The small unicellular diazotrophic symbiont, UCYN-A, is a key player in the marine nitrogen cycle
Microbial dinitrogen (N2) fixation, the nitrogenase enzyme-catalysed reduction of N2 gas into biologically available ammonia, is the main source of new nitrogen (N) in the ocean. For more than 50 years, oceanic N2 fixation has mainly been attributed to the activity of the colonial cyanobacterium Tri...
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Nature Research
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Online Access: | https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/33782/ https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/33782/1/nmicrobiol2016163.pdf https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/33782/2/nmicrobiol2016163-s1.pdf https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/33782/3/nmicrobiol2016163-s2.xlsx https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/33782/4/nmicrobiol2016163-s3.xls https://doi.org/10.1038/nmicrobiol.2016.163 |
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ftoceanrep:oai:oceanrep.geomar.de:33782 2023-05-15T13:48:22+02:00 The small unicellular diazotrophic symbiont, UCYN-A, is a key player in the marine nitrogen cycle Martinez-Perez, Clara Mohr, Wiebke Löscher, Carolin Dekaezemacker, Julien Littmann, Sten Yilmaz, Pelin Lehnen, Nadine Fuchs, Bernhard M. Lavik, Gaute Schmitz-Streit, Ruth LaRoche, Julie Kuypers, Marcel M. M. 2016-09-12 text other https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/33782/ https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/33782/1/nmicrobiol2016163.pdf https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/33782/2/nmicrobiol2016163-s1.pdf https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/33782/3/nmicrobiol2016163-s2.xlsx https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/33782/4/nmicrobiol2016163-s3.xls https://doi.org/10.1038/nmicrobiol.2016.163 en eng Nature Research https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/33782/1/nmicrobiol2016163.pdf https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/33782/2/nmicrobiol2016163-s1.pdf https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/33782/3/nmicrobiol2016163-s2.xlsx https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/33782/4/nmicrobiol2016163-s3.xls Martinez-Perez, C., Mohr, W. , Löscher, C., Dekaezemacker, J., Littmann, S., Yilmaz, P., Lehnen, N., Fuchs, B. M., Lavik, G., Schmitz-Streit, R., LaRoche, J. and Kuypers, M. M. M. (2016) The small unicellular diazotrophic symbiont, UCYN-A, is a key player in the marine nitrogen cycle. Nature Microbiology, 1 . Art. No. 16163. DOI 10.1038/nmicrobiol.2016.163 <https://doi.org/10.1038/nmicrobiol.2016.163>. doi:10.1038/nmicrobiol.2016.163 info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess Article PeerReviewed 2016 ftoceanrep https://doi.org/10.1038/nmicrobiol.2016.163 2023-04-07T15:27:23Z Microbial dinitrogen (N2) fixation, the nitrogenase enzyme-catalysed reduction of N2 gas into biologically available ammonia, is the main source of new nitrogen (N) in the ocean. For more than 50 years, oceanic N2 fixation has mainly been attributed to the activity of the colonial cyanobacterium Trichodesmium1,2. Other smaller N2-fixing microorganisms (diazotrophs)—in particular the unicellular cyanobacteria group A (UCYN-A)—are, however, abundant enough to potentially contribute significantly to N2 fixation in the surface waters of the oceans3,4,5,6. Despite their abundance, the contribution of UCYN-A to oceanic N2 fixation has so far not been directly quantified. Here, we show that in one of the main areas of oceanic N2 fixation, the tropical North Atlantic7, the symbiotic cyanobacterium UCYN-A contributed to N2 fixation similarly to Trichodesmium. Two types of UCYN-A, UCYN-A1 and -A2, were observed to live in symbioses with specific eukaryotic algae. Single-cell analyses showed that both algae–UCYN-A symbioses actively fixed N2, contributing ∼20% to N2 fixation in the tropical North Atlantic, revealing their significance in this region. These symbioses had growth rates five to ten times higher than Trichodesmium, implying a rapid transfer of UCYN-A-fixed N into the food web that might significantly raise their actual contribution to N2 fixation. Our analysis of global 16S rRNA gene databases showed that UCYN-A occurs in surface waters from the Arctic to the Antarctic Circle and thus probably contributes to N2 fixation in a much larger oceanic area than previously thought. Based on their high rates of N2 fixation and cosmopolitan distribution, we hypothesize that UCYN-A plays a major, but currently overlooked role in the oceanic N cycle. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Arctic North Atlantic OceanRep (GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre für Ocean Research Kiel) Antarctic Arctic The Antarctic Nature Microbiology 1 11 |
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OceanRep (GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre für Ocean Research Kiel) |
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ftoceanrep |
language |
English |
description |
Microbial dinitrogen (N2) fixation, the nitrogenase enzyme-catalysed reduction of N2 gas into biologically available ammonia, is the main source of new nitrogen (N) in the ocean. For more than 50 years, oceanic N2 fixation has mainly been attributed to the activity of the colonial cyanobacterium Trichodesmium1,2. Other smaller N2-fixing microorganisms (diazotrophs)—in particular the unicellular cyanobacteria group A (UCYN-A)—are, however, abundant enough to potentially contribute significantly to N2 fixation in the surface waters of the oceans3,4,5,6. Despite their abundance, the contribution of UCYN-A to oceanic N2 fixation has so far not been directly quantified. Here, we show that in one of the main areas of oceanic N2 fixation, the tropical North Atlantic7, the symbiotic cyanobacterium UCYN-A contributed to N2 fixation similarly to Trichodesmium. Two types of UCYN-A, UCYN-A1 and -A2, were observed to live in symbioses with specific eukaryotic algae. Single-cell analyses showed that both algae–UCYN-A symbioses actively fixed N2, contributing ∼20% to N2 fixation in the tropical North Atlantic, revealing their significance in this region. These symbioses had growth rates five to ten times higher than Trichodesmium, implying a rapid transfer of UCYN-A-fixed N into the food web that might significantly raise their actual contribution to N2 fixation. Our analysis of global 16S rRNA gene databases showed that UCYN-A occurs in surface waters from the Arctic to the Antarctic Circle and thus probably contributes to N2 fixation in a much larger oceanic area than previously thought. Based on their high rates of N2 fixation and cosmopolitan distribution, we hypothesize that UCYN-A plays a major, but currently overlooked role in the oceanic N cycle. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Martinez-Perez, Clara Mohr, Wiebke Löscher, Carolin Dekaezemacker, Julien Littmann, Sten Yilmaz, Pelin Lehnen, Nadine Fuchs, Bernhard M. Lavik, Gaute Schmitz-Streit, Ruth LaRoche, Julie Kuypers, Marcel M. M. |
spellingShingle |
Martinez-Perez, Clara Mohr, Wiebke Löscher, Carolin Dekaezemacker, Julien Littmann, Sten Yilmaz, Pelin Lehnen, Nadine Fuchs, Bernhard M. Lavik, Gaute Schmitz-Streit, Ruth LaRoche, Julie Kuypers, Marcel M. M. The small unicellular diazotrophic symbiont, UCYN-A, is a key player in the marine nitrogen cycle |
author_facet |
Martinez-Perez, Clara Mohr, Wiebke Löscher, Carolin Dekaezemacker, Julien Littmann, Sten Yilmaz, Pelin Lehnen, Nadine Fuchs, Bernhard M. Lavik, Gaute Schmitz-Streit, Ruth LaRoche, Julie Kuypers, Marcel M. M. |
author_sort |
Martinez-Perez, Clara |
title |
The small unicellular diazotrophic symbiont, UCYN-A, is a key player in the marine nitrogen cycle |
title_short |
The small unicellular diazotrophic symbiont, UCYN-A, is a key player in the marine nitrogen cycle |
title_full |
The small unicellular diazotrophic symbiont, UCYN-A, is a key player in the marine nitrogen cycle |
title_fullStr |
The small unicellular diazotrophic symbiont, UCYN-A, is a key player in the marine nitrogen cycle |
title_full_unstemmed |
The small unicellular diazotrophic symbiont, UCYN-A, is a key player in the marine nitrogen cycle |
title_sort |
small unicellular diazotrophic symbiont, ucyn-a, is a key player in the marine nitrogen cycle |
publisher |
Nature Research |
publishDate |
2016 |
url |
https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/33782/ https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/33782/1/nmicrobiol2016163.pdf https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/33782/2/nmicrobiol2016163-s1.pdf https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/33782/3/nmicrobiol2016163-s2.xlsx https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/33782/4/nmicrobiol2016163-s3.xls https://doi.org/10.1038/nmicrobiol.2016.163 |
geographic |
Antarctic Arctic The Antarctic |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic Arctic The Antarctic |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Arctic North Atlantic |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Arctic North Atlantic |
op_relation |
https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/33782/1/nmicrobiol2016163.pdf https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/33782/2/nmicrobiol2016163-s1.pdf https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/33782/3/nmicrobiol2016163-s2.xlsx https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/33782/4/nmicrobiol2016163-s3.xls Martinez-Perez, C., Mohr, W. , Löscher, C., Dekaezemacker, J., Littmann, S., Yilmaz, P., Lehnen, N., Fuchs, B. M., Lavik, G., Schmitz-Streit, R., LaRoche, J. and Kuypers, M. M. M. (2016) The small unicellular diazotrophic symbiont, UCYN-A, is a key player in the marine nitrogen cycle. Nature Microbiology, 1 . Art. No. 16163. DOI 10.1038/nmicrobiol.2016.163 <https://doi.org/10.1038/nmicrobiol.2016.163>. doi:10.1038/nmicrobiol.2016.163 |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1038/nmicrobiol.2016.163 |
container_title |
Nature Microbiology |
container_volume |
1 |
container_issue |
11 |
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1766249176981569536 |