Interactions with bacteria shape diatom adaptation to carbon concentration changes.

ABSTRACT: Diatoms are key contributors to global primary production, and have developed intricate partnerships with bacteria through long-term co-evolution. Here, we uncover a syntrophic relationship between the model obligate photoautotroph diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum and the rod-shaped bacterium Loktanella vestfoldensis, which enables the diatom to indirectly utilize glucose. To be specific, growth of the diatom depends on the support of L. vestfoldensis for the supply of necessary carbon source when glucose serves as the sole carbon source, while L. vestfoldensis shows dependence on P. tricornutum when CO₂ is the sole carbon source. Reanalysis of Tara Oceans metagenomic data shows frequent co-occurrence of Loktanella with diatoms including Chaetoceros and Thalassiosira, indicating

SUBMITTER: Li C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12868695 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature