Physiological and morphological plasticity in response to nitrogen availability of a yeast widely distributed in the open ocean

Diver, P, Ward, BA and Cunliffe, M 2024 Physiological and morphological plasticity in response to nitrogen availability of a yeast widely distributed in the open ocean. FEMS Microbiology Ecology. https://doi.org/10.1093/femsec/fiae053

Full text not available from this repository.

Abstract/Summary

Yeasts are prevalent in the open ocean, yet we have limited understanding of their ecophysiological adaptations, including their response to nitrogen availability, which can have a major role in determining the ecological potential of other planktonic microbes. In this study, we characterised the nitrogen uptake capabilities and growth responses of marine-occurring yeasts. Yeast isolates from the North Atlantic Ocean were screened for growth on diverse nitrogen substrates, and across a concentration gradient of three environmentally relevant nitrogen substrates: nitrate, ammonium, and urea. Three strains grew with enriched nitrate while two did not, demonstrating that nitrate utilisation is present but not universal in marine yeasts, consistent with existing knowledge of non-marine yeast strains. Naganishia diffluens MBA_F0213 modified the key functional trait of cell size in response to nitrogen concentration, suggesting yeast cell morphology changes along chemical gradients in the marine environment. Meta-analysis of the reference DNA barcode in public databases revealed that the genus Naganishia has a global ocean distribution, strengthening the environmental applicability of the culture-based observations. This study provides novel quantitative understanding of the ecophysiological and morphological responses of marine-derived yeasts to variable nitrogen availability in vitro, providing insight into the functional ecology of yeasts within pelagic open ocean environments

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Additional Keywords:	marine fungi, marine yeast, plankton ecology, functional traits, nitrogen
Subjects:	Marine Sciences
Divisions:	Marine Biological Association of the UK > Marine Microbiome
Depositing User:	Ms Kristina Hixon
Date made live:	09 May 2024 10:01
Last Modified:	09 May 2024 10:01
URI:	https://plymsea.ac.uk/id/eprint/10203

Actions (login required)

View Item