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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ftsydanskunivpub:oai:sdu.dk:publications/0a03e86b-4af2-4c9f-bdd0-932e6cebdb3c 2024-09-15T17:44:54+00:00 The small unicellular diazotrophic symbiont, UCYN-A, is a key player in the marine nitrogen cycle Martínez-Pérez, Clara Mohr, Wiebke Löscher, Carolin R Dekaezemacker, Julien Littmann, Sten Yilmaz, Pelin Lehnen, Nadine Fuchs, Bernhard M Lavik, Gaute Schmitz, Ruth A LaRoche, Julie Kuypers, Marcel M M 2016 https://portal.findresearcher.sdu.dk/da/publications/0a03e86b-4af2-4c9f-bdd0-932e6cebdb3c https://doi.org/10.1038/nmicrobiol.2016.163 eng eng https://portal.findresearcher.sdu.dk/da/publications/0a03e86b-4af2-4c9f-bdd0-932e6cebdb3c info:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccess Martínez-Pérez , C , Mohr , W , Löscher , C R , Dekaezemacker , J , Littmann , S , Yilmaz , P , Lehnen , N , Fuchs , B M , Lavik , G , Schmitz , R A , LaRoche , J & Kuypers , M M M 2016 , ' The small unicellular diazotrophic symbiont, UCYN-A, is a key player in the marine nitrogen cycle ' , Nature Microbiology , vol. 1 , no. 11 , 16163 . https://doi.org/10.1038/nmicrobiol.2016.163 Antarctic Regions Atlantic Ocean Cyanobacteria/metabolism Nitrogen Cycle Nitrogen Fixation Nitrogenase/metabolism RNA Ribosomal 16S Seawater/microbiology Symbiosis article 2016 ftsydanskunivpub https://doi.org/10.1038/nmicrobiol.2016.163 2024-08-19T23:51:22Z 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 Trichodesmium(1,2). 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 oceans(3-6). 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 Atlantic(7), 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 North Atlantic University of Southern Denmark Research Portal Nature Microbiology 1 11 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
University of Southern Denmark Research Portal |
op_collection_id |
ftsydanskunivpub |
language |
English |
topic |
Antarctic Regions Atlantic Ocean Cyanobacteria/metabolism Nitrogen Cycle Nitrogen Fixation Nitrogenase/metabolism RNA Ribosomal 16S Seawater/microbiology Symbiosis |
spellingShingle |
Antarctic Regions Atlantic Ocean Cyanobacteria/metabolism Nitrogen Cycle Nitrogen Fixation Nitrogenase/metabolism RNA Ribosomal 16S Seawater/microbiology Symbiosis Martínez-Pérez, Clara Mohr, Wiebke Löscher, Carolin R Dekaezemacker, Julien Littmann, Sten Yilmaz, Pelin Lehnen, Nadine Fuchs, Bernhard M Lavik, Gaute Schmitz, Ruth A LaRoche, Julie Kuypers, Marcel M M The small unicellular diazotrophic symbiont, UCYN-A, is a key player in the marine nitrogen cycle |
topic_facet |
Antarctic Regions Atlantic Ocean Cyanobacteria/metabolism Nitrogen Cycle Nitrogen Fixation Nitrogenase/metabolism RNA Ribosomal 16S Seawater/microbiology Symbiosis |
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 Trichodesmium(1,2). 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 oceans(3-6). 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 Atlantic(7), 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 |
Martínez-Pérez, Clara Mohr, Wiebke Löscher, Carolin R Dekaezemacker, Julien Littmann, Sten Yilmaz, Pelin Lehnen, Nadine Fuchs, Bernhard M Lavik, Gaute Schmitz, Ruth A LaRoche, Julie Kuypers, Marcel M M |
author_facet |
Martínez-Pérez, Clara Mohr, Wiebke Löscher, Carolin R Dekaezemacker, Julien Littmann, Sten Yilmaz, Pelin Lehnen, Nadine Fuchs, Bernhard M Lavik, Gaute Schmitz, Ruth A LaRoche, Julie Kuypers, Marcel M M |
author_sort |
Martínez-Pérez, 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 |
publishDate |
2016 |
url |
https://portal.findresearcher.sdu.dk/da/publications/0a03e86b-4af2-4c9f-bdd0-932e6cebdb3c https://doi.org/10.1038/nmicrobiol.2016.163 |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic North Atlantic |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic North Atlantic |
op_source |
Martínez-Pérez , C , Mohr , W , Löscher , C R , Dekaezemacker , J , Littmann , S , Yilmaz , P , Lehnen , N , Fuchs , B M , Lavik , G , Schmitz , R A , LaRoche , J & Kuypers , M M M 2016 , ' The small unicellular diazotrophic symbiont, UCYN-A, is a key player in the marine nitrogen cycle ' , Nature Microbiology , vol. 1 , no. 11 , 16163 . https://doi.org/10.1038/nmicrobiol.2016.163 |
op_relation |
https://portal.findresearcher.sdu.dk/da/publications/0a03e86b-4af2-4c9f-bdd0-932e6cebdb3c |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1038/nmicrobiol.2016.163 |
container_title |
Nature Microbiology |
container_volume |
1 |
container_issue |
11 |
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1810492588559433728 |