Photosynthesis and circadian rhythms regulate the buoyancy of marimo lake balls
Marimo are unusual, attractive and endangered spherical aggregations of the filamentous green macroalga Aegagropila linnaei (Figure 1A–E) [1]. Globally rare, marimo populations persist in cold freshwater lakes in Japan, Iceland and Ukraine. Marimo occupy both the lake bed and rise to the lake surfac...
| Published in: | Current Biology |
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| Main Authors: | , , , |
| Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2018
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/1983/2ab93368-c54a-4003-ab90-d53fafd489b7 https://research-information.bris.ac.uk/en/publications/2ab93368-c54a-4003-ab90-d53fafd489b7 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2018.07.027 https://research-information.bris.ac.uk/ws/files/166038922/1_s2.0_S0960982218309266_main.pdf http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85051528192&partnerID=8YFLogxK |
| Summary: | Marimo are unusual, attractive and endangered spherical aggregations of the filamentous green macroalga Aegagropila linnaei (Figure 1A–E) [1]. Globally rare, marimo populations persist in cold freshwater lakes in Japan, Iceland and Ukraine. Marimo occupy both the lake bed and rise to the lake surface [2,3]. Here, we show that marimo buoyancy is conferred by bubbles arising from photosynthesis. We find that light-induced acquisition of buoyancy by marimo is circadian-regulated. We identify that there are circadian rhythms of photosynthesis in marimo, which might explain the circadian rhythm of buoyancy in response to light. This identifies a circadian-regulated buoyancy response in an intriguing and little-studied plant. Cano-Ramirez et al. show that marimo lake balls are buoyant in the light because photosynthesis causes bubbles to form on the balls. They identified a circadian rhythm in the time marimo take to become buoyant, and identified circadian rhythms of photosynthesis in marimo. These processes might underlie movements of marimo within the water column. |
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