title: Polymer networks produced by marine diatoms in the northern Adriatic sea.
abstract: Using high resolution molecular technique of atomic force microscopy, we address the extracellular polymer production of Adriatic diatom Cylindrotheca closterium analyzed at the single cell level and the supramolecular organization of gel phase isolated from the Northern Adriatic macroaggregates. Our results revealed that extracellular polysaccharides freshly produced by marine diatoms can self-assemble directly to form gel network characteristics of the macroscopic gel phase in the natural aquatorium. Based on the experiments performed with isolated polysaccharide fractions of C. closterium and of macroaggregates gel phase, we demonstrated that the polysaccharide self-assembly into gel network can proceed independent of any bacterial mediation or interaction with inorganic particles.
authors: Division for Marine and Environmental Research, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička 54, Zagreb, Croatia.
authors: Vesna
authors: V
authors: Svetličić
authors: Division for Marine and Environmental Research, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička 54, Zagreb, Croatia.
authors: Vera
authors: V
authors: Žutić
authors: Division for Marine and Environmental Research, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička 54, Zagreb, Croatia.
authors: Tea Mišić
authors: TM
authors: Radić
authors: Division for Marine and Environmental Research, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička 54, Zagreb, Croatia.
authors: Galja
authors: G
authors: Pletikapić
authors: Division for Marine and Environmental Research, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička 54, Zagreb, Croatia.
authors: Amela Hozić
authors: AH
authors: Zimmermann
authors: Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, I-34127 Trieste, Italy.
authors: Ranieri
authors: R
authors: Urbani
mesh_terms: D001704:Biopolymers / Q000378:metabolism*; D017377:Diatoms / Q000378:metabolism*; D005782:Gels / Q000737:chemistry; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force / Q000379:methods; D009792:Oceans and Seas; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D001704:Biopolymers; D005782:Gels; D011134:Polysaccharides