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Main Authors: Wu, Yanqi, Kouadio, Vieyiti K, Usherwood, Thomas R, Li, Justin, Bisher, Margaret, Aurora, Reshum, Lam, Aaron Z, Lam, Alice R, Lytton-Jean, Abigail K R, Manalis, Scott R, Miettinen, Teemu P
Format: Artículo científico
Language:en
Published: PLoS biology 2025
Subjects:
Online Access:https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41259384/
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author Wu, Yanqi
Kouadio, Vieyiti K
Usherwood, Thomas R
Li, Justin
Bisher, Margaret
Aurora, Reshum
Lam, Aaron Z
Lam, Alice R
Lytton-Jean, Abigail K R
Manalis, Scott R
Miettinen, Teemu P
author_facet Wu, Yanqi
Kouadio, Vieyiti K
Usherwood, Thomas R
Li, Justin
Bisher, Margaret
Aurora, Reshum
Lam, Aaron Z
Lam, Alice R
Lytton-Jean, Abigail K R
Manalis, Scott R
Miettinen, Teemu P
Wu, Yanqi
Kouadio, Vieyiti K
Usherwood, Thomas R
Li, Justin
Bisher, Margaret
Aurora, Reshum
Lam, Aaron Z
Lam, Alice R
Lytton-Jean, Abigail K R
Manalis, Scott R
Miettinen, Teemu P
collection PubMed - marine biology
contents Diverse biophysical and molecular mechanisms drive phytoplankton sinking in response to starvation. Wu, Yanqi Kouadio, Vieyiti K Usherwood, Thomas R Li, Justin Bisher, Margaret Aurora, Reshum Lam, Aaron Z Lam, Alice R Lytton-Jean, Abigail K R Manalis, Scott R Miettinen, Teemu P Phytoplankton Gravitation Nutrients Marine phytoplankton face eco-evolutionary pressure to regulate their vertical position in the ocean to access light, which is abundant towards the surface, and nutrients, which are found deeper down the water column. All phytoplankton experience gravitational sinking, which can contribute to their vertical migration. However, the biophysical and molecular mechanisms that impact gravitational sinking have not been systematically characterized across taxa and environmental conditions. Here, we combine simulations with measurements of cell mass, volume, and composition to investigate the effects of nutrient availability on gravitational sinking in nine representative unicellular pico- and nanoplankton species. We find that gravitational sinking becomes faster in most species when starved, but the biophysical changes responsible for this vary across species and starvation conditions. For example, the faster sinking of Chaetoceros calcitrans is nearly exclusively driven by cell density whereas that of Emiliania huxleyi is due to cell volume. On the molecular level, the altered sinking is predominantly attributed to changes in cellular dry contents, rather than water. For example, starch accumulation increases sinking in three green algae species, and lipid accumulation decreases sinking in Phaeodactylum tricornutum. Overall, our work reveals that phytoplankton physiology has evolved multiple mechanisms that impact gravitational sinking in response to starvation, possibly to support the vertical migration of the cell.
format Artículo científico
id pubmed_41259384
institution PubMed
language en
publishDate 2025
publisher PLoS biology
record_format pubmed
spellingShingle Diverse biophysical and molecular mechanisms drive phytoplankton sinking in response to starvation.
Wu, Yanqi
Kouadio, Vieyiti K
Usherwood, Thomas R
Li, Justin
Bisher, Margaret
Aurora, Reshum
Lam, Aaron Z
Lam, Alice R
Lytton-Jean, Abigail K R
Manalis, Scott R
Miettinen, Teemu P
Phytoplankton
Gravitation
Nutrients
Diverse biophysical and molecular mechanisms drive phytoplankton sinking in response to starvation. Wu, Yanqi Kouadio, Vieyiti K Usherwood, Thomas R Li, Justin Bisher, Margaret Aurora, Reshum Lam, Aaron Z Lam, Alice R Lytton-Jean, Abigail K R Manalis, Scott R Miettinen, Teemu P Phytoplankton Gravitation Nutrients Marine phytoplankton face eco-evolutionary pressure to regulate their vertical position in the ocean to access light, which is abundant towards the surface, and nutrients, which are found deeper down the water column. All phytoplankton experience gravitational sinking, which can contribute to their vertical migration. However, the biophysical and molecular mechanisms that impact gravitational sinking have not been systematically characterized across taxa and environmental conditions. Here, we combine simulations with measurements of cell mass, volume, and composition to investigate the effects of nutrient availability on gravitational sinking in nine representative unicellular pico- and nanoplankton species. We find that gravitational sinking becomes faster in most species when starved, but the biophysical changes responsible for this vary across species and starvation conditions. For example, the faster sinking of Chaetoceros calcitrans is nearly exclusively driven by cell density whereas that of Emiliania huxleyi is due to cell volume. On the molecular level, the altered sinking is predominantly attributed to changes in cellular dry contents, rather than water. For example, starch accumulation increases sinking in three green algae species, and lipid accumulation decreases sinking in Phaeodactylum tricornutum. Overall, our work reveals that phytoplankton physiology has evolved multiple mechanisms that impact gravitational sinking in response to starvation, possibly to support the vertical migration of the cell.
title Diverse biophysical and molecular mechanisms drive phytoplankton sinking in response to starvation.
topic Phytoplankton
Gravitation
Nutrients
url https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41259384/