Dissecting the impact of CO2 and pH on the mechanisms of photosynthesis and calcification in the coccolithophore Emiliania huxleyi

Bach, L, Mackinder, L, Schulz, K, Wheeler, G, Schroeder, DC, Brownlee, C and Riebesell, U 2013 Dissecting the impact of CO2 and pH on the mechanisms of photosynthesis and calcification in the coccolithophore Emiliania huxleyi. New Phytologist, 199 (1). 121 - 134. https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.12225

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/nph.12225

Abstract/Summary

Coccolithophores are important calcifying phytoplankton predicted to be impacted by changes in ocean carbonate chemistry caused by the absorption of anthropogenic CO2. However, it is difficult to disentangle the effects of the simultaneously changing carbonate system parameters (CO2, bicarbonate, carbonate and protons) on the physiological responses to elevated CO2. Here, we adopted a multifactorial approach at constant pH or CO2 whilst varying dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) to determine physiological and transcriptional responses to individual carbonate system parameters. We show that Emiliania huxleyi is sensitive to low CO2 (growth and photosynthesis) and low bicarbonate (calcification) as well as low pH beyond a limited tolerance range, but is much less sensitive to elevated CO2 and bicarbonate. Multiple up‐regulated genes at low DIC bear the hallmarks of a carbon‐concentrating mechanism (CCM) that is responsive to CO2 and bicarbonate but not to pH. Emiliania huxleyi appears to have evolved mechanisms to respond to limiting rather than elevated CO2. Calcification does not function as a CCM, but is inhibited at low DIC to allow the redistribution of DIC from calcification to photosynthesis. The presented data provides a significant step in understanding how E. huxleyi will respond to changing carbonate chemistry at a cellular level.

Item Type: Publication - Article
Additional Information. Not used in RCUK Gateway to Research.: This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Bach et al. 2013 Dissecting the impact of CO2 and pH on the mechanisms of photosynthesis and calcification in the coccolithophore Emiliania huxleyi. New Phytologist, 199 (1). 121 - 134., which has been published in final form at http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/nph.12225. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Use of Self-Archived Versions
Divisions: Plymouth Marine Laboratory > Science Areas > Marine Life Support Systems (expired)
Depositing User: EPrints Services
Date made live: 11 Feb 2014 15:58
Last Modified: 25 Apr 2020 09:56
URI: https://plymsea.ac.uk/id/eprint/5512

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