Yang M, Batchelor-McAuley C, Barton S, Rickaby REM, Bouman HA, Compton RG. Calcifying Coccolithophore: An Evolutionary Advantage Against Extracellular Oxidative Damage.
SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2023;
19:e2300346. [PMID:
37433976 DOI:
10.1002/smll.202300346]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Revised: 06/29/2023] [Indexed: 07/13/2023]
Abstract
The evolutionary advantages afforded by phytoplankton calcification remain enigmatic. In this work, fluoroelectrochemical experiments reveal that the presence of a CaCO3 shell of a naturally calcifying coccolithophore, Coccolithus braarudii, offers protection against extracellular oxidants as measured by the time required for the switch-off in their chlorophyll signal, compared to the deshelled equivalents, suggesting the shift toward calcification offers some advantages for survival in the surface of radical-rich seawater.
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