Exploring Bioinorganic Pattern Formation in Diatoms. A Story of Polarized Trafficking

Sexual reproduction in the marine centric diatomDitylum brightwellii(Bacillariophyta)

“…Sizeselective gametogenesis may provide a mechanism of control for homothallic and self-compatible diatoms to limit the amount of self-fertilization that occurs. It is also important that eggs are large enough to accommodate the energetic requirements of the cell during auxospore expansion (Davidovich, 1994), and for the silicification of the two initial cell thecae and their associated two mitotic divisions; however, the exact energetic pathways remain unknown (Zurzolo & Bowler, 2001). Consecutive formation of eggs, then sperm, requires explanation from a population biology perspective, because vigorous oogenesis could preempt the possibility of smaller, 'male' cells being formed through size reduction (cf.…”

Biomineralization and Evolutionary History

“…Accepting that choanoflagellates and sponges could share a common ancestor that precipitated silica, we can estimate that silica skeletons evolved at least eight to ten times in eukaryotic organisms. Much has been learned in recent years about silica precipitation by diatoms (e.g., Kr ger and Sumper 1998;Kr ger et al 2000Kr ger et al , 2002Zurzolo and Bowler 2001). Frustule formation requires active silica transport to local sites of precipitation (silica deposition vesicles), where opal deposition is mediated by enzymes.…”

Silicon uptake and metabolism of the marine diatom Thalassiosira pseudonana: Solid-state 29Si NMR and fluorescence microscopic studies

“…This makes them an outstandingly interesting system for the study of silica biomineralization processes (Sumper and Brunner, 2006). The species-specific patterns are reproduced during each cell division cycle (Zurzolo and Bowler, 2001) which is closely correlated with the silicon metabolism of the cell. Monosilicic acid is taken up from the surrounding seawater which on average exhibits silicic acid concentrations of ca.…”