. The association with a known symbiont Oophila may hold ecological importance for ontogeny, individual fitness, behavior, population dynamics and evolutionary potential of R. temporaria. However, the reciprocal benefits to both partners have not been determined for any Oophila-bearing ranid. We discuss the possible Holarctic distribution of Oophila and consider the implications of the relationship between R. temporaria and O. amblystomatis.

• Vences, Miguel; Sachs, Maria; Irisarri, Iker; Bartels, Fabian; Eriksson, Pontus Felix & Künzel, Sven [Show all 12 contributors for this article] (2024). Phylotranscriptomic relationships of the Oophila clade of green algae associated to amphibian egg masses. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. ISSN 1055-7903. 200. doi: 10.1016/j.ympev.2024.108165. Full text in Research Archive

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• Lien, Anne; Nygård, Malene Østreng; Laugen, Ane Timenes; Lie, Asbjørn; Slettan, Audun & Johansen, Beate Strøm [Show all 33 contributors for this article] (2023). Utbygging vil ødelegge for biologisk mangfold på campus Gimlemoen. NB! 34 forfattere totalt. p. 19–19. Full text in Research Archive

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