1
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Abdul Rahman A, Mohd Isa IL, Tofail SAM, Bartlomiej L, Rodriguez BJ, Biggs MJ, Pandit A. Modification of Living Diatom, Thalassiosira weissflogii, with a Calcium Precursor through a Calcium Uptake Mechanism: A Next Generation Biomaterial for Advanced Delivery Systems. ACS APPLIED BIO MATERIALS 2024; 7:4102-4115. [PMID: 38758756 PMCID: PMC11190972 DOI: 10.1021/acsabm.4c00431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2024] [Revised: 05/06/2024] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/19/2024]
Abstract
The diatom's frustule, characterized by its rugged and porous exterior, exhibits a remarkable biomimetic morphology attributable to its highly ordered pores, extensive surface area, and unique architecture. Despite these advantages, the toxicity and nonbiodegradable nature of silica-based organisms pose a significant challenge when attempting to utilize these organisms as nanotopographically functionalized microparticles in the realm of biomedicine. In this study, we addressed this limitation by modulating the chemical composition of diatom microparticles by modulating the active silica metabolic uptake mechanism while maintaining their intricate three-dimensional architecture through calcium incorporation into living diatoms. Here, the diatom Thalassiosira weissflogii was chemically modified to replace its silica composition with a biodegradable calcium template, while simultaneously preserving the unique three-dimensional (3D) frustule structure with hierarchical patterns of pores and nanoscale architectural features, which was evident by the deposition of calcium as calcium carbonate. Calcium hydroxide is incorporated into the exoskeleton through the active mechanism of calcium uptake via a carbon-concentrating mechanism, without altering the microstructure. Our findings suggest that calcium-modified diatoms hold potential as a nature-inspired delivery system for immunotherapy through antibody-specific binding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asrizal Abdul Rahman
- CÚRAM,
SFI Research Centre for Medical Devices, University of Galway, Galway H91 W2TY, Ireland
| | - Isma Liza Mohd Isa
- CÚRAM,
SFI Research Centre for Medical Devices, University of Galway, Galway H91 W2TY, Ireland
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 56000 Cheras, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Syed A. M. Tofail
- Materials
and Surface Science Institute, University
of Limerick, Limerick V94 T9PX, Ireland
| | - Lukasz Bartlomiej
- Conway
Institute of Biomolecular and Biomedical Research and School of Physics, University College Dublin, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - Brian J. Rodriguez
- Conway
Institute of Biomolecular and Biomedical Research and School of Physics, University College Dublin, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - Manus J. Biggs
- CÚRAM,
SFI Research Centre for Medical Devices, University of Galway, Galway H91 W2TY, Ireland
| | - Abhay Pandit
- CÚRAM,
SFI Research Centre for Medical Devices, University of Galway, Galway H91 W2TY, Ireland
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2
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Dory F, Nava V, Spreafico M, Orlandi V, Soler V, Leoni B. Interaction between temperature and nutrients: How does the phytoplankton community cope with climate change? THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 906:167566. [PMID: 37802360 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.167566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Revised: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 10/01/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023]
Abstract
Climate change and increasing nutrient concentrations are two major threats to lake ecosystems. Furthermore, warming is exacerbating the symptoms of eutrophication in freshwaters. Facing both environmental challenges simultaneously is more urgent than ever to preserve and recover water quality and protect the remaining biodiversity. Here, we used long-term observational data to investigate the phytoplankton response to the interaction between temperature and nutrient variations in a deep mesotrophic subalpine lake (L. Iseo, Italy). Despite the existing management programs, we observed a deterioration of the physicochemical status of the lake between 1993 and 2021 in the water column. The average rate of temperature increase was 0.02 °C y-1 across the studied period and accelerated after the last complete mixing events (2005 and 2006), particularly during the last decade (0.08 °C y-1). Water warming caused severe impacts on nutrient cycling, reflected by the overall increase in nutrient concentrations. The direct effect of warming was of great importance for phytoplankton, leading to an increase in total biovolume and a loss of diversity and promoting the dominance of Cyanobacteria. Nutrient variations, especially TN and the DSi:TP ratio, considerably structured the community composition. The modification of physicochemical parameters caused by the last complete mixing events led to a remarkable, long-term taxonomical and functional reorganization of the phytoplankton community. This study illustrates that phytoplankton in deep subalpine lakes will experience severe changes in the upcoming years, and that complete mixing events may constitute a threshold for community transformation. Our results stress the importance of using powerful interpretative models with multifaceted long-term datasets to disentangle the pathways by which temperature and nutrients could regulate the phytoplankton community. Our conclusions will help to integrate climate change into mitigation strategies to preserve ecosystem structure and functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Flavia Dory
- University of Milano-Bicocca, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Piazza della Scienza 1, Milan, Italy.
| | - Veronica Nava
- University of Milano-Bicocca, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Piazza della Scienza 1, Milan, Italy
| | - Morena Spreafico
- University of Milano-Bicocca, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Piazza della Scienza 1, Milan, Italy
| | - Valentina Orlandi
- University of Milano-Bicocca, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Piazza della Scienza 1, Milan, Italy
| | - Valentina Soler
- University of Milano-Bicocca, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Piazza della Scienza 1, Milan, Italy
| | - Barbara Leoni
- University of Milano-Bicocca, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Piazza della Scienza 1, Milan, Italy.
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3
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Xu H, Liu H, Chen F, Zhang X, Zhang Z, Ma J, Pan K, Liu H. Ocean acidification affects physiology of coccolithophore Emiliania huxleyi and weakens its mechanical resistance to copepods. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 192:106232. [PMID: 37866975 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2023.106232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Revised: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 10/15/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023]
Abstract
The effects of ocean acidification (OA) on coccolithophore's photosynthesis, calcification rates, and growth have been extensively studied. However, how the intracellular Ca2+, mechanical properties and chemical composition of the coccoliths are affected by OA have not yet been investigated. This study tries to fill these gaps using Emiliania huxleyi as a model coccolithophore. When the seawater pCO2 increased from 400 μatm to 1200 μatm, the intracellular Ca2+ and coccolith area were reduced by 66% and 36%, respectively. Single-cell mapping by atomic force microscopy revealed that the modulus and hardness of coccolith decreased from 23.6 ± 0.2 GPa to 12.0 ± 5.5 GPa and from 0.53 ± 0.15 GPa to 0.20 ± 0.06 GPa, respectively. Additionally, the proportional organic matter and silicon in the coccolith surfaces increased with pCO2. The copepods Acartia pacifica fed on more E. huxleyi grown at higher pCO2. Our study implies that OA could change coccolithophore's competitive interactions with other phytoplankton and ultimately influence carbon export to the deep ocean.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huo Xu
- SZU-HKUST Joint PhD Program in Marine Environmental Science, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China; Department of Ocean Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China
| | - Haijiao Liu
- Research Centre for Indian Ocean Ecosystem, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin, China
| | - Fengyuan Chen
- SZU-HKUST Joint PhD Program in Marine Environmental Science, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China; Department of Ocean Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China
| | - Xiaodong Zhang
- SZU-HKUST Joint PhD Program in Marine Environmental Science, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China; Department of Ocean Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China
| | - Zhen Zhang
- SZU-HKUST Joint PhD Program in Marine Environmental Science, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China; Department of Ocean Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China
| | - Jie Ma
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Microbiome Engineering, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Ke Pan
- SZU-HKUST Joint PhD Program in Marine Environmental Science, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China; Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Microbiome Engineering, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.
| | - Hongbin Liu
- Department of Ocean Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China; Hong Kong Branch of Southern Marine Science & Engineering Guangdong Laboratory, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China.
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4
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Bordiga M, Lupi C, Langer G, Gianoncelli A, Birarda G, Pollastri S, Bonanni V, Bedolla DE, Vaccari L, Gariani G, Cerino F, Cabrini M, Beran A, Zuccotti M, Fiorentino G, Zanoni M, Garagna S, Cobianchi M, Di Giulio A. Unexpected silicon localization in calcium carbonate exoskeleton of cultured and fossil coccolithophores. Sci Rep 2023; 13:7417. [PMID: 37150777 PMCID: PMC10164752 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-34003-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 04/22/2023] [Indexed: 05/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Coccolithophores, marine calcifying phytoplankton, are important primary producers impacting the global carbon cycle at different timescales. Their biomineral structures, the calcite containing coccoliths, are among the most elaborate hard parts of any organism. Understanding the morphogenesis of coccoliths is not only relevant in the context of coccolithophore eco-physiology but will also inform biomineralization and crystal design research more generally. The recent discovery of a silicon (Si) requirement for crystal shaping in some coccolithophores has opened up a new avenue of biomineralization research. In order to develop a mechanistic understanding of the role of Si, the presence and localization of this chemical element in coccoliths needs to be known. Here, we document for the first time the uneven Si distribution in Helicosphaera carteri coccoliths through three synchrotron-based techniques employing X-ray Fluorescence and Infrared Spectromicroscopy. The enrichment of Si in specific areas of the coccoliths point to a targeted role of this element in the coccolith formation. Our findings mark a key step in biomineralization research because it opens the door for a detailed mechanistic understanding of the role Si plays in shaping coccolith crystals.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Bordiga
- National Institute of Oceanography and Applied Geophysics-OGS, Via Auguste Piccard 54, 34151, Trieste, Italy
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Pavia, Via Ferrata 1, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - C Lupi
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Pavia, Via Ferrata 1, 27100, Pavia, Italy.
| | - G Langer
- ICTA, Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB), 08193, Bellaterra, Spain
| | - A Gianoncelli
- Elettra-Sincrotrone Trieste, Strada Statale 14, km 163.5 in Area Science Park, 34049, Trieste-Basovizza, Italy
| | - G Birarda
- Elettra-Sincrotrone Trieste, Strada Statale 14, km 163.5 in Area Science Park, 34049, Trieste-Basovizza, Italy
| | - S Pollastri
- Elettra-Sincrotrone Trieste, Strada Statale 14, km 163.5 in Area Science Park, 34049, Trieste-Basovizza, Italy
| | - V Bonanni
- Elettra-Sincrotrone Trieste, Strada Statale 14, km 163.5 in Area Science Park, 34049, Trieste-Basovizza, Italy
| | - D E Bedolla
- Elettra-Sincrotrone Trieste, Strada Statale 14, km 163.5 in Area Science Park, 34049, Trieste-Basovizza, Italy
- AREA Science Park, Padriciano 99, 34149, Trieste, Italy
| | - L Vaccari
- Elettra-Sincrotrone Trieste, Strada Statale 14, km 163.5 in Area Science Park, 34049, Trieste-Basovizza, Italy
| | - G Gariani
- Elettra-Sincrotrone Trieste, Strada Statale 14, km 163.5 in Area Science Park, 34049, Trieste-Basovizza, Italy
| | - F Cerino
- National Institute of Oceanography and Applied Geophysics-OGS, Via Auguste Piccard 54, 34151, Trieste, Italy
| | - M Cabrini
- National Institute of Oceanography and Applied Geophysics-OGS, Via Auguste Piccard 54, 34151, Trieste, Italy
| | - A Beran
- National Institute of Oceanography and Applied Geophysics-OGS, Via Auguste Piccard 54, 34151, Trieste, Italy
| | - M Zuccotti
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies "Lazzaro Spallanzani", University of Pavia, Via Ferrata 9, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - G Fiorentino
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies "Lazzaro Spallanzani", University of Pavia, Via Ferrata 9, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - M Zanoni
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies "Lazzaro Spallanzani", University of Pavia, Via Ferrata 9, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - S Garagna
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies "Lazzaro Spallanzani", University of Pavia, Via Ferrata 9, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - M Cobianchi
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Pavia, Via Ferrata 1, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - A Di Giulio
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Pavia, Via Ferrata 1, 27100, Pavia, Italy
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5
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Churakova Y, Aguilera A, Charalampous E, Conley DJ, Lundin D, Pinhassi J, Farnelid H. Biogenic silica accumulation in picoeukaryotes: Novel players in the marine silica cycle. ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY REPORTS 2023. [PMID: 36992638 DOI: 10.1111/1758-2229.13144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2022] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
It is well known that the biological control of oceanic silica cycling is dominated by diatoms, with sponges and radiolarians playing additional roles. Recent studies have revealed that some smaller marine organisms (e.g. the picocyanobacterium Synechococcus) also take up silicic acid (dissolved silica, dSi) and accumulate silica, despite not exhibiting silicon dependent cellular structures. Here, we show biogenic silica (bSi) accumulation in five strains of picoeukaryotes (<2-3 μm), including three novel isolates from the Baltic Sea, and two marine species (Ostreococcus tauri and Micromonas commoda), in cultures grown with added dSi (100 μM). Average bSi accumulation in these novel biosilicifiers was between 30 and 92 amol Si cell-1 . Growth rate and cell size of the picoeukaryotes were not affected by dSi addition. Still, the purpose of bSi accumulation in these smaller eukaryotic organisms lacking silicon dependent structures remains unclear. In line with the increasing recognition of picoeukaryotes in biogeochemical cycling, our findings suggest that they can also play a significant role in silica cycling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yelena Churakova
- Centre for Ecology and Evolution in Microbial Model Systems (EEMiS), Linnaeus University, Kalmar, Sweden
| | - Anabella Aguilera
- Centre for Ecology and Evolution in Microbial Model Systems (EEMiS), Linnaeus University, Kalmar, Sweden
| | - Evangelia Charalampous
- Centre for Ecology and Evolution in Microbial Model Systems (EEMiS), Linnaeus University, Kalmar, Sweden
| | | | - Daniel Lundin
- Centre for Ecology and Evolution in Microbial Model Systems (EEMiS), Linnaeus University, Kalmar, Sweden
| | - Jarone Pinhassi
- Centre for Ecology and Evolution in Microbial Model Systems (EEMiS), Linnaeus University, Kalmar, Sweden
| | - Hanna Farnelid
- Centre for Ecology and Evolution in Microbial Model Systems (EEMiS), Linnaeus University, Kalmar, Sweden
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6
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Ratcliffe S, Meyer EM, Walker CE, Knight M, McNair HM, Matson PG, Iglesias-Rodriguez D, Brzezinski M, Langer G, Sadekov A, Greaves M, Brownlee C, Curnow P, Taylor AR, Wheeler GL. Characterization of the molecular mechanisms of silicon uptake in coccolithophores. Environ Microbiol 2023; 25:315-330. [PMID: 36397254 PMCID: PMC10098502 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.16280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 11/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Coccolithophores are an important group of calcifying marine phytoplankton. Although coccolithophores are not silicified, some species exhibit a requirement for Si in the calcification process. These species also possess a novel protein (SITL) that resembles the SIT family of Si transporters found in diatoms. However, the nature of Si transport in coccolithophores is not yet known, making it difficult to determine the wider role of Si in coccolithophore biology. Here, we show that coccolithophore SITLs act as Na+ -coupled Si transporters when expressed in heterologous systems and exhibit similar characteristics to diatom SITs. We find that CbSITL from Coccolithus braarudii is transcriptionally regulated by Si availability and is expressed in environmental coccolithophore populations. However, the Si requirement of C. braarudii and other coccolithophores is very low, with transport rates of exogenous Si below the level of detection in sensitive assays of Si transport. As coccoliths contain only low levels of Si, we propose that Si acts to support the calcification process, rather than forming a structural component of the coccolith itself. Si is therefore acting as a micronutrient in coccolithophores and natural populations are only likely to experience Si limitation in circumstances where dissolved silicon (DSi) is depleted to extreme levels.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Erin M Meyer
- Department of Biology and Marine Biology, University of North Carolina Wilmington, Wilmington, North Carolina, USA
| | - Charlotte E Walker
- Marine Biological Association, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth, UK
| | - Michael Knight
- School of Ocean and Earth Science, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Heather M McNair
- Department of Ecology Evolution and Marine Biology and the Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, USA
- Graduate School of Oceanography, University of Rhode Island, Narragansett, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Paul G Matson
- Department of Ecology Evolution and Marine Biology and the Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, USA
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA
| | - Debora Iglesias-Rodriguez
- Department of Ecology Evolution and Marine Biology and the Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, USA
| | - Mark Brzezinski
- Department of Ecology Evolution and Marine Biology and the Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, USA
- Graduate School of Oceanography, University of Rhode Island, Narragansett, Rhode Island, USA
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA
| | - Gerald Langer
- Marine Biological Association, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth, UK
| | - Aleksey Sadekov
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, Ocean Graduate School, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Mervyn Greaves
- The Godwin Laboratory for Palaeoclimate Research, Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Colin Brownlee
- Marine Biological Association, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth, UK
| | - Paul Curnow
- School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Alison R Taylor
- Department of Biology and Marine Biology, University of North Carolina Wilmington, Wilmington, North Carolina, USA
| | - Glen L Wheeler
- Marine Biological Association, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth, UK
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7
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Brownlee C, Helliwell KE, Meeda Y, McLachlan D, Murphy EA, Wheeler GL. Regulation and integration of membrane transport in marine diatoms. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2023; 134:79-89. [PMID: 35305902 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2022.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2021] [Revised: 02/18/2022] [Accepted: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Diatoms represent one of the most successful groups of marine phytoplankton and are major contributors to ocean biogeochemical cycling. They have colonized marine, freshwater and ice environments and inhabit all regions of the World's oceans, from poles to tropics. Their success is underpinned by a remarkable ability to regulate their growth and metabolism during nutrient limitation and to respond rapidly when nutrients are available. This requires precise regulation of membrane transport and nutrient acquisition mechanisms, integration of nutrient sensing mechanisms and coordination of different transport pathways. This review outlines transport mechanisms involved in acquisition of key nutrients (N, C, P, Si, Fe) by marine diatoms, illustrating their complexity, sophistication and multiple levels of control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colin Brownlee
- Marine Biological Association, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth PL1 2PB, UK; School of Ocean and Earth Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton SO14 3ZH, UK
| | - Katherine E Helliwell
- Marine Biological Association, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth PL1 2PB, UK; Biosciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK
| | - Yasmin Meeda
- Marine Biological Association, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth PL1 2PB, UK
| | - Deirdre McLachlan
- Marine Biological Association, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth PL1 2PB, UK; School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - Eleanor A Murphy
- Marine Biological Association, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth PL1 2PB, UK
| | - Glen L Wheeler
- Marine Biological Association, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth PL1 2PB, UK
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8
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Shetye S, Gazi S, Manglavil A, Shenoy D, Kurian S, Pratihary A, Shirodkar G, Mohan R, Dias A, Naik H, Gauns M, Nandakumar K, Borker S. Malformation in coccolithophores in low pH waters: evidences from the eastern Arabian Sea. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2023; 30:42351-42366. [PMID: 36648723 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-25249-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2022] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Oceanic calcifying plankton such as coccolithophores is expected to exhibit sensitivity to climate change stressors such as warming and acidification. Observational studies on coccolithophore communities along with carbonate chemistry provide important perceptions of possible adaptations of these organisms to ocean acidification. However, this phytoplankton group remains one of the least studied in the northern Indian Ocean. In 2017, the biogeochemistry group at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research-National Institute of Oceanography (CSIR-NIO) initiated a coccolithophore monitoring study in the eastern Arabian Sea (EAS). Here, we document for the first time a detailed spatial and seasonal distribution of coccolithophores and their controlling factors from the EAS, which is a well-known source of CO2 to the atmosphere. To infer the seasonality, data collected at three transects (Goa, Mangalore, and Kochi) during the Southwest Monsoon (SWM) of 2018 was compared with that of the late SWM of 2017. Apart from this, the abundance of coccolithophores was studied at the Candolim Time Series (CaTS) transect, off Goa during the Northeast Monsoon (NEM). The most abundant coccolithophore species found in the study region was Gephyrocapsa oceanica. A high abundance of G. oceanica (1800 × 103cells L-1) was observed at the Mangalore transect during the late SWM despite experiencing low pH and can be linked to nitrogen availability. The high abundance of G. oceanica at Mangalore was associated with high dimethylsulphide (DMS). Particulate inorganic carbon (PIC) and scattering coefficient retrieved from satellites also indicated a high abundance of coccolithophores off Mangalore during the late SWM of 2017. Interestingly, G. oceanica showed malformation during the late SWM in low pH waters. Malformation in coccolithophores could have a far-reaching impact on the settling fluxes of organic matter and also on the emissions of climatically important gases such as DMS and CO2, thus influencing atmospheric chemistry. The satellite data for PIC in the EAS indicates a high abundance of coccolithophore in recent years, especially during the warm El Nino years (2015 and 2018). This warrants the need for a better assessment of the fate of coccolithophores in high-CO2 and warmer oceans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suhas Shetye
- CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, Dona Paula, Goa, 403004, India.
| | - Sahina Gazi
- ESSO-National Centre for Polar & Ocean Research, Headland Sada, Goa, 403804, India
| | - Arundhathy Manglavil
- Regional Centre, CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, Kochi, Kerala, 628018, India
| | - Damodar Shenoy
- CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, Dona Paula, Goa, 403004, India
| | - Siby Kurian
- CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, Dona Paula, Goa, 403004, India
| | - Anil Pratihary
- CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, Dona Paula, Goa, 403004, India
| | - Gayatri Shirodkar
- CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, Dona Paula, Goa, 403004, India
| | - Rahul Mohan
- ESSO-National Centre for Polar & Ocean Research, Headland Sada, Goa, 403804, India
| | - Albertina Dias
- CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, Dona Paula, Goa, 403004, India
| | - Hema Naik
- CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, Dona Paula, Goa, 403004, India
| | - Mangesh Gauns
- CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, Dona Paula, Goa, 403004, India
| | | | - Sidhesh Borker
- CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, Dona Paula, Goa, 403004, India
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9
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Knight MJ, Hardy BJ, Wheeler GL, Curnow P. Computational modelling of diatom silicic acid transporters predicts a conserved fold with implications for their function and evolution. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA. BIOMEMBRANES 2023; 1865:184056. [PMID: 36191629 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2022.184056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Revised: 09/16/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Diatoms are an important group of algae that can produce intricate silicified cell walls (frustules). The complex process of silicification involves a set of enigmatic integral membrane proteins that are thought to actively transport the soluble precursor of biosilica, dissolved silicic acid. Full-length silicic acid transporters are found widely across the diatoms while homologous shorter proteins have now been identified in a range of other organisms. It has been suggested that modern silicic acid transporters arose from the union of such partial sequences. Here, we present a computational study of the silicic acid transporters and related transporter-like sequences to help understand the structure, function and evolution of this class of membrane protein. The AlphaFold software predicts that all of the protein sequences studied here share a common fold in the membrane domain which is entirely different from the predicted folds of non-homologous silicic acid transporters from plants. Substrate docking reveals how conserved polar residues could interact with silicic acid at a central solvent-accessible binding site, consistent with an alternating access mechanism of transport. The structural conservation between these proteins supports a model where modern silicon transporters evolved from smaller ancestral proteins by gene fusion.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Paul Curnow
- School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, UK.
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10
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Eyal Z, Krounbi L, Joseph OB, Avrahami EM, Pinkas I, Peled-Zehavi H, Gal A. The variability in the structural and functional properties of coccolith base plates. Acta Biomater 2022; 148:336-344. [PMID: 35738389 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2022.06.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Revised: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Biomineralization processes exert varying levels of control over crystallization, ranging from poorly ordered polycrystalline arrays to intricately shaped single crystals. Coccoliths, calcified scales formed by unicellular algae, are a model for a highly controlled crystallization process. The coccolith crystals nucleate next to an organic oval structure that was termed the base plate, leading to the assumption that the base plate is responsible for the oriented nucleation of the crystals via stereochemical interactions. In recent years, several works focusing on a well-characterized model species demonstrated a fundamental role for indirect interactions that facilitate coccolith crystallization. Here, we develop the tools to extract the base plates from five different species, giving the opportunity to systematically explore the relations between base plate and coccolith properties. We used multiple imaging techniques to evaluate the structural and chemical features of the base plates under native hydrated conditions. The results show a wide range of properties, overlaid on a common rudimentary scaffold that lacks any detectable structural or chemical motifs that can explain direct nucleation control. This work emphasizes that it is the combination between the base plate and the chemical environment inside the cell that cooperatively facilitate the exquisite control over the crystallization process. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: : Biological organic scaffolds can serve as functional surfaces that guide the formation of inorganic materials. However, in many cases the specific interactions that facilitate such tight regulation are complex and not fully understood. In this work, we elucidate the architecture of such model biological template, an organic scale that directs the assembly of exquisite crystalline arrays of marine microalgae. By using cryo electron microscopy, we reveal the native state organization of these scales from several species. The observed similarities and differences allow us to propose that the chemical microenvironment, rather than stereochemical matching, is the pivotal regulator of the process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zohar Eyal
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Leilah Krounbi
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Oz Ben Joseph
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Emanuel M Avrahami
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Iddo Pinkas
- Department of Chemical Research Support, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 7610001 Israel
| | - Hadas Peled-Zehavi
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Assaf Gal
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel.
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11
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Evolutionary Rates in the Haptophyta: Exploring Molecular and Phenotypic Diversity. JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/jmse10060798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/10/2022]
Abstract
Haptophytes are photosynthetic protists found in both freshwater and marine environments with an origin possibly dating back to the Neoproterozoic era. The most recent molecular phylogeny reveals several haptophyte “mystery clades” that await morphological verification, but it is otherwise highly consistent with morphology-based phylogenies, including that of the coccolithophores (calcifying haptophytes). The fossil coccolith record offers unique insights into extinct lineages, including the adaptive radiations that produced extant descendant species. By combining molecular data of extant coccolithophores and phenotype-based studies of their ancestral lineages, it has become possible to probe the modes and rates of speciation in more detail, although this approach is still limited to only few taxa because of the lack of whole-genome datasets. The evolution of calcification likely involved several steps, but its origin can be traced back to an early association with organic scales typical for all haptophytes. Other key haptophyte traits, including the haplo-diplontic life cycle, are herein mapped upon the coccolithophorid phylogeny to help navigate a discussion of their ecological benefits and trade-offs in a rapidly changing ocean.
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12
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Reduced H + channel activity disrupts pH homeostasis and calcification in coccolithophores at low ocean pH. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2118009119. [PMID: 35522711 PMCID: PMC9171652 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2118009119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Coccolithophore calcification is a major ocean biogeochemical process. While this process is likely to be sensitive to acidification-driven changes in ocean carbonate chemistry, incomplete understanding of the underlying mechanisms and constraints is a major bottleneck in predicting ocean acidification effects on calcification. We report severe disruption of pH homeostasis linked to a loss of H+ channel function in the coccolithophore Coccolithus braarudii acclimated to seawater pH values that are likely to be encountered currently in localized regions and more widely in future oceans. This disruption leads to specific defects in coccolith morphology. These findings provide mechanistic insight into how calcification in different coccolithophores is affected by changes in seawater carbonate chemistry. Coccolithophores are major producers of ocean biogenic calcite, but this process is predicted to be negatively affected by future ocean acidification scenarios. Since coccolithophores calcify intracellularly, the mechanisms through which changes in seawater carbonate chemistry affect calcification remain unclear. Here we show that voltage-gated H+ channels in the plasma membrane of Coccolithus braarudii serve to regulate pH and maintain calcification under normal conditions but have greatly reduced activity in cells acclimated to low pH. This disrupts intracellular pH homeostasis and impairs the ability of C. braarudii to remove H+ generated by the calcification process, leading to specific coccolith malformations. These coccolith malformations can be reproduced by pharmacological inhibition of H+ channels. Heavily calcified coccolithophore species such as C. braarudii, which make the major contribution to carbonate export to the deep ocean, have a large intracellular H+ load and are likely to be most vulnerable to future decreases in ocean pH.
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13
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Abstract
Black talc is a natural silicate clay mineral with a typical 2:1 layered structure, low electrical conductivity, large specific surface area, and high thermal stability. The world’s largest black talc mine, with known reserves of one billion tons, is located in China’s Jiangxi province. Due to the restriction of its color, the application of black talc is only limited to ceramic raw materials, coating filler, waterproof materials, and other low-end application industries. Thermal treatment is a common method of clay mineral modification. It is vital to examine the structural and physical changes of black talc during calcination in order to prepare black-talc-based composites and to broaden their applications. This work discusses the evolution of black talc upon thermal treatment (30–1000 °C) and the corresponding structural changes. The thermal stability of minerals was analyzed via thermogravimetric (TG) analysis and thermogravimetry–mass spectrometry (TG-MS). The decomposition of minerals during calcination consists of four processes: dehydration, organic carbon decomposition, dihydroxylation, and phase transformation. In situ FTIR and in situ XRD were employed to track changes in black talc in real time during thermal treatment. At 800 °C, black talc was found to begin to go through dihydroxylation, and the crystallinity index decreased significantly. The XRD pattern of samples at 950 °C (T950) showed the reflection of the enstatite structure, and the relative crystallinity index was 27.3%, indicating that the mineral had undergone phase transformation. In addition, the Brunauer–Emmet–Teller (BET), laser particle size analyzer, Zeta potential, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques were used to systematically characterize the physicochemical properties of minerals at different temperatures. The results show that black talc’s particle size and specific surface area increase with the calcination temperature. The surface charge changes, and more amorphous SiO2 and MgO appear, indicating that thermal treatment could induce structural changes and activate the surface of black talc.
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14
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Irwin NAT, Pittis AA, Richards TA, Keeling PJ. Systematic evaluation of horizontal gene transfer between eukaryotes and viruses. Nat Microbiol 2021; 7:327-336. [PMID: 34972821 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-021-01026-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2021] [Accepted: 11/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Gene exchange between viruses and their hosts acts as a key facilitator of horizontal gene transfer and is hypothesized to be a major driver of evolutionary change. Our understanding of this process comes primarily from bacteria and phage co-evolution, but the mode and functional importance of gene transfers between eukaryotes and their viruses remain anecdotal. Here we systematically characterized viral-eukaryotic gene exchange across eukaryotic and viral diversity, identifying thousands of transfers and revealing their frequency, taxonomic distribution and projected functions. Eukaryote-derived viral genes, abundant in the Nucleocytoviricota, highlighted common strategies for viral host-manipulation, including metabolic reprogramming, proteolytic degradation and extracellular modification. Furthermore, viral-derived eukaryotic genes implicate genetic exchange in the early evolution and diversification of eukaryotes, particularly through viral-derived glycosyltransferases, which have impacted structures as diverse as algal cell walls, trypanosome mitochondria and animal tissues. These findings illuminate the nature of viral-eukaryotic gene exchange and its impact on the evolution of viruses and their eukaryotic hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas A T Irwin
- Merton College, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK. .,Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK. .,Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
| | - Alexandros A Pittis
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | | | - Patrick J Keeling
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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15
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Mock T. Silicon drives the evolution of complex crystal morphology in calcifying algae. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2021; 231:1663-1666. [PMID: 34165808 DOI: 10.1111/nph.17507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2021] [Accepted: 05/19/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Mock
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR47TJ, UK
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16
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Langer G, Taylor AR, Walker CE, Meyer EM, Ben Joseph O, Gal A, Harper GM, Probert I, Brownlee C, Wheeler GL. Role of silicon in the development of complex crystal shapes in coccolithophores. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2021; 231:1845-1857. [PMID: 33483994 DOI: 10.1111/nph.17230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2020] [Accepted: 12/23/2020] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
The development of calcification by the coccolithophores had a profound impact on ocean carbon cycling, but the evolutionary steps leading to the formation of these complex biomineralized structures are not clear. Heterococcoliths consisting of intricately shaped calcite crystals are formed intracellularly by the diploid life cycle phase. Holococcoliths consisting of simple rhombic crystals can be produced by the haploid life cycle stage but are thought to be formed extracellularly, representing an independent evolutionary origin of calcification. We use advanced microscopy techniques to determine the nature of coccolith formation and complex crystal formation in coccolithophore life cycle stages. We find that holococcoliths are formed in intracellular compartments in a similar manner to heterococcoliths. However, we show that silicon is not required for holococcolith formation and that the requirement for silicon in certain coccolithophore species relates specifically to the process of crystal morphogenesis in heterococcoliths. We therefore propose an evolutionary scheme in which the lower complexity holococcoliths represent an ancestral form of calcification in coccolithophores. The subsequent recruitment of a silicon-dependent mechanism for crystal morphogenesis in the diploid life cycle stage led to the emergence of the intricately shaped heterococcoliths, enabling the formation of the elaborate coccospheres that underpin the ecological success of coccolithophores.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerald Langer
- Marine Biological Association, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth, PL1 2PB, UK
| | - Alison R Taylor
- Department of Biology and Marine Biology, University of North Carolina Wilmington, Wilmington, NC, 28403-591, USA
| | - Charlotte E Walker
- Marine Biological Association, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth, PL1 2PB, UK
| | - Erin M Meyer
- Department of Biology and Marine Biology, University of North Carolina Wilmington, Wilmington, NC, 28403-591, USA
| | - Oz Ben Joseph
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 7610001, Israel
| | - Assaf Gal
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 7610001, Israel
| | - Glenn M Harper
- Plymouth Electron Microscopy Centre, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, PL4 8AA, UK
| | - Ian Probert
- FR2424 Sorbonne University / CNRS, Station Biologique de Roscoff, Roscoff, 29680, France
| | - Colin Brownlee
- Marine Biological Association, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth, PL1 2PB, UK
- School of Ocean and Earth Science, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO14 3ZH, UK
| | - Glen L Wheeler
- Marine Biological Association, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth, PL1 2PB, UK
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17
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Devanna BN, Mandlik R, Raturi G, Sudhakaran SS, Sharma Y, Sharma S, Rana N, Bansal R, Barvkar V, Tripathi DK, Shivaraj SM, Deshmukh R. Versatile role of silicon in cereals: Health benefits, uptake mechanism, and evolution. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY : PPB 2021; 165:173-186. [PMID: 34044226 DOI: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2021.03.060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2020] [Accepted: 03/30/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Silicon (Si) is an omnipresent and second most abundant element in the soil lithosphere after oxygen. Silicon being a beneficial element imparts several benefits to the plants and animals. In many plant species, including the cereals the uptake of Si from the soil even exceeds the uptake of essential nutrients. Cereals are the monocots which are known to accumulate a high amount of Si, and reaping maximum benefits associated with it. Cereals contribute a high amount of Si to the human diet compared to other food crops. In the present review, we have summarized distribution of the dietary Si in cereals and its role in the animal and human health. The Si derived benefits in cereals, specifically with respect to biotic and abiotic stress tolerance has been described. We have also discussed the molecular mechanism involved in the Si uptake in cereals, evolution of the Si transport mechanism and genetic variation in the Si concentration among different cultivars of the same species. Various genetic mutants deficient in the Si uptake have been developed and many QTLs governing the Si accumulation have been identified in cereals. The existing knowledge about the Si biology and available resources needs to be explored to understand and improve the Si accumulation in crop plants to achieve sustainability in agriculture.
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Affiliation(s)
- B N Devanna
- ICAR-National Rice Research Institute, Cuttack, Odisha, India
| | - Rushil Mandlik
- National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute (NABI) Mohali, Punjab, India; Department of Biotechnology Panjab University, Chandigarh, India
| | - Gaurav Raturi
- National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute (NABI) Mohali, Punjab, India; Department of Biotechnology Panjab University, Chandigarh, India
| | - Sreeja S Sudhakaran
- National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute (NABI) Mohali, Punjab, India; Department of Biotechnology Panjab University, Chandigarh, India
| | - Yogesh Sharma
- National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute (NABI) Mohali, Punjab, India
| | - Shivani Sharma
- National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute (NABI) Mohali, Punjab, India
| | - Nitika Rana
- National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute (NABI) Mohali, Punjab, India; Department of Biotechnology Panjab University, Chandigarh, India
| | - Ruchi Bansal
- National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute (NABI) Mohali, Punjab, India; Department of Biotechnology Panjab University, Chandigarh, India
| | - Vitthal Barvkar
- Department of Botany, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, India
| | - Durgesh K Tripathi
- Amity Institute of Organic Agriculture, Amity University Uttar Pradesh, AUUP Campus Sector-125, Noida, India
| | - S M Shivaraj
- National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute (NABI) Mohali, Punjab, India
| | - Rupesh Deshmukh
- National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute (NABI) Mohali, Punjab, India.
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18
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Tostevin R, Snow JT, Zhang Q, Tosca NJ, Rickaby REM. The influence of elevated SiO 2 (aq) on intracellular silica uptake and microbial metabolism. GEOBIOLOGY 2021; 19:421-433. [PMID: 33838079 DOI: 10.1111/gbi.12442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2020] [Revised: 03/12/2021] [Accepted: 03/28/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Microbes are known to accumulate intracellular SiO2 (aq) up to 100s of mmol/l from modern seawater (SiO2 (aq) <100 µmol/l), despite having no known nutrient requirement for Si. Before the evolution of siliceous skeletons, marine silica concentrations were likely an order of magnitude higher than the modern ocean, raising the possibility that intracellular SiO2 (aq) accumulation interfered with normal cellular function in non-silicifying algae. Yet, because few culturing studies have isolated the effects of SiO2 (aq) at high concentration, the potential impact of elevated marine silica on early microbial evolution is unknown. Here, we test the influence of elevated SiO2 (aq) on eukaryotic algae, as well as a prokaryote species. Our results demonstrate that under SiO2 (aq) concentrations relevant to ancient seawater, intracellular Si accumulates to concentrations comparable to those found in siliceous algae such as diatoms. In addition, all eukaryotic algae showed a statistically significant response to the high-Si treatment, including reduced average cell sizes and/or a reduction in the maximum growth rate. In contrast, there was no consistent response to the high-Si treatment by the prokaryote species. Our results highlight the possibility that elevated marine SiO2 (aq) may have been an environmental stressor during early eukaryotic evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosalie Tostevin
- Department of Geological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Department of Earth Science, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Joseph T Snow
- Department of Earth Science, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Qiong Zhang
- Department of Earth Science, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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19
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Dogdu Okcu G, Eustance E, Lai YS, Rittmann BE. Evaluation of co-culturing a diatom and a coccolithophore using different silicate concentrations. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 769:145217. [PMID: 33493907 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.145217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Revised: 01/06/2021] [Accepted: 01/12/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Globally, the demand for sustainable energy production and high-value biological compounds have become intertwined in an attempt to improve the feasibility of sustainable algal cultivation. Marine microalgae, especially diatoms and coccolithophores, represent viable cultures that can produce biofuels and high-value compounds. Growing them in co-culture offers the potential to produce lipids and pigments, while also generating CaCO3 for C sequestration. The main objective of this work was to investigate competition or co-existence of the diatom Chaetoceros gracilis and the coccolithophore Pleurochrysis Carterae. The focus was on the effects of silicate and co-culturing on the growth rate, productivity, pigment production, and ash production for C. gracilis and P. carterae in laboratory conditions. The results showed that, in monoculture, 2-mM Si enhanced the specific growth rate of C. gracilis, but did not affect P. carterae. Regardless of silicate concentration, C. gracilis was more productive than P. carterae. In co-culture, P. carterae had a slower growth rate, indicating an inhibitory effect of C. gracilis on P. carterae. Neither silicate concentration nor co-culturing had an impact on the contents of pigments fucoxanthin, chlorophyll-a, and chlorophyll-c, which means that pigment productivity was proportional to biomass productivity. Finally, the ash content increased in all cultures with the lower silicate concentration (0.2 mM) in the medium. With one exception, the ash content was dominated by SiO2 regardless of silicate amount, and CaCO3 was a major part of the ash only when P. carterae was grown separately with the higher silicate level. These results highlight that co-culturing did not provide an advantage for improving biomass, pigments, or CaCO3 productivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gamze Dogdu Okcu
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Bolu Abant Izzet Baysal University, Golkoy Campus, Bolu 14030, Turkey
| | - Everett Eustance
- Biodesign Swette Center for Environmental Biotechnology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA.
| | - YenJung Sean Lai
- Biodesign Swette Center for Environmental Biotechnology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
| | - Bruce E Rittmann
- Biodesign Swette Center for Environmental Biotechnology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
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20
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Brownlee C, Langer G, Wheeler GL. Coccolithophore calcification: Changing paradigms in changing oceans. Acta Biomater 2021; 120:4-11. [PMID: 32763469 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2020.07.050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2020] [Revised: 07/13/2020] [Accepted: 07/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Coccolithophores represent a major component of the marine phytoplankton and contribute to the bulk of biogenic calcite formation on Earth. These unicellular protists produce minute calcite scales (coccoliths) within the cell, which are secreted to the cell surface. Individual coccoliths and their arrangements on the cell surface display a wide range of morphological variations. This review explores some of the recent evidence that points to similarities and differences in the mechanisms of calcification, focussing on the transport mechanisms that bring substrates to, and remove products from the site of calcification, together with new findings on factors that regulate coccolith morphology. We argue that better knowledge of these mechanisms and their variations is needed to inform more generally how different species of coccolithophore are likely to respond to changes in ocean chemistry. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Coccolithophores, minute single celled phytoplankton are the major producers of biogenic carbonate on Earth. They also represent an important component of the ocean's biota and contribute significantly to global carbon fluxes. Coccolithophores produce intricate calcite scales (coccoliths) internally that they secrete onto their external surface. This review presents some recent key findings on the mechanisms underlying the production of coccoliths. It also considers the factors that regulate the rate of production as well as the variety of shapes of individual coccoliths and their arrangements at the cell surface. Understanding these processes is needed to allow better predictions of how coccolithophores may respond to changing ocean chemistry associated with climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colin Brownlee
- Marine Biological Association, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth PL1 2PB, UK; School of Ocean and Earth Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton SO14 3ZH, UK.
| | - Gerald Langer
- Marine Biological Association, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth PL1 2PB, UK
| | - Glen L Wheeler
- Marine Biological Association, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth PL1 2PB, UK
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21
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Proteomic Profiling of Emiliania huxleyi Using a Three-Dimensional Separation Method Combined with Tandem Mass Spectrometry. Molecules 2020; 25:molecules25133028. [PMID: 32630776 PMCID: PMC7411631 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25133028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2020] [Revised: 06/30/2020] [Accepted: 06/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Emiliania huxleyi is one of the most abundant marine planktons, and it has a crucial feature in the carbon cycle. However, proteomic analyses of Emiliania huxleyi have not been done extensively. In this study, a three-dimensional liquid chromatography (3D-LC) system consisting of strong cation exchange, high- and low-pH reversed-phase liquid chromatography was established for in-depth proteomic profiling of Emiliania huxleyi. From tryptic proteome digest, 70 fractions were generated and analyzed using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. In total, more than 84,000 unique peptides and 10,000 proteins groups were identified with a false discovery rate of ≤0.01. The physicochemical properties of the identified peptides were evaluated. Using ClueGO, approximately 700 gene ontology terms and 15 pathways were defined from the identified protein groups with p-value ≤0.05, covering a wide range of biological processes, cellular components, and molecular functions. Many biological processes associated with CO2 fixation, photosynthesis, biosynthesis, and metabolic process were identified. Various molecular functions relating to protein binding and enzyme activities were also found. The 3D-LC strategy is a powerful approach for comparative proteomic studies on Emiliania huxleyi to reveal changes in its protein level and related mechanism.
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22
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Maldonado M, López-Acosta M, Beazley L, Kenchington E, Koutsouveli V, Riesgo A. Cooperation between passive and active silicon transporters clarifies the ecophysiology and evolution of biosilicification in sponges. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2020; 6:eaba9322. [PMID: 32832609 PMCID: PMC7439455 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aba9322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2020] [Accepted: 05/22/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The biological utilization of dissolved silicon (DSi) influences ocean ecology and biogeochemistry. In the deep sea, hexactinellid sponges are major DSi consumers that remain poorly understood. Their DSi consumption departs from the Michaelis-Menten kinetics of shallow-water demosponges and appears particularly maladapted to incorporating DSi from the modest concentrations typical of the modern ocean. Why did sponges not adapt to the shrinking DSi availability that followed diatom expansion some 100 to 65 million years ago? We propose that sponges incorporate DSi combining passive (aquaglyceroporins) and active (ArsB) transporters, while only active transporters (SITs) operate in diatoms and choanoflagellates. Evolution of greater silicon transport efficiency appears constrained by the additional role of aquaglyceroporins in transporting essential metalloids other than silicon. We discuss the possibility that lower energy costs may have driven replacement of ancestral SITs by less efficient aquaglyceroporins, and discuss the functional implications of conservation of aquaglyceroporin-mediated DSi utilization in vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- M. Maldonado
- Department of Marine Ecology, Center for Advanced Studies of Blanes (CEAB-CSIC), Acceso Cala St. Francesc 14, Blanes 17300, Girona, Spain
| | - M. López-Acosta
- Department of Marine Ecology, Center for Advanced Studies of Blanes (CEAB-CSIC), Acceso Cala St. Francesc 14, Blanes 17300, Girona, Spain
| | - L. Beazley
- Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Bedford Institute of Oceanography, 1 Challenger Dr., Dartmouth, NS, Canada
| | - E. Kenchington
- Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Bedford Institute of Oceanography, 1 Challenger Dr., Dartmouth, NS, Canada
| | - V. Koutsouveli
- Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum of London, Cromwell Road, SW7 5BD London, UK
| | - A. Riesgo
- Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum of London, Cromwell Road, SW7 5BD London, UK
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23
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Qin W, Wang CY, Ma YX, Shen MJ, Li J, Jiao K, Tay FR, Niu LN. Microbe-Mediated Extracellular and Intracellular Mineralization: Environmental, Industrial, and Biotechnological Applications. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2020; 32:e1907833. [PMID: 32270552 DOI: 10.1002/adma.201907833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2019] [Revised: 01/09/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Microbe-mediated mineralization is ubiquitous in nature, involving bacteria, fungi, viruses, and algae. These mineralization processes comprise calcification, silicification, and iron mineralization. The mechanisms for mineral formation include extracellular and intracellular biomineralization. The mineral precipitating capability of microbes is often harnessed for green synthesis of metal nanoparticles, which are relatively less toxic compared with those synthesized through physical or chemical methods. Microbe-mediated mineralization has important applications ranging from pollutant removal and nonreactive carriers, to other industrial and biomedical applications. Herein, the different types of microbe-mediated biomineralization that occur in nature, their mechanisms, as well as their applications are elucidated to create a backdrop for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen Qin
- State Key Laboratory of Military Stomatology & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases & Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Department of Prosthodontics, School of Stomatology, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, Shaanxi, China
| | - Chen-Yu Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Military Stomatology & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases & Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Department of Prosthodontics, School of Stomatology, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, Shaanxi, China
| | - Yu-Xuan Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Military Stomatology & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases & Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Department of Prosthodontics, School of Stomatology, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, Shaanxi, China
| | - Min-Juan Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Military Stomatology & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases & Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Department of Prosthodontics, School of Stomatology, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, Shaanxi, China
| | - Jing Li
- State Key Laboratory of Military Stomatology & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases & Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Department of Prosthodontics, School of Stomatology, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, Shaanxi, China
| | - Kai Jiao
- State Key Laboratory of Military Stomatology & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases & Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Department of Prosthodontics, School of Stomatology, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, Shaanxi, China
| | - Franklin R Tay
- College of Graduate Studies, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, 30912, USA
| | - Li-Na Niu
- State Key Laboratory of Military Stomatology & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases & Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Department of Prosthodontics, School of Stomatology, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, Shaanxi, China
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Full annual monitoring of Subantarctic Emiliania huxleyi populations reveals highly calcified morphotypes in high-CO 2 winter conditions. Sci Rep 2020; 10:2594. [PMID: 32054880 PMCID: PMC7018777 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-59375-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2019] [Accepted: 01/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Ocean acidification is expected to have detrimental consequences for the most abundant calcifying phytoplankton species Emiliania huxleyi. However, this assumption is mainly based on laboratory manipulations that are unable to reproduce the complexity of natural ecosystems. Here, E. huxleyi coccolith assemblages collected over a year by an autonomous water sampler and sediment traps in the Subantarctic Zone were analysed. The combination of taxonomic and morphometric analyses together with in situ measurements of surface-water properties allowed us to monitor, with unprecedented detail, the seasonal cycle of E. huxleyi at two Subantarctic stations. E. huxleyi subantarctic assemblages were composed of a mixture of, at least, four different morphotypes. Heavier morphotypes exhibited their maximum relative abundances during winter, coinciding with peak annual TCO2 and nutrient concentrations, while lighter morphotypes dominated during summer, coinciding with lowest TCO2 and nutrients levels. The similar seasonality observed in both time-series suggests that it may be a circumpolar feature of the Subantarctic zone. Our results challenge the view that ocean acidification will necessarily lead to a replacement of heavily-calcified coccolithophores by lightly-calcified ones in subpolar ecosystems, and emphasize the need to consider the cumulative effect of multiple stressors on the probable succession of morphotypes.
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Durak GM, Laumann M, Wolf SLP, Pawar A, Gebauer D, Böttcher T. Pseudo-Biomineralization: Complex Mineral Structures Shaped by Microbes. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2019; 5:5088-5096. [DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.9b00387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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Cerino F, Fornasaro D, Kralj M, Giani M, Cabrini M. Phytoplankton temporal dynamics in the coastal waters of the north-eastern Adriatic Sea (Mediterranean Sea) from 2010 to 2017. NATURE CONSERVATION 2019. [DOI: 10.3897/natureconservation.34.30720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Phytoplankton community structure was analysed from 2010 to 2017 at C1-LTER, the coastal Long-Term Ecological Research station located in the Gulf of Trieste, which is the northernmost part of the Mediterranean Sea. Phytoplankton abundance and relevant oceanographic parameters were measured monthly in order to describe the seasonal cycle and interannual variability of the main phytoplankton taxa (diatoms, dinoflagellates, coccolithophores and flagellates) and to analyse their relationship with environmental conditions. Overall, phytoplankton abundances showed a marked seasonal cycle characterised by a bloom in spring, with the peak in May. During the summer, phytoplankton abundances gradually decreased until September, then slightly increased again in October and reached their minima in winter. In general, the phytoplankton community was dominated by flagellates (generally <10 µm) and diatoms co-occurring in the spring bloom. In this period, diatoms were also represented by nano-sized species, gradually replaced by larger species in summer and autumn. Phytoplankton assemblages differed significantly between seasons (Pseudo-F = 9.59; p < 0.01) and temperature and salinity were the best predictor variables explaining the distribution of the multivariate data cloud. At the interannual scale, a strong decrease of the late-winter bloom was observed in recent years with the spring bloom being the main phytoplankton increase of the year.
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Annenkov VV, Krishnan UM, Pal'shin VA, Zelinskiy SN, Kandasamy G, Danilovtseva EN. Design of Oligonucleotide Carriers: Importance of Polyamine Chain Length. Polymers (Basel) 2018; 10:E1297. [PMID: 30961222 PMCID: PMC6401700 DOI: 10.3390/polym10121297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2018] [Revised: 11/16/2018] [Accepted: 11/21/2018] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Amine containing polymers are extensively studied as special carriers for short-chain RNA (13⁻25 nucleotides), which are applied as gene silencing agents in gene therapy of various diseases including cancer. Elaboration of the oligonucleotide carriers requires knowledge about peculiarities of the oligonucleotide⁻polymeric amine interaction. The critical length of the interacting chains is an important parameter which allows us to design sophisticated constructions containing oligonucleotide binding segments, solubilizing, protective and aiming parts. We studied interactions of (TCAG)n, n = 1⁻6 DNA oligonucleotides with polyethylenimine and poly(N-(3-((3-(dimethylamino)propyl)(methyl)amino)propyl)-N-methylacrylamide). The critical length for oligonucleotides in interaction with polymeric amines is 8⁻12 units and complexation at these length can be accompanied by "all-or-nothing" effects. New dimethylacrylamide based polymers with grafted polyamine chains were obtained and studied in complexation with DNA and RNA oligonucleotides. The most effective interaction and transfection activity into A549 cancer cells and silencing efficiency against vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) was found for a sample with average number of nitrogens in polyamine chain equal to 27, i.e., for a sample in which all grafted chains are longer than the critical length for polymeric amine⁻oligonucleotide complexation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vadim V Annenkov
- Limnological Institute of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 3, Ulan-Batorskaya St., P.O. Box 278, Irkutsk 664033, Russia.
| | - Uma Maheswari Krishnan
- Centre for Nanotechnology & Advanced Biomaterials (CeNTAB), School of Chemical and Biotechnology, SASTRA University, Thanjavur 613401, Tamil Nadu, India.
| | - Viktor A Pal'shin
- Limnological Institute of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 3, Ulan-Batorskaya St., P.O. Box 278, Irkutsk 664033, Russia.
| | - Stanislav N Zelinskiy
- Limnological Institute of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 3, Ulan-Batorskaya St., P.O. Box 278, Irkutsk 664033, Russia.
| | - Gayathri Kandasamy
- Centre for Nanotechnology & Advanced Biomaterials (CeNTAB), School of Chemical and Biotechnology, SASTRA University, Thanjavur 613401, Tamil Nadu, India.
| | - Elena N Danilovtseva
- Limnological Institute of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 3, Ulan-Batorskaya St., P.O. Box 278, Irkutsk 664033, Russia.
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Lomora M, Shumate D, Rahman AA, Pandit A. Therapeutic Applications of Phytoplankton, with an Emphasis on Diatoms and Coccolithophores. ADVANCED THERAPEUTICS 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/adtp.201800099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mihai Lomora
- SFI Centre For Research in Medical Devices (CÚRAM); National University of Ireland; Galway Ireland
| | - David Shumate
- SFI Centre For Research in Medical Devices (CÚRAM); National University of Ireland; Galway Ireland
- Georgia Institute of Technology; Atlanta GA 30332 USA
| | - Asrizal Abdul Rahman
- SFI Centre For Research in Medical Devices (CÚRAM); National University of Ireland; Galway Ireland
| | - Abhay Pandit
- SFI Centre For Research in Medical Devices (CÚRAM); National University of Ireland; Galway Ireland
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Gal A. Looking away from the streetlight - new insights into marine calcification. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2018; 220:5-7. [PMID: 30156024 DOI: 10.1111/nph.15409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Assaf Gal
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 7610001, Israel
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Walker CE, Taylor AR, Langer G, Durak GM, Heath S, Probert I, Tyrrell T, Brownlee C, Wheeler GL. The requirement for calcification differs between ecologically important coccolithophore species. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2018; 220:147-162. [PMID: 29916209 PMCID: PMC6175242 DOI: 10.1111/nph.15272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2018] [Accepted: 05/07/2018] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Coccolithophores are globally distributed unicellular marine algae that are characterized by their covering of calcite coccoliths. Calcification by coccolithophores contributes significantly to global biogeochemical cycles. However, the physiological requirement for calcification remains poorly understood as non-calcifying strains of some commonly used model species, such as Emiliania huxleyi, grow normally in laboratory culture. To determine whether the requirement for calcification differs between coccolithophore species, we utilized multiple independent methodologies to disrupt calcification in two important species of coccolithophore: E. huxleyi and Coccolithus braarudii. We investigated their physiological response and used time-lapse imaging to visualize the processes of calcification and cell division in individual cells. Disruption of calcification resulted in major growth defects in C. braarudii, but not in E. huxleyi. We found no evidence that calcification supports photosynthesis in C. braarudii, but showed that an inability to maintain an intact coccosphere results in cell cycle arrest. We found that C. braarudii is very different from E. huxleyi as it exhibits an obligate requirement for calcification. The identification of a growth defect in C. braarudii resulting from disruption of the coccosphere may be important in considering their response to future changes in ocean carbonate chemistry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte E. Walker
- Marine Biological AssociationPlymouthPL1 2PBUK
- School of Ocean and Earth ScienceUniversity of SouthamptonSouthamptonSO14 3ZHUK
| | - Alison R. Taylor
- Department of Biology and Marine BiologyUniversity of North Carolina WilmingtonWilmingtonNC28403‐591USA
| | | | | | - Sarah Heath
- Marine Biological AssociationPlymouthPL1 2PBUK
| | - Ian Probert
- Station Biologique de RoscoffPlace Georges Teisser29680RoscoffFrance
| | - Toby Tyrrell
- School of Ocean and Earth ScienceUniversity of SouthamptonSouthamptonSO14 3ZHUK
| | - Colin Brownlee
- Marine Biological AssociationPlymouthPL1 2PBUK
- School of Ocean and Earth ScienceUniversity of SouthamptonSouthamptonSO14 3ZHUK
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Annenkov VV, Verkhozina ON, Zelinskiy SN, Shishlyannikova TA, Bridoux MC, Danilovtseva EN. Unusual Polyamines from Baikalian Diatoms. ChemistrySelect 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/slct.201802032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Vadim V. Annenkov
- Limnological Institute of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 3; Ulan-Batorskaya St., P.O. Box 278, Irkutsk 664033 Russia
| | - Ol'ga N. Verkhozina
- Limnological Institute of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 3; Ulan-Batorskaya St., P.O. Box 278, Irkutsk 664033 Russia
| | - Stanislav N. Zelinskiy
- Limnological Institute of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 3; Ulan-Batorskaya St., P.O. Box 278, Irkutsk 664033 Russia
| | - Tatyana A. Shishlyannikova
- Limnological Institute of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 3; Ulan-Batorskaya St., P.O. Box 278, Irkutsk 664033 Russia
| | | | - Elena N. Danilovtseva
- Limnological Institute of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 3; Ulan-Batorskaya St., P.O. Box 278, Irkutsk 664033 Russia
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Mor Khalifa G, Kahil K, Erez J, Kaplan Ashiri I, Shimoni E, Pinkas I, Addadi L, Weiner S. Characterization of unusual MgCa particles involved in the formation of foraminifera shells using a novel quantitative cryo SEM/EDS protocol. Acta Biomater 2018; 77:342-351. [PMID: 30026104 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2018.07.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2018] [Revised: 07/08/2018] [Accepted: 07/15/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Quantifying ion concentrations and mapping their intracellular distributions at high resolution can provide much insight into the formation of biomaterials. The key to achieving this goal is cryo-fixation, where the biological materials, tissues and associated solutions are rapidly frozen and preserved in a vitreous state. We developed a correlative cryo-Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM)/Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) protocol that provides quantitative elemental analysis correlated with spatial imaging of cryo-immobilized specimens. We report the accuracy and sensitivity of the cryo-EDS method, as well as insights we derive on biomineralization pathways in a foraminifer. Foraminifera are marine protozoans that produce Mg-containing calcitic shells and are major calcifying organisms in the oceans. We use the cryo-SEM/EDS correlative method to characterize unusual Mg and Ca-rich particles in the cytoplasm of a benthic foraminifer. The Mg/Ca ratio of these particles is consistently lower than that of seawater, the source solution for these ions. We infer that these particles are involved in Ca ion supply to the shell. We document the internal structure of the MgCa particles, which in some cases include a separate Si rich core phase. This approach to mapping ion distribution in cryo-preserved specimens may have broad applications to other mineralized biomaterials. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE Ions are an integral part of life, and some ions play fundamental roles in cell metabolism. Determining the concentrations of ions in cells and between cells, as well as their distributions at high resolution can provide valuable insights into ion uptake, storage, functions and the formation of biomaterials. Here we present a new cryo-SEM/EDS protocol that allows the mapping of different ion distributions in solutions and biological samples that have been cryo-preserved. We demonstrate the value of this novel approach by characterizing a novel biogenic mineral phase rich in Mg found in foraminifera, single celled marine organisms. This method has wide applicability in biology, and especially in understanding the formation and function of mineral-containing hard tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gal Mor Khalifa
- Department of Structural Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, 234 Herzl Street, Rehovot 7610001, Israel.
| | - Keren Kahil
- Department of Structural Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, 234 Herzl Street, Rehovot 7610001, Israel.
| | - Jonathan Erez
- Institute of Earth Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91904, Israel.
| | - Ifat Kaplan Ashiri
- Department of Chemical Research Support, Weizmann Institute of Science, 234 Herzl Street, Rehovot 7610001, Israel.
| | - Eyal Shimoni
- Department of Chemical Research Support, Weizmann Institute of Science, 234 Herzl Street, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Iddo Pinkas
- Department of Chemical Research Support, Weizmann Institute of Science, 234 Herzl Street, Rehovot 7610001, Israel.
| | - Lia Addadi
- Department of Structural Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, 234 Herzl Street, Rehovot 7610001, Israel.
| | - Steve Weiner
- Department of Structural Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, 234 Herzl Street, Rehovot 7610001, Israel.
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Marchenkov AM, Petrova DP, Morozov AA, Zakharova YR, Grachev MA, Bondar AA. A family of silicon transporter structural genes in a pennate diatom Synedra ulna subsp. danica (Kütz.) Skabitsch. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0203161. [PMID: 30157241 PMCID: PMC6114903 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0203161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2018] [Accepted: 08/15/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Silicon transporters (SIT) are the proteins, which capture silicic acid in the aquatic environment and direct it across the plasmalemma to the cytoplasm of diatoms. Diatoms utilize silicic acid to build species-specific ornamented exoskeletons and make a significant contribution to the global silica cycle, estimated at 240 ±40 Tmol a year. Recently SaSIT genes of the freshwater araphid pennate diatom Synedra acus subsp. radians are found to be present in the genome as a cluster of two structural genes (SaSIT-TD and SaSIT-TRI) encoding several concatenated copies of a SIT protein each. These structural genes could potentially be transformed into "mature" SIT proteins by means of posttranslational proteolytic cleavage. In the present study, we discovered three similar structural SuSIT genes in the genome of a closely related freshwater diatom Synedra ulna subsp. danica. Structural gene SuSIT1 is identical to structural gene SuSIT2, and the two are connected by a non-coding nucleotide DNA sequence. All the putative "mature" SITs contain conserved amino acid motifs, which are believed to be important in silicon transport. The data obtained suggest that the predicted "mature" SIT proteins may be the minimal units necessary for the transport of silicon is S. ulna subsp. danica. The comparative analysis of all available multi-SITs has allowed us to detect two conservative motifs YQXDXVYL and DXDID, located between the "mature" proteins. Aspartic acid-rich DXDID motif can, in our opinion, serve as a proteolysis site during the multi-SIT cleavage. The narrow distribution of the distances between CMLD and DXDID motifs can serve as additional evidence to the conservation of their function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Artyom M. Marchenkov
- Department of Cell Ultrastructure, Limnological Institute, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Irkutsk, Russia
| | - Darya P. Petrova
- Department of Cell Ultrastructure, Limnological Institute, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Irkutsk, Russia
| | - Alexey A. Morozov
- Department of Cell Ultrastructure, Limnological Institute, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Irkutsk, Russia
| | - Yulia R. Zakharova
- Department of Cell Ultrastructure, Limnological Institute, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Irkutsk, Russia
| | - Michael A. Grachev
- Department of Cell Ultrastructure, Limnological Institute, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Irkutsk, Russia
| | - Alexander A. Bondar
- Genomics Core Facility, Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
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Blueprints for the Next Generation of Bioinspired and Biomimetic Mineralised Composites for Bone Regeneration. Mar Drugs 2018; 16:md16080288. [PMID: 30127281 PMCID: PMC6117730 DOI: 10.3390/md16080288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2018] [Revised: 08/16/2018] [Accepted: 08/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Coccolithophores are unicellular marine phytoplankton, which produce intricate, tightly regulated, exoskeleton calcite structures. The formation of biogenic calcite occurs either intracellularly, forming ‘wheel-like’ calcite plates, or extracellularly, forming ‘tiled-like’ plates known as coccoliths. Secreted coccoliths then self-assemble into multiple layers to form the coccosphere, creating a protective wall around the organism. The cell wall hosts a variety of unique species-specific inorganic morphologies that cannot be replicated synthetically. Although biomineralisation has been extensively studied, it is still not fully understood. It is becoming more apparent that biologically controlled mineralisation is still an elusive goal. A key question to address is how nature goes from basic building blocks to the ultrafine, highly organised structures found in coccolithophores. A better understanding of coccolithophore biomineralisation will offer new insight into biomimetic and bioinspired synthesis of advanced, functionalised materials for bone tissue regeneration. The purpose of this review is to spark new interest in biomineralisation and gain new insight into coccolithophores from a material science perspective, drawing on existing knowledge from taxonomists, geologists, palaeontologists and phycologists.
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Jiang W, Pacella MS, Vali H, Gray JJ, McKee MD. Chiral switching in biomineral suprastructures induced by homochiral l-amino acid. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2018; 4:eaas9819. [PMID: 30083605 PMCID: PMC6070311 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aas9819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2018] [Accepted: 06/22/2018] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
How homochiral l-biomolecules in nature induce a chiral switch in biomineralized architectures is unknown, although chiral switching is common in many calcium carbonate-hardened structures found in marine and terrestrial organisms. We created hierarchically organized, chiral biomineral structures of calcium carbonate, whose chirality can be switched by a single l-enantiomer of an amino acid. The control of this chiral switching involves two stages: a calcium carbonate (vaterite) platelet layer inclination stage, followed by a platelet layer rotation stage, the latter stage being responsible for successional chiral switching events within the biomineralized structures. The morphology of the synthesized chiral vaterite structures remarkably resembles pathologic chiral vaterite otoconia found in the human inner ear. In general, these findings describe how a single-enantiomer amino acid might contribute to biomineral architectures having more than one chirality as is commonly seen in biology, and more specifically, they suggest how pathologic chiral malformations may arise in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenge Jiang
- Faculty of Dentistry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 0C7, Canada
| | - Michael S. Pacella
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218 USA
| | - Hojatollah Vali
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 0C7, Canada
| | - Jeffrey J. Gray
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
- Program in Molecular Biophysics, John Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Marc D. McKee
- Faculty of Dentistry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 0C7, Canada
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 0C7, Canada
- Corresponding author.
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Balch WM. The Ecology, Biogeochemistry, and Optical Properties of Coccolithophores. ANNUAL REVIEW OF MARINE SCIENCE 2018; 10:71-98. [PMID: 29298138 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-marine-121916-063319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Coccolithophores are major contributors to phytoplankton communities and ocean biogeochemistry and are strong modulators of the optical field in the sea. New discoveries are changing paradigms about these calcifiers. A new role for silicon in coccolithophore calcification is coupling carbonate and silicon cycles. Phosphorus and iron play key roles in regulating coccolithophore growth. Comparing molecular phylogenies with coccolith morphometrics is forcing the reconciliation of biological and geological observations. Mixotrophy may be a possible life strategy for deep-dwelling species, which has ramifications for biological pump and alkalinity pump paradigms. Climate, ocean temperatures, and pH appear to be affecting coccolithophores in unexpected ways. Global calcification is approximately 1-3% of primary productivity and affects CO2 budgets. New measurements of the backscattering cross section of coccolithophores have improved satellite-based algorithms and their application in case I and case II optical waters. Remote sensing has allowed the detection of basin-scale coccolithophore features in the Southern Ocean.
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Affiliation(s)
- William M Balch
- Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, East Boothbay, Maine 04544, USA;
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The role of the cytoskeleton in biomineralisation in haptophyte algae. Sci Rep 2017; 7:15409. [PMID: 29133928 PMCID: PMC5684398 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-15562-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2017] [Accepted: 10/19/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The production of calcium carbonate by coccolithophores (haptophytes) contributes significantly to global biogeochemical cycling. The recent identification of a silicifying haptophyte, Prymnesium neolepis, has provided new insight into the evolution of biomineralisation in this lineage. However, the cellular mechanisms of biomineralisation in both calcifying and silicifying haptophytes remain poorly understood. To look for commonalities between these two biomineralisation systems in haptophytes, we have determined the role of actin and tubulin in the formation of intracellular biomineralised scales in the coccolithophore, Coccolithus braarudii and in P. neolepis. We find that disruption of the actin network interferes with secretion of the biomineralised elements in both C. braarudii and P. neolepis. In contrast, disruption of the microtubule network does not prevent secretion of the silica scales in P. neolepis but results in production of abnormally small silica scales and also results in the increased formation of malformed coccoliths in C. braarudii. We conclude that the cytoskeleton plays a crucial role in biomineralisation in both silicifying and calcifying haptophytes. There are some important similarities in the contribution of the cytoskeleton to these different forms of biomineralisation, suggesting that common cellular mechanisms may have been recruited to perform similar roles in both lineages.
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Hermoso M, Lefeuvre B, Minoletti F, de Rafélis M. Extreme strontium concentrations reveal specific biomineralization pathways in certain coccolithophores with implications for the Sr/Ca paleoproductivity proxy. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0185655. [PMID: 29036179 PMCID: PMC5642888 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0185655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2017] [Accepted: 09/16/2017] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The formation of the coccolith biominerals by a group of marine algae (the Coccolithophores) offers fascinating research avenues both from the biological and geological sides. It is surprising how biomineralisation by a key phytoplanktonic group remains underconstrained, yet is influential on ocean alkalinity and responsible for the built up of our paleoclimatic archive over the last 200 Myrs. Here, we report two close relative coccolith taxa exhibiting substantial bioaccumulation of strontium: Scyphosphaera and Pontosphaera grown in the laboratory or retrieved from Pliocene sediments. This strontium enrichment relative to calcium is one order of magnitude greater than reported in other coccoliths of the orders Isochrysidales and Coccolithales, and extends well beyond established controls on Sr/Ca ratios by temperature and growth rate. We discuss this prominent vital effect in relation with possible specific uptake of strontium relative to calcium from the extracellular environment to the coccolith vesicle in coccolithophores excreting very large scale coccoliths. The report of Sr-rich biominerals challenges our current understanding of the cellular acquisition and intracellular trafficking of alkaline earth cations in phytoplanktonic calcifying eukaryotic algae. The presence of Sr-rich coccolith species in the geological record has to be quantitatively considered in future Sr/Ca-based palaeoceanographic reconstruction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michaël Hermoso
- Institut de Sciences de la Terre de Paris (UMR 7193), Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, CNRS, Paris, France
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Benjamin Lefeuvre
- Institut de Sciences de la Terre de Paris (UMR 7193), Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Fabrice Minoletti
- Institut de Sciences de la Terre de Paris (UMR 7193), Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Marc de Rafélis
- Géosciences Environnements Toulouse (UMR 5563 GET), Université de Toulouse III Paul Sabatier, CNRS, Toulouse, France
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40
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Kotzsch A, Gröger P, Pawolski D, Bomans PHH, Sommerdijk NAJM, Schlierf M, Kröger N. Silicanin-1 is a conserved diatom membrane protein involved in silica biomineralization. BMC Biol 2017; 15:65. [PMID: 28738898 PMCID: PMC5525289 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-017-0400-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2017] [Accepted: 06/28/2017] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Biological mineral formation (biomineralization) proceeds in specialized compartments often bounded by a lipid bilayer membrane. Currently, the role of membranes in biomineralization is hardly understood. RESULTS Investigating biomineralization of SiO2 (silica) in diatoms we identified Silicanin-1 (Sin1) as a conserved diatom membrane protein present in silica deposition vesicles (SDVs) of Thalassiosira pseudonana. Fluorescence microscopy of GFP-tagged Sin1 enabled, for the first time, to follow the intracellular locations of a biomineralization protein during silica biogenesis in vivo. The analysis revealed incorporation of the N-terminal domain of Sin1 into the biosilica via association with the organic matrix inside the SDVs. In vitro experiments showed that the recombinant N-terminal domain of Sin1 undergoes pH-triggered assembly into large clusters, and promotes silica formation by synergistic interaction with long-chain polyamines. CONCLUSIONS Sin1 is the first identified SDV transmembrane protein, and is highly conserved throughout the diatom realm, which suggests a fundamental role in the biomineralization of diatom silica. Through interaction with long-chain polyamines, Sin1 could serve as a molecular link by which the SDV membrane exerts control on the assembly of biosilica-forming organic matrices in the SDV lumen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Kotzsch
- B CUBE Center for Molecular Bioengineering, CMCB, TU Dresden, Arnoldstrasse 18, 01307, Dresden, Germany
| | - Philip Gröger
- B CUBE Center for Molecular Bioengineering, CMCB, TU Dresden, Arnoldstrasse 18, 01307, Dresden, Germany
| | - Damian Pawolski
- B CUBE Center for Molecular Bioengineering, CMCB, TU Dresden, Arnoldstrasse 18, 01307, Dresden, Germany
| | - Paul H H Bomans
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry, Laboratory of Materials and Interface Chemistry & Center of Multiscale Electron Microscopy, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB, Eindhoven, The Netherlands.,Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Nico A J M Sommerdijk
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry, Laboratory of Materials and Interface Chemistry & Center of Multiscale Electron Microscopy, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB, Eindhoven, The Netherlands.,Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Michael Schlierf
- B CUBE Center for Molecular Bioengineering, CMCB, TU Dresden, Arnoldstrasse 18, 01307, Dresden, Germany
| | - Nils Kröger
- B CUBE Center for Molecular Bioengineering, CMCB, TU Dresden, Arnoldstrasse 18, 01307, Dresden, Germany. .,Department of Chemistry and Food Chemistry, TU Dresden, 01062, Dresden, Germany.
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41
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Ratcliffe S, Jugdaohsingh R, Vivancos J, Marron A, Deshmukh R, Ma JF, Mitani-Ueno N, Robertson J, Wills J, Boekschoten MV, Müller M, Mawhinney RC, Kinrade SD, Isenring P, Bélanger RR, Powell JJ. Identification of a mammalian silicon transporter. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 2017; 312:C550-C561. [PMID: 28179233 PMCID: PMC5451523 DOI: 10.1152/ajpcell.00219.2015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2015] [Revised: 02/01/2017] [Accepted: 02/01/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Silicon (Si) has long been known to play a major physiological and structural role in certain organisms, including diatoms, sponges, and many higher plants, leading to the recent identification of multiple proteins responsible for Si transport in a range of algal and plant species. In mammals, despite several convincing studies suggesting that silicon is an important factor in bone development and connective tissue health, there is a critical lack of understanding about the biochemical pathways that enable Si homeostasis. Here we report the identification of a mammalian efflux Si transporter, namely Slc34a2 (also termed NaPiIIb), a known sodium-phosphate cotransporter, which was upregulated in rat kidney following chronic dietary Si deprivation. Normal rat renal epithelium demonstrated punctate expression of Slc34a2, and when the protein was heterologously expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes, Si efflux activity (i.e., movement of Si out of cells) was induced and was quantitatively similar to that induced by the known plant Si transporter OsLsi2 in the same expression system. Interestingly, Si efflux appeared saturable over time, but it did not vary as a function of extracellular HPO42− or Na+ concentration, suggesting that Slc34a2 harbors a functionally independent transport site for Si operating in the reverse direction to the site for phosphate. Indeed, in rats with dietary Si depletion-induced upregulation of transporter expression, there was increased urinary phosphate excretion. This is the first evidence of an active Si transport protein in mammals and points towards an important role for Si in vertebrates and explains interactions between dietary phosphate and silicon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Ratcliffe
- Medical Research Council Elsie Widdowson Laboratory, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Ravin Jugdaohsingh
- Medical Research Council Elsie Widdowson Laboratory, Cambridge, United Kingdom.,Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Julien Vivancos
- Département de Phytologie-Faculté des Sciences de l'Agriculture et de l'Alimentation, Centre de Recherche en Horticulture, Université Laval, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
| | - Alan Marron
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge United Kingdom
| | - Rupesh Deshmukh
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge United Kingdom
| | - Jian Feng Ma
- Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University, Kurashiki, Japan
| | - Namiki Mitani-Ueno
- Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University, Kurashiki, Japan
| | - Jack Robertson
- Medical Research Council Elsie Widdowson Laboratory, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - John Wills
- Mechanistic Studies Division, Environmental Health Sciences & Research Bureau, Health Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Mark V Boekschoten
- Nutrition, Metabolism and Genomics Group, Division of Human Nutrition, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Michael Müller
- Nutrition, Metabolism and Genomics Group, Division of Human Nutrition, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | | | - Stephen D Kinrade
- Department of Chemistry, Lakehead University, Thunder Bay, Canada; and
| | - Paul Isenring
- Nephrology Group L'Hôtel-Dieu de Québec Institution, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
| | - Richard R Bélanger
- Département de Phytologie-Faculté des Sciences de l'Agriculture et de l'Alimentation, Centre de Recherche en Horticulture, Université Laval, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
| | - Jonathan J Powell
- Medical Research Council Elsie Widdowson Laboratory, Cambridge, United Kingdom; .,Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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42
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Taylor AR, Brownlee C, Wheeler G. Coccolithophore Cell Biology: Chalking Up Progress. ANNUAL REVIEW OF MARINE SCIENCE 2017; 9:283-310. [PMID: 27814031 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-marine-122414-034032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Coccolithophores occupy a special position within the marine phytoplankton because of their production of intricate calcite scales, or coccoliths. Coccolithophores are major contributors to global ocean calcification and long-term carbon fluxes. The intracellular production of coccoliths requires modifications to cellular ultrastructure and metabolism that are surveyed here. In addition to calcification, which appears to have evolved with a diverse range of functions, several other remarkable features that likely underpin the ecological and evolutionary success of coccolithophores have recently been uncovered. These include complex and varied life cycle strategies related to abiotic and biotic interactions as well as a range of novel metabolic pathways and nutritional strategies. Together with knowledge of coccolithophore genetic and physiological variability, these findings are beginning to shed new light on species diversity, distribution, and ecological adaptation. Further advances in genetics and functional characterization at the cellular level will likely to lead to a rapid increase in this understanding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison R Taylor
- Department of Biology and Marine Biology, University of North Carolina Wilmington, Wilmington, North Carolina 28403;
| | - Colin Brownlee
- Marine Biological Association, Plymouth PL1 2PB, United Kingdom; ,
- School of Ocean and Earth Science, National Oceanography Centre, University of Southampton, Southampton SO14 3ZH, United Kingdom
| | - Glen Wheeler
- Marine Biological Association, Plymouth PL1 2PB, United Kingdom; ,
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43
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Marron AO, Ratcliffe S, Wheeler GL, Goldstein RE, King N, Not F, de Vargas C, Richter DJ. The Evolution of Silicon Transport in Eukaryotes. Mol Biol Evol 2016; 33:3226-3248. [PMID: 27729397 PMCID: PMC5100055 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msw209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Biosilicification (the formation of biological structures from silica) occurs in diverse eukaryotic lineages, plays a major role in global biogeochemical cycles, and has significant biotechnological applications. Silicon (Si) uptake is crucial for biosilicification, yet the evolutionary history of the transporters involved remains poorly known. Recent evidence suggests that the SIT family of Si transporters, initially identified in diatoms, may be widely distributed, with an extended family of related transporters (SIT-Ls) present in some nonsilicified organisms. Here, we identify SITs and SIT-Ls in a range of eukaryotes, including major silicified lineages (radiolarians and chrysophytes) and also bacterial SIT-Ls. Our evidence suggests that the symmetrical 10-transmembrane-domain SIT structure has independently evolved multiple times via duplication and fusion of 5-transmembrane-domain SIT-Ls. We also identify a second gene family, similar to the active Si transporter Lsi2, that is broadly distributed amongst siliceous and nonsiliceous eukaryotes. Our analyses resolve a distinct group of Lsi2-like genes, including plant and diatom Si-responsive genes, and sequences unique to siliceous sponges and choanoflagellates. The SIT/SIT-L and Lsi2 transporter families likely contribute to biosilicification in diverse lineages, indicating an ancient role for Si transport in eukaryotes. We propose that these Si transporters may have arisen initially to prevent Si toxicity in the high Si Precambrian oceans, with subsequent biologically induced reductions in Si concentrations of Phanerozoic seas leading to widespread losses of SIT, SIT-L, and Lsi2-like genes in diverse lineages. Thus, the origin and diversification of two independent Si transporter families both drove and were driven by ancient ocean Si levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan O Marron
- Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, Centre for Mathematical Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom .,Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Sarah Ratcliffe
- School of Biochemistry, Biomedical Sciences Building, University of Bristol, University Walk, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Glen L Wheeler
- Marine Biological Association, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth, Devon, United Kingdom
| | - Raymond E Goldstein
- Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, Centre for Mathematical Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Nicole King
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA
| | - Fabrice Not
- CNRS, UMR 7144, Station Biologique de Roscoff, Place Georges Teissier, Roscoff, France.,Sorbonne Universités, Université Pierre et Marie Curie (UPMC) Paris 06, UMR 7144, Station Biologique de Roscoff, Place Georges Teissier, Roscoff, France
| | - Colomban de Vargas
- CNRS, UMR 7144, Station Biologique de Roscoff, Place Georges Teissier, Roscoff, France.,Sorbonne Universités, Université Pierre et Marie Curie (UPMC) Paris 06, UMR 7144, Station Biologique de Roscoff, Place Georges Teissier, Roscoff, France
| | - Daniel J Richter
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA.,CNRS, UMR 7144, Station Biologique de Roscoff, Place Georges Teissier, Roscoff, France.,Sorbonne Universités, Université Pierre et Marie Curie (UPMC) Paris 06, UMR 7144, Station Biologique de Roscoff, Place Georges Teissier, Roscoff, France
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44
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Durkin CA, Koester JA, Bender SJ, Armbrust EV. The evolution of silicon transporters in diatoms. JOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY 2016; 52:716-731. [PMID: 27335204 PMCID: PMC5129515 DOI: 10.1111/jpy.12441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2016] [Accepted: 05/21/2016] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Diatoms are highly productive single-celled algae that form an intricately patterned silica cell wall after every cell division. They take up and utilize silicic acid from seawater via silicon transporter (SIT) proteins. This study examined the evolution of the SIT gene family to identify potential genetic adaptations that enable diatoms to thrive in the modern ocean. By searching for sequence homologs in available databases, the diversity of organisms found to encode SITs increased substantially and included all major diatom lineages and other algal protists. A bacterial-encoded gene with homology to SIT sequences was also identified, suggesting that a lateral gene transfer event occurred between bacterial and protist lineages. In diatoms, the SIT genes diverged and diversified to produce five distinct clades. The most basal SIT clades were widely distributed across diatom lineages, while the more derived clades were lineage-specific, which together produced a distinct repertoire of SIT types among major diatom lineages. Differences in the predicted protein functional domains encoded among SIT clades suggest that the divergence of clades resulted in functional diversification among SITs. Both laboratory cultures and natural communities changed transcription of each SIT clade in response to experimental or environmental growth conditions, with distinct transcriptional patterns observed among clades. Together, these data suggest that the diversification of SITs within diatoms led to specialized adaptations among diatoms lineages, and perhaps their dominant ability to take up silicic acid from seawater in diverse environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colleen A. Durkin
- Moss Landing Marine Laboratories8272 Moss Landing RoadMoss LandingCalifornia95039USA
| | - Julie A. Koester
- Department of Biology and Marine BiologyUniversity of North Carolina WilmingtonWilmingtonNorth Carolina28403USA
| | - Sara J. Bender
- Marine Chemistry and GeochemistryWoods Hole Oceanographic InstitutionWoods HoleMassachusetts02543USA
- Present address: The Gordon and Betty Moore FoundationPalo AltoCalifornia94304USA
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45
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Marron AO, Chappell H, Ratcliffe S, Goldstein RE. A model for the effects of germanium on silica biomineralization in choanoflagellates. J R Soc Interface 2016; 13:rsif.2016.0485. [PMID: 27655668 PMCID: PMC5046948 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2016.0485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2016] [Accepted: 08/26/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Silica biomineralization is a widespread phenomenon of major biotechnological interest. Modifying biosilica with substances like germanium (Ge) can confer useful new properties, although exposure to high levels of Ge disrupts normal biosilicification. No clear mechanism explains why this disruption occurs. Here, we study the effect of Ge on loricate choanoflagellates, a group of protists that construct a species-specific extracellular lorica from multiple siliceous costal strips. High Ge exposures were toxic, whereas lower Ge exposures produced cells with incomplete or absent loricae. These effects can be ameliorated by restoring the germanium : silicon ratio, as observed in other biosilicifying organisms. We developed simulations of how Ge interacts with polymerizing silica. In our models, Ge is readily incorporated at the ends of silica forming from silicic acid condensation, but this prevents further silica polymerization. Our 'Ge-capping' model is supported by observations from loricate choanoflagellates. Ge exposure terminates costal strip synthesis and lorica formation, resulting in disruption to cytokinesis and fatal build-up of silicic acid. Applying the Ge-capping model to other siliceous organisms explains the general toxicity of Ge and identifies potential protective responses in metalloid uptake and sensing. This can improve the design of new silica biomaterials, and further our understanding of silicon metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan O Marron
- Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, Centre for Mathematical Sciences, University of Cambridge, Wilberforce Road, Cambridge CB3 0WA, UK
| | - Helen Chappell
- Medical Research Council Human Nutrition Research, Elsie Widdowson Laboratory, 120 Fulbourn Road, Cambridge CB1 9NL, UK
| | - Sarah Ratcliffe
- School of Biochemistry, Biomedical Sciences Building, University of Bristol, University Walk, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK
| | - Raymond E Goldstein
- Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, Centre for Mathematical Sciences, University of Cambridge, Wilberforce Road, Cambridge CB3 0WA, UK
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46
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Fine-structural Observations on Siliceous Scale Production and Shell Assembly in the Testate Amoeba Paulinella chromatophora. Protist 2016; 167:303-318. [DOI: 10.1016/j.protis.2016.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2015] [Revised: 05/11/2016] [Accepted: 05/28/2016] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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47
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Abstract
Polyamines are primordial polycations found in most cells and perform different functions in different organisms. Although polyamines are mainly known for their essential roles in cell growth and proliferation, their functions range from a critical role in cellular translation in eukaryotes and archaea, to bacterial biofilm formation and specialized roles in natural product biosynthesis. At first glance, the diversity of polyamine structures in different organisms appears chaotic; however, biosynthetic flexibility and evolutionary and ecological processes largely explain this heterogeneity. In this review, I discuss the biosynthetic, evolutionary, and physiological processes that constrain or expand polyamine structural and functional diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony J Michael
- From the Department of Pharmacology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390
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