Influence of N, P, Fe Nutrients Availability on Nitrogen Metabolism- Relevant Genes Expression in Skeletonema marinoi

Abstract

Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), and Iron (Fe) are essential elements for cellular structure and metabolism. In addition to dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN), phytoplankton is able to utilize dissolved organic nitrogen (DON). There is general consensus that both bacteria and higher plants nitrogen metabolism is affected by phosphate availability; this was also found to be true in coccolithophorid. Iron affects the structure and function of ecosystems through its effects on nitrogen metabolism. However, it is unclear how these nutrients affect Skeletonema marinoi’s nitrogen metabolism. Here, using RT-qPCR, we investigate effects of N, P, and Fe on S. marinoi’s nitrogen metabolism and nitrate reductase activity. These results illuminate that in S. marinoi, various nutrients have direct regulation on these genes expression at the molecular level. The varying degree of responses for these genes expression with differing N sources may act to increase the efficiency of nutrient capture when nitrate is limited. Suitable gene expression occurs at a N/P ratio of 16, which represents the atomic N/P ratio of phytoplankton cells and N/P concentrations in ocean; thus, nitrogen metabolism gene expression should be regulated by the existing N/P ratios in the phytoplankton’s internal and external environment. Fe concentration has a direct and significant effect on nitrogen metabolism by regulating gene expression and nitrate reductase activity. Gene expression profiles identified in S. marinoi provide a foundation for understanding molecular mechanisms behind diatom nitrogen metabolism with changing N, P, and Fe nutrients allowing a basic understanding of how diatom growth is affected by nutrient utilization.