Rapid mode switching facilitates the growth of Trichodesmium: A model analysis

Trichodesmium is one of the dominant dinitrogen (N₂) fixers in the ocean, influencing global carbon and nitrogen cycles through biochemical reactions. Although its photosynthetic activity fluctuates rapidly, the physiological or ecological advantage of this fluctuation is unclear. We develop a metabolic model of Trichodesmium that can perform daytime N₂ fixation. We examined (1) the effect of the duration of switches between photosynthetic and non-photosynthetic cellular states and (2) the effect of the presence and absence of N₂ fixation in photosynthetic states. Results show that a rapid switch between photosynthetic and non-photosynthetic states increases Trichodesmium growth rates by improving metabolic efficiencies due to an improved balance of C and N metabolism. This provides a strategy for previous paradoxical observations that all Trichodesmium cells can contain nitrogenase. This study reveals the importance of fluctuating photosynthetic activity and provides a mechanism for daytime N₂ fixation that allows Trichodesmium to fix N₂ aerobically in the global ocean.