Pili allow dominant marine cyanobacteria to avoid sinking and evade predation.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Aguilo-Ferretjans MDM
PROVIDER: S-EPMC7994388 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Mar
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Publications
Pili allow dominant marine cyanobacteria to avoid sinking and evade predation.
Aguilo-Ferretjans Maria Del Mar MDM Bosch Rafael R Puxty Richard J RJ Latva Mira M Zadjelovic Vinko V Chhun Audam A Sousoni Despoina D Polin Marco M Scanlan David J DJ Christie-Oleza Joseph A JA
Nature communications 20210325 1
How oligotrophic marine cyanobacteria position themselves in the water column is currently unknown. The current paradigm is that these organisms avoid sinking due to their reduced size and passive drift within currents. Here, we show that one in four picocyanobacteria encode a type IV pilus which allows these organisms to increase drag and remain suspended at optimal positions in the water column, as well as evade predation by grazers. The evolution of this sophisticated floatation mechanism in ...[more]
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