Biofilm formation and cell plasticity drive diazotrophy in an anoxygenic phototrophic bacterium.

ABSTRACT:

Importance

The contribution of non-cyanobacterial diazotrophs (NCDs) to total N₂ fixation in the marine water column is unknown, but their importance is likely constrained by the limited availability of dissolved organic matter and low O₂ conditions. Light could support N₂ fixation and growth by NCDs, yet no examples from bacterioplankton exist. In this study, we show that the phototrophic NCD, Rhodopseudomonas sp. BAL398, which is a member of the diazotrophic community in the surface waters of the Baltic Sea, can utilize light. Our study highlights the significance of biofilm formation for utilizing light and fixing N₂ under oxic conditions and the role of cell plasticity in regulating these processes. Our findings have implicatio

SUBMITTER: Fernandez-Juarez V 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10686084 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature