Diatom Sexual Reproduction and Life Cycles

Poulíčková, Aloisie; Mann, David G.

doi:10.1002/9781119370741.ch11

Cited by 18 publications

(22 citation statements)

References 142 publications

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“…Diatoms are a highly diverse group of microalgae that occur in marine and freshwater as well as in terrestrial habitats and are responsible for about one fifth of global oxygen production 1 , 2 . Two groups of diatoms are distinguished based on the morphology of their unique silica cell wall called the frustule: the radially symmetric, generally homothallic centric diatoms and the bilateral pennate diatoms, which are mostly heterothallic 3 – 5 . Perhaps the most defining characteristic of diatoms compared to other microalgae is their cell size-dependent life cycle.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Light intensity and spectral composition drive reproductive success in the marine benthic diatom Seminavis robusta

Bilcke

Craenenbroeck

Castagna

et al. 2021

Sci Rep

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The properties of incident light play a crucial role in the mating process of diatoms, a group of ecologically important microalgae. While species-specific requirements for light intensity and photoperiod have been observed in several diatom species, little is known about the light spectrum that allows sexual reproduction. Here, we study the effects of spectral properties and light intensity on the initiation and progression of sexual reproduction in the model benthic diatom Seminavis robusta. We found that distinct stages of the mating process have different requirements for light. Vigorous mating pair formation occurred under a broad range of light intensities, ranging from 10 to 81 µE m−2 s−1, while gametogenesis and subsequent stages were strongly affected by moderate light intensities of 27 µE m−2 s−1 and up. In addition, light of blue or blue–green wavelengths was required for the formation of mating pairs. Combining flow cytometric analysis with expression profiling of the diatom-specific cyclin dsCyc2 suggests that progression through a blue light-dependent checkpoint in the G1 cell cycle phase is essential for induction of sexual reproduction. Taken together, we expand the current model of mating in benthic pennate diatoms, which relies on the interplay between light, cell cycle and sex pheromone signaling.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Light intensity and spectral composition drive reproductive success in the marine benthic diatom Seminavis robusta

Bilcke

Craenenbroeck

Castagna

et al. 2021

Sci Rep

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show abstract

“…The list of publications describing (with varying degree of details) sexual reproduction of diatoms is presently close to 1000. By now, the basic principles and rules of the reproductive biology of diatoms have been established, main features of their life cycle have been elucidated, and classifications of the types of the sexual process have been proposed (Karsten 1899;Mereschkowsky 1903;Geitler 1932Geitler , 1973Fritsch 1935;Drebes 1977;Round et al 1990;Roshchin 1994;Edlund & Stoermer 1997;Roshchin & Chepurnov 1999;Chepurnov et al 2004;Mizuno 2006;Davidovich 2010;Mann 2011;Kaczmarska et al 2013;Gastineau et al 2014;Davidovich et al 2015;Mann et al 2017;Poulíčková & Mann 2019;etc. ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Diatoms with studied sexual reproduction

Давидович¹,

Давидович²

2022

Fottea

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Diatoms (Bacillariophyta) are unicellular organisms with extremely high species diversity. According to AlgaeBase, the names of approximately 17 thousand species are currently considered to be taxonomically accepted. It is assumed that there are about 100,000 species of diatoms on the planet. Sexual reproduction is an obligatory stage of the life cycle in many diatoms due to specific structure of their frustules and the mode of reduction and restoration of the latter. At the same time, analysis of literature showed that over the entire three-century history of the study, data (in some cases very incomplete) have been accumulated on the sexual reproduction of approximately 350 species. There are about 1000 literature sources providing information about sexual reproduction of diatoms. Here, we present a summary of those species of Bacillariophyta for which data on sexual reproduction are available. The degree of knowledge of the particular classes of diatoms was analysed.

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“…Reproduction systems of raphid pennate diatoms have been intensively studied in the last decades (Amato 2010;Chepurnov et al 2004;Poulíčková and Mann 2019). Asexual division prevails during the diplontic life cycle of diatoms and is accompanied by a gradual cell size reduction.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pheromone Mediated Sexual Reproduction of Pennate Diatom Cylindrotheca closterium

et al. 2021

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Benthic diatoms dominate primary production in marine subtidal and intertidal environments. Their extraordinary species diversity and ecological success is thought to be linked with their predominantly heterothallic sexual reproduction. Little is known about pheromone involvement during mating of pennate diatoms. Here we describe pheromone guided mating in the coastal raphid diatom Cylindrotheca closterium. We show that the two mating types (mt+ and mt−) have distinct functions. Similar to other benthic diatoms, mt+ cells are searching for the mt− cells to pair. To enhance mating efficiency mt− exudes an attraction pheromone which we proved by establishing a novel capillary assay. Further, two more pheromones produced by mt− promote the sexual events. One arrests the cell cycle progression of mt+ while the other induces gametogenesis of mt+. We suggest that C. closterium shares a functionally similar pheromone system with other pennate diatoms like Seminavis robusta and Pseudostaurosira trainorii which synchronize sexual events and mate attraction. Remarkably, we found no evidence of mt+ producing pheromones, which differentiates C. closterium from other pennates and suggests a less complex pheromone system in C. closterium.

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Diatom Sexual Reproduction and Life Cycles

Cited by 18 publications

References 142 publications

Light intensity and spectral composition drive reproductive success in the marine benthic diatom Seminavis robusta

Light intensity and spectral composition drive reproductive success in the marine benthic diatom Seminavis robusta

Diatoms with studied sexual reproduction

Pheromone Mediated Sexual Reproduction of Pennate Diatom Cylindrotheca closterium

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