Phylogeography and pigment type diversity of Synechococcus cyanobacteria in surface waters of the northwestern pacific ocean.
The widespread unicellular cyanobacteria Synechococcus are major contributors to global marine primary production. Here, we report their abundance, phylogenetic diversity (as assessed using the RNA polymerase gamma subunit gene rpoC1) and pigment diversity (as indirectly assessed using the laterally transferred cpeBA genes, encoding phycoerythrin-I) in surface waters of the northwestern Pacific Ocean, sampled over nine distinct cruises (2008-2015). Abundance of Synechococcus was low in the subarctic ocean and South China Sea, intermediate in the western subtropical Pacific Ocean, and the highest in the Japan and East China seas. Clades I and II were by far the most abundant Synechococcus lineages, the former dominating in temperate cold waters and the latter in (sub)tropical waters. Clades III and VI were also fairly abundant in warm waters, but with a narrower distribution than clade II. One type of chromatic acclimater (3dA) largely dominated the Synechococcus communities in the subarctic ocean, while another (3dB) and/or cells with a fixed high phycourobilin to phycoerythrobilin ratio (pigment type 3c) predominated at mid and low latitudes. Altogether, our results suggest that the variety of pigment content found in most Synechococcus clades considerably extends the niches that they can colonize and therefore the whole genus habitat.
Division of Life Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong.
Xiaomin
X
Xia
Sorbonne Universités, Université Paris 6, CNRS UMR 7144, Marine Plankton Group, MaPP team, CS 90074, Station Biologique, 29688, Roscoff Cedex, France.
Frédéric
F
Partensky
Sorbonne Universités, Université Paris 6, CNRS UMR 7144, Marine Plankton Group, MaPP team, CS 90074, Station Biologique, 29688, Roscoff Cedex, France.
Laurence
L
Garczarek
Faculty of Environmental Earth Science, Hokkaido University/JST- CREST, Japan.
Koji
K
Suzuki
Division of Life Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong.
Cui
C
Guo
Division of Life Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong.
Shun
S
Yan Cheung
Division of Life Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong.
Hongbin
H
Liu
D002681:China; D017753:Ecosystem; D007564:Japan; D010140:Pacific Ocean; D052980:Phycobilins / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D010799:Phycoerythrin / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D010802:Phylogeny; D058974:Phylogeography; D010860:Pigments, Biological / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D012623:Seawater / Q000382:microbiology*; D046940:Synechococcus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D014557:Urobilin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism
D052980:Phycobilins; D010860:Pigments, Biological; D010799:Phycoerythrin; C011070:phycoerythrobilin; D014557:Urobilin; C044986:phycourobilin