Diel nitrogen fixation pattern of Trichodesmium: the interactive control of light and Ni

Trichodesmium, a nonheterocystous cyanobacterium widely abundant in the surface water of the tropical and subtropical ocean, fixes dinitrogen under high light conditions while concurrently undergoing photosynthesis. The new production considerably influences the cycling of nitrogen and carbon in the ocean. Here, we investigated how light intensity and nickel (Ni) availability interplay to control daily rates and diel patterns of N2 fixation in Trichodesmium. We found that increasing Ni concentration increased N2 fixation rates by up to 30-fold in the high light treatment. Cultures subjected to high Ni and light levels fixed nitrogen throughout most of the 24 H light:dark regime with the highest rate coinciding with the end of the 12 H light period. Our study demonstrates the importance of Ni on nitrogen fixation rates for Trichodesmium under high light conditions.