Transcriptomics reveal a unique phago-mixotrophic response to low nutrient concentrations in the prasinophyte Pterosperma cristatum.

ABSTRACT: Constitutive mixoplankton-plastid-bearing microbial eukaryotes capable of both phototrophy and phagotrophy-are ubiquitous in marine ecosystems and facilitate carbon transfer to higher trophic levels within aquatic food webs, which supports enhanced sinking carbon flux. However, the regulation of the relative contribution of photosynthesis and prey consumption remains poorly characterized. We investigated the transcriptional dynamics behind this phenotypic plasticity in the prasinophyte green alga Pterosperma cristatum. Based on what is known of other mixoplankton species that cannot grow without photosynthesis (obligate phototrophs), we hypothesized that P. cristatum uses phagotrophy to circumvent the restrictions imposed on photosynthesis by nutrient depletion, to obtain nut

SUBMITTER: Charvet S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11217555 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature