Efficiency of the CO2-concentrating mechanism of diatoms.

ABSTRACT: Diatoms are responsible for a large fraction of CO(2) export to deep seawater, a process responsible for low modern-day CO(2) concentrations in surface seawater and the atmosphere. Like other photosynthetic organisms, diatoms have adapted to these low ambient concentrations by operating a CO(2) concentrating mechanism (CCM) to elevate the concentration of CO(2) at the site of fixation. We used mass spectrometric measurements of passive and active cellular carbon fluxes and model simulations of these fluxes to better understand the stoichiometric and energetic efficiency and the physiological architecture of the diatom CCM. The membranes of diatoms are highly permeable to CO(2), resulting in a large diffusive exchange of CO(2) between the cell and external milieu. An active transport of car

SUBMITTER: Hopkinson BM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3054024 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature