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In situ associations between marine photosynthetic picoeukaryotes and potential parasites – a role for fungi?
Author(s) -
Lepère Cécile,
Ostrowski Martin,
Hartmann Manuela,
Zubkov Mikhail V.,
Scanlan David J.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
environmental microbiology reports
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.229
H-Index - 69
ISSN - 1758-2229
DOI - 10.1111/1758-2229.12339
Subject(s) - biology , fluorescence in situ hybridization , diatom , marine fungi , ecology , marine ecosystem , metagenomics , ecosystem , gene , biochemistry , chromosome
Summary Photosynthetic picoeukaryotes ( PPEs ) are important components of the marine picophytoplankton community playing a critical role in CO 2 fixation but also as bacterivores, particularly in the oligotrophic gyres. Despite an increased interest in these organisms and an improved understanding of the genetic diversity of this group, we still know little of the environmental factors controlling the abundance of these organisms. Here, we investigated the quantitative importance of eukaryotic parasites in the free‐living fraction as well as in associations with PPEs along a transect in the S outh A tlantic. Using tyramide signal amplification‐fluorescence in situ hybridization ( TSA‐FISH ), we provide quantitative evidence of the occurrence of free‐living fungi in open ocean marine systems, while the P erkinsozoa and S yndiniales parasites were not abundant in these waters. Using flow cytometric cell sorting of different PPE populations followed by a dual‐labelled TSA‐FISH approach, we also demonstrate fungal associations, potentially parasitic, occurring with both pico‐ P rymnesiophyceae and pico‐ C hrysophyceae. These data highlight the necessity for further work investigating the specific role of marine fungi as parasites of phytoplankton to improve understanding of carbon flow in marine ecosystems.