Ferritin is used for iron storage in bloom-forming marine pennate diatoms

Adrian Marchetti, Micaela S. Parker, Lauren P. Moccia, Ellen O. Lin, Angele L. Arrieta, Francois Ribalet, Michael E. P. Murphy, Maria T. Maldonado and E. Virginia Armbrust ()
Additional contact information
Adrian Marchetti: School of Oceanography, University of Washington, Box 357940, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
Micaela S. Parker: School of Oceanography, University of Washington, Box 357940, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
Lauren P. Moccia: University of British Columbia, 6270 University Boulevard, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z4, Canada
Ellen O. Lin: School of Oceanography, University of Washington, Box 357940, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
Angele L. Arrieta: University of British Columbia, 2350 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada
Francois Ribalet: School of Oceanography, University of Washington, Box 357940, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
Michael E. P. Murphy: University of British Columbia, 2350 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada
Maria T. Maldonado: University of British Columbia, 6270 University Boulevard, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z4, Canada
E. Virginia Armbrust: School of Oceanography, University of Washington, Box 357940, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA

Nature, 2009, vol. 457, issue 7228, 467-470

Abstract: Ferritin's role in the oceans The non-haem protein ferritin is used by many plants, animals and microorganisms to store iron in a non-toxic soluble form that can be readily mobilized when required. Ferritin has now been found in the two diatoms, Pseudo-nitzschia and Fragilariopsis, that dominate phytoplankton blooms induced by both natural and artificial oceanic iron supplementation. This is the first report of ferritin in any member of the Stramenopila, the eukaryote lineage that includes many plankton components including unicellular algae, diatoms and macroalgae. Phylogenetic analysis suggests that ferritin arose in this small subset of diatoms via lateral gene transfer, and it may be key to their success in the 30–40% of ocean waters in which iron availability is the factor limiting primary productivity.

Date: 2009
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DOI: 10.1038/nature07539

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