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A day in the life in the dynamic marine environment: how nutrients shape diel patterns of phytoplankton photosynthesis and carbon fixation gene expression in the Mississippi and Orinoco River plumes

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Abstract

This research addresses the hypothesis that environmental conditions affect temporal connectivity between daily transcription of ribulose-1,5 bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) genes and photosynthetic capacity among phytoplankton. From surface samples collected in the Mississippi River plume (MRP) and Orinoco River plume (ORP), we made size-fractionated measurements of Rubisco (rbcL) mRNA from four phytoplankton groups (heterokonts, haptophytes, Synechococcus, and Prochlorococcus) and chlorophyll-normalized photosynthesis–irradiance parameters (including light-saturated photosynthetic rate—P Bmax ), plus nutrient uptake and inorganic carbon. Chlorophyll, photosynthesis, nutrient uptake, and total rbcL mRNA levels were substantially greater in the MRP. Rubisco mRNA and P Bmax exhibited characteristic diel patterns. Regressions with temporally offset data revealed photosynthesis cycles correlated to rbcL mRNA, but with a time lag. This delay was greater in the MRP, and greater among cells >2 μm. At both sites, P Bmax of <2 μm cells exhibited an earlier increase and closer temporal coupling to rbcL mRNA, suggesting carbon fixation is under tighter transcriptional control in picoplankton. The data support our hypothesis such that in the MRP, high productivity and apparent nutrient stress (perhaps including pCO2) resulted in earlier transcription and longer delay to increasing P Bmax among larger phytoplankton. Under stress, larger eukaryotic cells may need longer time to translate adequate Rubisco enzyme because of cellular resource limitation or diversion to nutrient acquisition. In the relatively oligotrophic ORP, phytoplankton may conserve cellular resources by restricting the time for Rubisco translation. These findings provide an interesting glimpse into ways marine algae can modulate the physiology of carbon fixation in response to environmental challenges.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science (BER), Grant # DE-FG02-97ER62452. Shiptime in the Gulf of Mexico was made possible by the U.S. National Science Foundation Grant OCE-0221763 to JHP. The authors acknowledge the assistance from the captain and crew of the R/V Pelican (Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium) and additional members of the JHP lab group during cruises. CO2 system data were provided by Zhaohui “Aleck” Wang, Sherwood Liu, and Robert Byrne. MODIS imagery was provided by Remy Luersson of the USF College of Marine Science Institute for Marine Remote Sensing, under direction of Frank Muller-Karger and Chuanmin Hu. The authors also acknowledge the assistance of Chuanmin Hu in compiling the irradiance data.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Marine Science, University of South Florida, 140 7th Ave. South, St. Petersburg, FL, 33701, USA

    David E. John & John H. Paul

  2. College of Arts and Sciences, University of South Florida-St. Petersburg, 140 7th Ave. South, St. Petersburg, FL, 33701, USA

    David E. John & Nelson A. Santiago

  3. Department of Marine Sciences, University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez, P.O. Box 9000, Mayagüez, PR, 00681, USA

    Jose M. López-Díaz, Alvaro Cabrera & Jorge E. Corredor

  4. The College of William & Mary, Virginia Institute of Marine Science, Route 1208; Greate Rd., Gloucester Point, VA, 23062, USA

    Deborah A. Bronk

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  1. David E. John
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Correspondence to David E. John.

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John, D.E., López-Díaz, J.M., Cabrera, A. et al. A day in the life in the dynamic marine environment: how nutrients shape diel patterns of phytoplankton photosynthesis and carbon fixation gene expression in the Mississippi and Orinoco River plumes. Hydrobiologia 679, 155–173 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-011-0862-6

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