Publications | Institutes | Persons | Datasets | Projects | Maps | Infrastructure
[ report an error in this record ]basket (0): add | show Print this page

Cellular costs underpin micronutrient limitation in phytoplankton
McCain, J.S.P; Tagliabue, A.; Susko, E.; Achterberg, E.P.; Allen, A.E.; Bertrand, E.M. (2021). Cellular costs underpin micronutrient limitation in phytoplankton. Science Advances 7(32): eabg6501. https://dx.doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abg6501
In: Science Advances. AAAS: New York. ISSN 2375-2548; e-ISSN 2375-2548, more
Peer reviewed article  

Available in  Authors 

Authors  Top 
  • McCain, J.S.P
  • Tagliabue, A.
  • Susko, E.
  • Achterberg, E.P.
  • Allen, A.E.
  • Bertrand, E.M.

Abstract
    Micronutrients control phytoplankton growth in the ocean, influencing carbon export and fisheries. It is currently unclear how micronutrient scarcity affects cellular processes and how interdependence across micronutrients arises. We show that proximate causes of micronutrient growth limitation and interdependence are governed by cumulative cellular costs of acquiring and using micronutrients. Using a mechanistic proteomic allocation model of a polar diatom focused on iron and manganese, we demonstrate how cellular processes fundamentally underpin micronutrient limitation, and how they interact and compensate for each other to shape cellular elemental stoichiometry and resource interdependence. We coupled our model with metaproteomic and environmental data, yielding an approach for estimating biogeochemical metrics, including taxon-specific growth rates. Our results show that cumulative cellular costs govern how environmental conditions modify phytoplankton growth.

All data in the Integrated Marine Information System (IMIS) is subject to the VLIZ privacy policy Top | Authors