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Active nitrogen fixation by Crocosphaera expands their niche despite the presence of ammonium - A case study
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SYSNO ASEP 0517840 Document Type J - Journal Article R&D Document Type Journal Article Subsidiary J Článek ve WOS Title Active nitrogen fixation by Crocosphaera expands their niche despite the presence of ammonium - A case study Author(s) Inomura, K. (US)
Masuda, Takako (MBU-M) ORCID
Gauglitz, J. M. (US)Article number 15064 Source Title Scientific Reports. - : Nature Publishing Group - ISSN 2045-2322
Roč. 9, OCT 21 2019 (2019)Number of pages 11 s. Language eng - English Country GB - United Kingdom Keywords n-2 fixation ; dinitrogen fixation ; functional-response Subject RIV EH - Ecology, Behaviour OECD category Other biological topics R&D Projects LO1416 GA MŠMT - Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (MEYS) GA16-15467S GA ČR - Czech Science Foundation (CSF) Method of publishing Open access Institutional support MBU-M - RVO:61388971 UT WOS 000491226200047 EID SCOPUS 85073656120 DOI 10.1038/s41598-019-51378-4 Annotation Unicellular nitrogen fixer Crocosphaera contributes substantially to nitrogen fixation in oligotrophic subtropical gyres. They fix nitrogen even when significant amounts of ammonium are available. This has been puzzling since fixing nitrogen is energetically inefficient compared with using available ammonium. Here we show that by fixing nitrogen, Crocosphaera can increase their population and expand their niche despite the presence of ammonium. We have developed a simple but mechanistic model of Crocosphaera based on their growth in steady state culture. The model shows that the growth of Crocosphaera can become nitrogen limited despite their capability to fix nitrogen. When they fix nitrogen, the population increases by up to 78% relative to the case without nitrogen fixation. When we simulate a simple ecological situation where Crocosphaera exists with non-nitrogen-fixing phytoplankton, the relative abundance of Crocosphaera increases with nitrogen fixation, while the population of non-nitrogen-fixing phytoplankton decreases since a larger fraction of fixed nitrogen is consumed by Crocosphaera. Our study quantitatively supports the benefit of nitrogen fixation despite the high electron/energy costs, even when an energetically efficient alternative is available. It demonstrates a competitive aspect of Crocosphaera, permitting them to be regionally significant nitrogen fixers. Workplace Institute of Microbiology Contact Eliška Spurná, eliska.spurna@biomed.cas.cz, Tel.: 241 062 231 Year of Publishing 2020 Electronic address https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-51378-4
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