skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Attachment between heterotrophic bacteria and microalgae influences symbiotic microscale interactions

Journal Article · · Environmental Microbiology

Summary The surface and surroundings of microalgal cells (phycosphere) are critical interaction zones but have been difficult to functionally interrogate due to methodological limitations. We examined effects of phycosphere‐associated bacteria for two biofuel‐relevant microalgal species ( Phaeodactylum tricornutum and Nannochloropsis salina ) using stable isotope tracing and high spatial resolution mass spectrometry imaging (NanoSIMS) to quantify elemental exchanges at the single‐cell level. Each algal species responded differently to bacterial attachment. In P. tricornutum , a high percentage of cells had attached bacteria (92%–98%, up to eight bacteria per alga) and fixed 64% more carbon with attached bacteria compared to axenic cells. In contrast, N. salina cells were less commonly associated with bacteria (42%–63%), harboured fewer bacteria per alga, and fixed 10% more carbon without attached bacteria compared to axenic cells. An uncultivated bacterium related to Haliscomenobacter sp. was identified as an effective mutualist; it increased carbon fixation when attached to P. tricornutum and incorporated 71% more algal‐fixed carbon relative to other bacteria. Our results illustrate how phylogenetic identity and physical location of bacteria and algae facilitate diverse metabolic responses. Phycosphere‐mediated, mutualistic chemical exchanges between autotrophs and heterotrophs may be a fruitful means to increase microalgal productivity for applied engineering efforts.

Research Organization:
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC52-07NA27344
OSTI ID:
1491666
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1479114
Report Number(s):
LLNL-JRNL-731684; 883071
Journal Information:
Environmental Microbiology, Vol. 20, Issue 12; ISSN 1462-2912
Publisher:
WileyCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 44 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

References (83)

Excretion of photosynthale by a benthic diatom journal August 1969
The strain concept in phytoplankton ecology journal June 2009
The effects of continuous light and light intensity on the reproduction rates of twenty-two species of marine phytoplankton journal March 1981
Phytoplankton colonization by bacteria: encounter probability as a limiting factor journal January 1989
Bacterial 5-Nucleotidase in Aquatic Ecosystems: A Novel Mechanism of Phosphorus Regeneration journal March 1985
Elevated temperature increases carbon and nitrogen fluxes between phytoplankton and heterotrophic bacteria through physical attachment journal December 2016
Composition, uniqueness and variability of the epiphytic bacterial community of the green alga Ulva australis journal November 2010
Community Structure and Functional Gene Profile of Bacteria on Healthy and Diseased Thalli of the Red Seaweed Delisea pulchra journal December 2012
Sharp gradients in phytoplankton community structure across a frontal zone in the California Current Ecosystem journal May 2012
Photolysis of iron-siderophore chelates promotes bacterial-algal mutualism journal September 2009
Dynamic metabolic exchange governs a marine algal-bacterial interaction journal November 2016
Complete genome sequence of Haliscomenobacter hydrossis type strain (OT) journal June 2011
Variability and abundance of the epiphytic bacterial community associated with a green marine Ulvacean alga journal October 2009
Importance of heterotrophic bacterial assimilation of ammonium and nitrate in the Barents Sea during summer journal December 2002
The Microbiome and Human Biology journal August 2017
Adaptation of Unicellular Algae to Irradiance: an Analysis of Strategies journal February 1983
Role of sinking in diatom life-history cycles: ecological, evolutionary and geological significance journal January 1985
Naive Bayesian Classifier for Rapid Assignment of rRNA Sequences into the New Bacterial Taxonomy journal June 2007
Global patterns of 16S rRNA diversity at a depth of millions of sequences per sample journal June 2010
INVOLVEMENT OF INDOLE-3-ACETIC ACID PRODUCED BY THE GROWTH-PROMOTING BACTERIUM AZOSPIRILLUM SPP . IN PROMOTING GROWTH OF CHLORELLA VULGARIS 1 journal August 2008
NanoSIP: NanoSIMS Applications for Microbial Biology book January 2012
Interactions between Diatoms and Bacteria journal August 2012
Links between Phytoplankton and Bacterial Community Dynamics in a Coastal Marine Environment journal January 2005
Marine snow, organic solute plumes, and optimal chemosensory behavior of bacteria journal August 2001
Lipid productivity as a key characteristic for choosing algal species for biodiesel production journal January 2009
Response of diatom-associated bacteria to host growth state, nutrient concentrations, and viral host infection in a model system: Response of diatom-associated bacteria journal September 2016
Bacterial production and growth efficiencies: Direct measurements on riverine aggregates journal March 2000
Microzones surrounding phytoplankton form the basis for a stratified marine microbial ecosystem journal July 1985
The use of DAPI for identifying and counting aquatic microflora1 journal September 1980
Microbial distribution and activity across a water mass frontal zone in the California Current Ecosystem journal September 2012
Phytoplankton in a changing world: cell size and elemental stoichiometry journal October 2009
Zooming in on the phycosphere: the ecological interface for phytoplankton–bacteria relationships journal May 2017
OCEANS: On Phytoplankton Trends journal March 2008
An Outlook on Microalgal Biofuels journal August 2010
Microbial structuring of marine ecosystems journal October 2007
phyloseq: An R Package for Reproducible Interactive Analysis and Graphics of Microbiome Census Data journal April 2013
Genomic perspectives in microbial oceanography journal September 2005
Marine microorganisms and global nutrient cycles journal September 2004
Bacterial motility in the sea and its ecological implications journal January 2001
Methylamine as a nitrogen source for microorganisms from a coastal marine environment: Methylamine as a nitrogen source for marine microbes journal March 2017
Plankton and nutrient dynamics in marine waters journal February 1995
Protein content and protein synthesis rates of planktonic marine bacteria journal January 1989
Algal growth enhancement by bacteria: Is consumption of photosynthetic oxygen involved? journal September 1995
Comprehensive computational analysis of leucine-rich repeat (LRR) proteins encoded in the genome of the diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum journal June 2015
The Ecological Role of Water-Column Microbes in the Sea journal January 1983
Marine Microbes See a Sea of Gradients journal November 2012
Carbon and nitrogen fixation and metabolite exchange in and between individual cells of Anabaena oscillarioides journal July 2007
A Stress Surveillance System Based on Calcium and Nitric Oxide in Marine Diatoms journal February 2006
Tubular photobioreactor design for algal cultures journal December 2001
Marine biopolymer self-assembly: implications for carbon cycling in the ocean journal January 2008
Microalgae for oil: Strain selection, induction of lipid synthesis and outdoor mass cultivation in a low-cost photobioreactor journal January 2009
Interactions Between Bacteria and Algae in Aquatic Ecosystems journal November 1982
Antagonistic Interactions among Marine Pelagic Bacteria journal November 2001
Oral, Capsulized, Frozen Fecal Microbiota Transplantation for Relapsing Clostridium difficile Infection journal November 2014
Large Fraction of Dead and Inactive Bacteria in Coastal Marine Sediments: Comparison of Protocols for Determination and Ecological Significance journal July 2002
Excretion of some Organic Compounds by Marine Phytoplankton1 journal April 1965
Mixotrophic growth of the microalga Phaeodactylum tricornutum journal January 2005
Algicidal Bacteria in the Sea and their Impact on Algal Blooms1 journal March 2004
Diversity and Abundance of the Bacterial Community of the Red Macroalga Porphyra umbilicalis: Did Bacterial Farmers Produce Macroalgae? journal March 2013
Chlorophyll fluorescence from single cells: Interpretation of flow cytometric signals: Chlorophyll fluorescence journal December 1989
Chemotactic and Growth Responses of Marine Bacteria to Algal Extracellular Products journal October 1972
Interaction and signalling between a cosmopolitan phytoplankton and associated bacteria journal May 2015
In vitro antibacterial activity of some aliphatic aldehydes from Olea europaea L. journal April 2001
Scale in microscopic algal ecology: a neglected dimension journal September 1977
Interkingdom Cross-Feeding of Ammonium from Marine Methylamine-Degrading Bacteria to the Diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum journal September 2016
The genetic organization of the mau gene cluster of the facultative autotroph Paracoccus denitrificans journal May 1992
Temperature-dependent transmission and latency of Holospora undulata , a micronucleus-specific parasite of the ciliate Paramecium caudatum journal January 2006
Root microbiota drive direct integration of phosphate stress and immunity journal March 2017
Enhancing microalgal biomass productivity by engineering a microalgal–bacterial community journal January 2015
Altererythrobacter xiamenensis sp. nov., an algicidal bacterium isolated from red tide seawater journal October 2013
Variations du comportement physiologique de l'algue Monallantus salina (xanthophyc�e) en culture journal September 1970
Cofactor symbiosis for enhanced algal growth, biofuel production, and wastewater treatment journal July 2016
The Microbial Engines That Drive Earth's Biogeochemical Cycles journal May 2008
Mesozooplankton and particulate matter responses to a deep-water frontal system in the southern California Current System journal April 2012
Coexistence of coral reef fishes ? a lottery for living space journal March 1978
Algae acquire vitamin B12 through a symbiotic relationship with bacteria journal November 2005
Utilization of inorganic and organic nitrogen by bacteria in marine systems1: Nitrogen uptake by bacteria journal September 1986
Chemotaxis toward phytoplankton drives organic matter partitioning among marine bacteria journal January 2016
Host selection and stochastic effects influence bacterial community assembly on the microalgal phycosphere journal June 2019
Algae acquire Vitamin B12 through a symbiotic relationship with bacteria journal April 2007
Outdoor open pond batch production of green microalga Botryococcus braunii for high hydrocarbon production: enhanced production with salinity journal February 2020
Root microbiota drive direct integration of phosphate stress and immunity text January 2017
NanoSIP: NanoSIMS Applications for Microbial Biology book October 2021

Cited By (7)

Natural Communities of Carotenogenic Chlorophyte Haematococcus lacustris and Bacteria from the White Sea Coastal Rock Ponds journal November 2019
Pelagibacter metabolism of diatom‐derived volatile organic compounds imposes an energetic tax on photosynthetic carbon fixation journal December 2019
Microbiomes Reduce Their Host’s Sensitivity to Interspecific Interactions journal January 2020
Combining SIMS and mechanistic modelling to reveal nutrient kinetics in an algal-bacterial mutualism text January 2021
Combining SIMS and mechanistic modelling to reveal nutrient kinetics in an algal-bacterial mutualism. text January 2021
Combining SIMS and mechanistic modelling to reveal nutrient kinetics in an algal-bacterial mutualism. text January 2021
Quantifying Inorganic Nitrogen Assimilation by Synechococcus Using Bulk and Single-Cell Mass Spectrometry: A Comparative Study journal November 2018