Molecular mechanism of oil induced growth inhibition in diatoms using Thalassiosira pseudonana as the model species.

ABSTRACT: The 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil-spill exposed the microbes of Gulf of Mexico to unprecedented amount of oil. Conclusive evidence of the underlying molecular mechanism(s) on the negative effects of oil exposure on certain phytoplankton species such as Thalassiosira pseudonana is still lacking, curtailing our understanding of how oil spills alter community composition. We performed experiments on model diatom T. pseudonana to understand the mechanisms underpinning observed reduced growth and photosynthesis rates during oil exposure. Results show severe impairment to processes upstream of photosynthesis, such as light absorption, with proteins associated with the light harvesting complex damaged while the pigments were unaffected. Proteins associated with photosynthetic electron transport were

SUBMITTER: Kamalanathan M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8494926 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature