Diatom fucan polysaccharide precipitates carbon during algal blooms

Silvia Vidal-Melgosa, Andreas Sichert, T. Ben Francis, Daniel Bartosik, Jutta Niggemann, Antje Wichels, William G. T. Willats, Bernhard M. Fuchs, Hanno Teeling, Dörte Becher, Thomas Schweder, Rudolf Amann and Jan-Hendrik Hehemann ()
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Silvia Vidal-Melgosa: Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology
Andreas Sichert: Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology
T. Ben Francis: Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology
Daniel Bartosik: University of Greifswald
Jutta Niggemann: University of Oldenburg, Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment
Antje Wichels: Biologische Anstalt Helgoland
William G. T. Willats: Newcastle University, School of Natural and Environmental Sciences
Bernhard M. Fuchs: Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology
Hanno Teeling: Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology
Dörte Becher: University of Greifswald
Thomas Schweder: University of Greifswald
Rudolf Amann: Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology
Jan-Hendrik Hehemann: Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology

Nature Communications, 2021, vol. 12, issue 1, 1-13

Abstract: Abstract The formation of sinking particles in the ocean, which promote carbon sequestration into deeper water and sediments, involves algal polysaccharides acting as an adhesive, binding together molecules, cells and minerals. These as yet unidentified adhesive polysaccharides must resist degradation by bacterial enzymes or else they dissolve and particles disassemble before exporting carbon. Here, using monoclonal antibodies as analytical tools, we trace the abundance of 27 polysaccharide epitopes in dissolved and particulate organic matter during a series of diatom blooms in the North Sea, and discover a fucose-containing sulphated polysaccharide (FCSP) that resists enzymatic degradation, accumulates and aggregates. Previously only known as a macroalgal polysaccharide, we find FCSP to be secreted by several globally abundant diatom species including the genera Chaetoceros and Thalassiosira. These findings provide evidence for a novel polysaccharide candidate to contribute to carbon sequestration in the ocean.

Date: 2021
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:nat:natcom:v:12:y:2021:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-021-21009-6

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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-21009-6

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