“Pomacytosis” — Semi-extracellular phagocytosis of cyanobacteria by the smallest marine algae

Kamennaya, Nina A.; Kennaway, Gabrielle; Fuchs, Bernhard M.; Zubkov, Mikhail V.. 2018 “Pomacytosis” — Semi-extracellular phagocytosis of cyanobacteria by the smallest marine algae. PLOS Biology. 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.2003502

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Abstract/Summary

The smallest algae, less than 3 μm in diameter, are the most abundant eukaryotes of the World Ocean. Their feeding on planktonic bacteria of similar size is globally important but physically enigmatic. Tiny algal cells, tightly packed with the voluminous chloroplasts, nucleus, and mitochondriaon, appear to have insufficient organelle-free space for prey internalization. Here, we present the first direct observations of how the 1.3- μm algae, which are only 1.6 times bigger in diameter than their prey, hold individual Prochlorococcus cells in their open hemispheric cytostomes. We explain this semi-extracellular phagocytosis by the cell size limitation of the predatory alga, identified as the Braarudosphaera haptophyte with a nitrogen (N2)–-fixing endosymbiont. Because the observed semi-extracellular phagocytosis differs from all other types of protistan phagocytosis, we propose to name it “pomacytosis” (from the Greek πώμα for “plug”).

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):	https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.2003502
Date made live:	10 Jan 2018 13:53 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/518891

Item Type:

Publication - Article

Digital Object Identifier (DOI):

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.2003502

Date made live:

10 Jan 2018 13:53 +0 (UTC)

URI:

https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/518891