Microbial diversity of co-occurring heterotrophs in cultures of marine picocyanobacteria.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The cyanobacteria Prochlorococcus and Synechococcus are responsible for around 10% of global net primary productivity, serving as part of the foundation of marine food webs. Heterotrophic bacteria are often co-isolated with these picocyanobacteria in seawater enrichment cultures that contain no added organic carbon; heterotrophs grow on organic carbon supplied by the photolithoautotrophs. For examining the selective pressures shaping autotroph/heterotroph interactions, we have made use of unialgal enrichment cultures of Prochlorococcus and Synechococcus maintained for hundreds to thousands of generations in the lab. We examine the diversity of heterotrophs in 74 enrichment cultures of these picocyanobacteria obtained from diverse areas of the global oceans.

Results

SUBMITTER: Kearney SM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8067657 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature