Connecting thermal physiology and latitudinal niche partitioning in marine Synechococcus.

ABSTRACT: Marine Synechococcus cyanobacteria constitute a monophyletic group that displays a wide latitudinal distribution, ranging from the equator to the polar fronts. Whether these organisms are all physiologically adapted to stand a large temperature gradient or stenotherms with narrow growth temperature ranges has so far remained unexplored. We submitted a panel of six strains, isolated along a gradient of latitude in the North Atlantic Ocean, to long- and short-term variations of temperature. Upon a downward shift of temperature, the strains showed strikingly distinct resistance, seemingly related to their latitude of isolation, with tropical strains collapsing while northern strains were capable of growing. This behaviour was associated to differential photosynthetic performances. In the trop

SUBMITTER: Pittera J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4030225 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature