Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Dvir Harris, Hila Toporik, Gabriela S. Schlau-Cohen, Yuval Mazor
Summary: The study reveals that photosynthetic supercomplexes exhibit a wide range of conformations but maintain their efficiency due to specific chlorophylls. These protein complexes are essential for converting solar energy with high efficiency. Despite variability in protein organization, the energy transfer efficiency remains consistent. This finding contributes to a better understanding of the mechanism of photosynthesis.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Review
Microbiology
Anqi Jia, Yanli Zheng, Hui Chen, Qiang Wang
Summary: Cyanobacteria, as the oldest known lineage of oxygen-releasing photosynthetic organisms, play a key role in shaping the ecology of Earth. Iron deficiency in cyanobacteria leads to adaptive responses, with the major chlorophyll-containing protein IsiA binding and releasing chlorophyll for photosystem reconstruction during recovery from iron limitation.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Tonu Reinot, Anton Khmelnitskiy, Valter Zazubovich, Hila Toporik, Yuval Mazor, Ryszard Jankowiak
Summary: The study investigates the structure and optical spectra of the PSI3-IsiA(18) supercomplex, a large and complicated assembly in photosynthesis. It is found that about 2.7 chlorophylls are lost in the IsiA monomers, and the lowest energy pigments are identified as Chls 511, 514, and 517. Furthermore, it is revealed that there are three entry points for energy transfer from IsiA6 to the PSI core monomer.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY B
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Christophe Six, Morgane Ratin, Dominique Marie, Erwan Corre
Summary: This study found that tropical Synechococcus and those adapted to subpolar habitats have evolved different growth strategies and photosynthetic characteristics in response to different temperature environments. In low-temperature conditions, Synechococcus adapts to growth by increasing photoprotection capacity, while in high-temperature conditions, it achieves rapid growth by strengthening the photosynthetic machinery.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Cheng-Wen Yong, Bin Deng, Ling-Mei Liu, Xin-Wei Wang, Hai-Bo Jiang
Summary: Iron is a critical factor limiting marine primary productivity, and marine cyanobacteria play important roles in this process. This study identified multiple iron uptake pathways in a coastal strain of cyanobacteria and highlighted the importance of genes related to iron transport and synthesis. The authors also discussed the relationship between iron uptake strategies and iron availability in different cyanobacterial habitats.
APPLIED AND ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Yevgeni Yegorov, Eleonora Sendersky, Shaul Zilberman, Elad Nagar, Hiba Waldman Ben-Asher, Eyal Shimoni, Ryan Simkovsky, Susan S. Golden, Andy LiWang, Rakefet Schwarz
Summary: This study identifies novel components of cyanobacterial biofilm regulation and suggests that cyanobacteria may use the same complex for the assembly of motility appendages and protein secretion. This broadens the understanding of pilus assembly/secretion in diverse bacteria and aims to control the formation of cyanobacterial biofilms.
Article
Plant Sciences
Mostafa M. El-Sheekh, Ondrej Prasil, Eithar El-Mohsnawy
Summary: The study found that under iron limitation, the content of chlorophyll-a in thermophilic cyanobacterial cells decreased, while the content of beta-carotene increased, leading to a higher Car/Chl-a ratio, and a decrease in phycobilins content, cell activity, and energy transfer. With iron recovery, cells regained full metabolic activity in a short period.
ACTA PHYSIOLOGIAE PLANTARUM
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Hui-Yuan Steven Chen, Dariusz M. Niedzwiedzki, Anindita Bandyopadhyay, Sandeep Biswas, Himadri B. Pakrasi
Summary: Oxygenic photosynthetic organisms have evolved mechanisms, such as the cysteine-mediated excitation quenching mechanism of IsiA protein, to dissipate excess light energy and provide photoprotection under stress conditions, ensuring optimal photosynthetic productivity and minimizing photodamage to cells.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Nicholas J. Hawco, Benedetto Barone, Matthew J. Church, Lydia Babcock-Adams, Daniel J. Repeta, Emma K. Wear, Rhea K. Foreman, Karin M. Bjorkman, Shavonna Bent, Benjamin A. S. Van Mooy, Uri Sheyn, Edward F. DeLong, Marianne Acker, Rachel L. Kelly, Alexa Nelson, John Ranieri, Tara M. Clemente, David M. Karl, Seth G. John
Summary: In stratified oligotrophic waters, natural iron addition events regularly occur with the passage of mesoscale eddies, providing a way to test for iron limitation at the DCM. Studies of two eddies in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre indicate different impacts of iron addition on phytoplankton communities in different eddy types. Iron addition experiments did not increase productivity in either eddy, but revealed potential indicators of iron stress among Prochlorococcus. Recycling of dissolved iron in oligotrophic ecosystems appears sufficient to avoid iron limitation at the DCM under typical conditions.
GLOBAL BIOGEOCHEMICAL CYCLES
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Zoe Meriguet, Marion Vilain, Alberto Baudena, Chloe Tilliette, Jeremie Habasque, Anne Lebourges-Dhaussy, Nagib Bhairy, Cecile Guieu, Sophie Bonnet, Fabien Lombard
Summary: This study collected samples from the Western Tropical South Pacific basin and analyzed the plankton community and chlorophyll a concentrations in the photic layer. The results showed that shallow hydrothermal inputs sustain the planktonic food web and significantly increase chlorophyll a concentrations.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Yuki Tsuzuki, Yusuke Tsukatani, Hisanori Yamakawa, Shigeru Itoh, Yuichi Fujita, Haruki Yamamoto
Summary: A marine cyanobacterium Acaryochloris marina synthesizes a unique chlorophyll called chlorophyll d. This study investigates the effects of light and oxygen on chlorophyll d biosynthesis in A. marina. The findings suggest that A. marina has a light-independent pathway for chlorophyll d biosynthesis and that chlorophyll d degradation occurs under anaerobic and dark conditions.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Alexander Y. Starikov, Roman A. Sidorov, Sergei V. Goriainov, Dmitry A. Los
Summary: Fatty acid desaturases (FADs) are highly specific enzymes that introduce double bonds into fatty acid chains. This study demonstrates the ability of Delta 6-FAD to introduce the first double bond into unsaturated substrates, regardless of the presence of previous double bonds in the fatty acid chain.
Article
Microbiology
Christopher J. Gisriel, Tanai Cardona, Donald A. Bryant, Gary W. Brudvig
Summary: This study reconstructs the ancestral sequence and performs structure-based molecular evolutionary studies on the far-red light (FRL)-specific subunits of FRL-PSII in cyanobacteria. The findings suggest that the duplications leading to the origin of specific subunits of FRL-PSII likely occurred prior to the diversification of extant cyanobacteria.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Christina Schallenberg, Robert F. Strzepek, Sophie Bestley, Bozena Wojtasiewicz, Thomas W. Trull
Summary: The ratio between fluorescence and chlorophyll-a varies in the world's oceans, with the highest ratios and variability observed in the Southern Ocean. In addition to species composition and chlorophyll packaging, iron limitation also plays a significant role in influencing this ratio. This study utilized radiometry data from BGC-Argo floats in the Southern Ocean to estimate chlorophyll concentration based on the light attenuation coefficient, revealing a positive correlation between fluorescence/chlorophyll ratio and a proxy for iron limitation.
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Sandeep Biswas, Dariusz M. Niedzwiedzki, Michelle Liberton, Himadri B. Pakrasi
Summary: In photosynthesis, cyanobacteria use pigments and chlorophyll-binding proteins (such as CP43, CP47, IsiA, and PcbC) to harvest and transfer light energy for energy trapping and dissipation. Research shows that these proteins have similar spectral properties, suggesting a common ancestor, and a closer evolutionary relationship between CP47 and IsiA.
PHOTOSYNTHESIS RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Limnology
Qian Li, Kyle F. Edwards, Christopher R. Schvarcz, Karen E. Selph, Grieg F. Steward
Summary: Mixotrophic nanoflagellates, such as Florenciella, play a significant role in bacterivory in the sunlit ocean. This study revealed that Florenciella can consume Prochlorococcus, Synechococcus, and heterotrophic bacteria, relieving nutrient limitations on growth, and showing increased grazing rates under nutrient limitation. Additionally, a trade-off between maximum clearance rate and maximum ingestion rate suggests that grazing behavior may vary in response to prey concentration.
LIMNOLOGY AND OCEANOGRAPHY
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Gea H. van der Lee, J. Arie Vonk, Ralf C. M. Verdonschot, Michiel H. S. Kraak, Piet F. M. Verdonschot, Jef Huisman
Summary: The study found that with increasing eutrophication, the trophic position of some omnivores and the generalist predator Notonecta decreased, while the trophic position of most other consumers remained constant. This suggests that changes in the diets of aquatic invertebrates induced by eutrophication may impact species interactions and food web structure in aquatic ecosystems.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Lisette Mekkes, Willem Renema, Nina Bednarsek, Simone R. Alin, Richard A. Feely, Jef Huisman, Peter Roessingh, Katja T. C. A. Peijnenburg
Summary: The study found that in the California Current Ecosystem, the shell thickness of pteropods decreases with the increasing upwelling gradient, mainly due to the upwelling of more acidic and colder waters to the surface. Although only about 2% of the shell surface area showed signs of dissolution, the decrease in shell thickness in natural environments may be attributed to reduced calcification.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Correction
Ecology
Pedro Branco, Martijn Egas, James J. Elser, Jef Huisman
AMERICAN NATURALIST
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Erik F. J. Weenink, Hans C. P. Matthijs, J. Merijn Schuurmans, Tim Piel, Maria J. van Herk, Corrien A. M. Sigon, Petra M. Visser, Jef Huisman
Summary: Oceanographic studies have shown that heterotrophic bacteria can protect marine cyanobacteria against oxidative stress caused by hydrogen peroxide. In freshwater ecosystems, less-sensitive green algae can protect cyanobacteria by degrading H2O2 faster and providing antioxidant enzymes. The level of protection depends on the density of green algae.
ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Lisette Mekkes, Guadalupe Sepulveda-Rodriguez, Gintare Bielkinaite, Deborah Wall-Palmer, Geert-Jan A. Brummer, Linda K. Daemmer, Jef Huisman, Emiel van Loon, Willem Renema, Katja T. C. A. Peijnenburg
Summary: Ocean acidification is expected to impact high latitude oceans first, with sub-Antarctic waters experiencing undersaturated conditions with respect to aragonite within a few decades. Shelled pteropods, especially Limacina retroversa, are sensitive to changes in carbonate chemistry. This study found significant differences in calcification responses of L. retroversa individuals under past, present, and near-future ocean carbonate chemistry conditions, indicating a high sensitivity to changes in carbonate chemistry and potential future impact on aragonite-CaCO3 export.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Niklas A. Kornder, Jose Cappelletto, Benjamin Mueller, Margaretha J. L. Zalm, Stephanie J. Martinez, Mark J. A. Vermeij, Jef Huisman, Jasper M. de Goeij
Summary: A major challenge in coral reef ecology is accurately estimating the abundance and composition of communities in these complex ecosystems. Traditional 2D surface cover estimates may not accurately represent the biomass needed for trophic ecology and reef function. Research comparing 3D benthic community estimates to 2D cover found significant differences in composition, with coral cover closely resembling coral biomass while non-calcifying phototrophs dominating 2D cover with minimal contribution to total reef biomass.
Article
Ecology
Tristan E. G. Biggs, Jef Huisman, Corina P. D. Brussaard
Summary: This study highlights the importance of viral lysis in Antarctic phytoplankton communities, showing that it is a major loss factor responsible for roughly half of seasonal phytoplankton carbon losses. Different phytoplankton groups exhibit varied responses to viral lysis, with cryptophytes and picoeukaryotes primarily affected by viral lysis while small diatoms are mostly grazed. This research emphasizes the need to consider viral lysis dynamics for a better understanding of microbial community interactions and organic matter flux predictions in the Antarctic region.
Article
Microbiology
Tim Piel, Giovanni Sandrini, Gerard Muyzer, Corina P. D. Brussaard, Pieter C. Slot, Maria J. van Herk, Jef Huisman, Petra M. Visser
Summary: The study showed that low concentrations of H2O2 effectively suppressed dominant cyanobacteria in lakes and had impacts on the microbial community. Some Proteobacteria benefitted from the treatments while certain bacterial taxa declined. Microbial communities experienced significant changes within the first 24 hours after H2O2 addition but recovered shortly after, indicating resilience.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Niklas A. Kornder, Yuki Esser, Daniel Stoupin, Sally P. Leys, Benjamin Mueller, Mark J. A. Vermeij, Jef Huisman, Jasper M. de Goeij
Summary: Sponges employ a unique mechanism of self-cleaning by actively expelling solid waste through their inlet pores and sneezing. This mechanism has been observed in the Caribbean tube sponge Aplysina archeri and could provide insights into waste removal in other sponge species and mucus transport in other animals, including humans.
Article
Ecology
Benjamin Mueller, Hannah J. Brocke, Forest L. Rohwer, Thorsten Dittmar, Jef Huisman, Mark J. A. Vermeij, Jasper M. de Goeij
Summary: The release of dissolved organic matter (DOM) by algae, especially turf algae containing cyanobacteria, plays a significant role in the degradation of coral reefs. This study investigates the night-time release of DOM by turf algae and its potential impact on the microbialization of reefs. The results show that the night-DOC released by turf algae and benthic cyanobacterial mats is a crucial driver in the microbialization process, threatening the productivity and biodiversity of coral reef ecosystems.
FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Sebastiaan Koppelle, David Lopez-Escardo, Corina P. D. Brussaard, Jef Huisman, Catharina J. M. Philippart, Ramon Massana, Susanne Wilken
Summary: The study found the presence of phago-mixotrophic feeding strategy in Phaeocystis globosa and some other haptophytes, which may contribute to their ability to form blooms under nutrient-limiting conditions.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Erik F. J. Weenink, Michiel H. S. Kraak, Corne van Teulingen, Senna Kuijt, Maria J. van Herk, Corrien A. M. Sigon, Tim Piel, Giovanni Sandrini, Mariel Leon-Grooters, Milo L. de Baat, Jef Huisman, Petra M. Visser
Summary: This study aims to investigate the suppression effect of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) on cyanobacterial blooms in lakes and its potential effects on non-target species. Through laboratory toxicity tests and lake treatments, the results show that the use of H2O2 is successful in suppressing cyanobacteria but may also have adverse effects on some zooplankton communities.
Editorial Material
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jef Huisman, Elke Dittmann, Jutta Fastner, J. Merijn Schuurmans, J. Thad Scott, Dedmer B. Van de Waal, Petra M. Visser, Martin Welker, Ingrid Chorus
Summary: Hellweger et al. suggest that phosphorus limitation will lead to higher concentrations of cyanobacterial toxins in lakes. However, their assumptions about molecular, physiological, and ecological mechanisms lack support and contradict other studies. It is concluded that their take-home message about increased toxicity in Lake Erie due to phosphorus load reduction is fundamentally flawed.
Article
Ecology
Tadzio Holtrop, Jef Huisman, Maayke Stomp, Levi Biersteker, Jeroen Aerts, Theophile Grebert, Frederic Partensky, Laurence Garczarek, Hendrik Jan van der Woerd
Summary: By using a radiative transfer model, the authors identified five spectral niches in aquatic ecosystems based on the vibrational modes of water molecules. These niches, in the violet, blue, green, orange, and red parts of the spectrum, are effectively captured by chlorophylls and phycobilin pigments of cyanobacteria and their eukaryotic descendants. The global distributions of these spectral niches were predicted using remote sensing and validated with observed large-scale distribution patterns of cyanobacterial pigment types, providing an explanation for the biogeographical distributions of photosynthetic pigments across lakes and oceans.
NATURE ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2021)