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Overlooked and widespread pennate diatom-diazotroph symbioses in the sea

Author

Listed:
  • Christopher R. Schvarcz

    (University of Hawai’i at Mānoa)

  • Samuel T. Wilson

    (University of Hawai’i at Mānoa)

  • Mathieu Caffin

    (University of Hawai’i at Mānoa)

  • Rosalina Stancheva

    (California State University San Marcos)

  • Qian Li

    (University of Hawai’i at Mānoa
    Shanghai Jiao Tong University)

  • Kendra A. Turk-Kubo

    (University of California)

  • Angelicque E. White

    (University of Hawai’i at Mānoa)

  • David M. Karl

    (University of Hawai’i at Mānoa)

  • Jonathan P. Zehr

    (University of California)

  • Grieg F. Steward

    (University of Hawai’i at Mānoa)

Abstract

Persistent nitrogen depletion in sunlit open ocean waters provides a favorable ecological niche for nitrogen-fixing (diazotrophic) cyanobacteria, some of which associate symbiotically with eukaryotic algae. All known marine examples of these symbioses have involved either centric diatom or haptophyte hosts. We report here the discovery and characterization of two distinct marine pennate diatom-diazotroph symbioses, which until now had only been observed in freshwater environments. Rhopalodiaceae diatoms Epithemia pelagica sp. nov. and Epithemia catenata sp. nov. were isolated repeatedly from the subtropical North Pacific Ocean, and analysis of sequence libraries reveals a global distribution. These symbioses likely escaped attention because the endosymbionts lack fluorescent photopigments, have nifH gene sequences similar to those of free-living unicellular cyanobacteria, and are lost in nitrogen-replete medium. Marine Rhopalodiaceae-diazotroph symbioses are a previously overlooked but widespread source of bioavailable nitrogen in marine habitats and provide new, easily cultured model organisms for the study of organelle evolution.

Suggested Citation

  • Christopher R. Schvarcz & Samuel T. Wilson & Mathieu Caffin & Rosalina Stancheva & Qian Li & Kendra A. Turk-Kubo & Angelicque E. White & David M. Karl & Jonathan P. Zehr & Grieg F. Steward, 2022. "Overlooked and widespread pennate diatom-diazotroph symbioses in the sea," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-9, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:13:y:2022:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-022-28065-6
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-28065-6
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Seung Yeo Moon-van der Staay & Rupert De Wachter & Daniel Vaulot, 2001. "Oceanic 18S rDNA sequences from picoplankton reveal unsuspected eukaryotic diversity," Nature, Nature, vol. 409(6820), pages 607-610, February.
    2. Juan José Pierella Karlusich & Eric Pelletier & Fabien Lombard & Madeline Carsique & Etienne Dvorak & Sébastien Colin & Marc Picheral & Francisco M. Cornejo-Castillo & Silvia G. Acinas & Rainer Pepper, 2021. "Global distribution patterns of marine nitrogen-fixers by imaging and molecular methods," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-18, December.
    3. Francisco M. Cornejo-Castillo & Ana M. Cabello & Guillem Salazar & Patricia Sánchez-Baracaldo & Gipsi Lima-Mendez & Pascal Hingamp & Adriana Alberti & Shinichi Sunagawa & Peer Bork & Colomban de Varga, 2016. "Cyanobacterial symbionts diverged in the late Cretaceous towards lineage-specific nitrogen fixation factories in single-celled phytoplankton," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 7(1), pages 1-9, April.
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    Cited by:

    1. Katie J. Harding & Kendra A. Turk-Kubo & Esther Wing Kwan Mak & Peter K. Weber & Xavier Mayali & Jonathan P. Zehr, 2022. "Cell-specific measurements show nitrogen fixation by particle-attached putative non-cyanobacterial diazotrophs in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-10, December.

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