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Competition for light color between marine Synechococcus strains with fixed and variable pigmentation.

Louison Dufour1, Laurence Garczarek1, Francesco Mattei2

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Marine phytoplankton compete using diverse pigments. Blue light specialists thrive in low blue light, green light specialists in green light, while adaptable strains excel in high blue light, revealing niche adaptation strategies.

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Area of Science:

  • Marine microbiology
  • Phytoplankton ecology
  • Photosynthetic pigment evolution

Background:

  • Phytoplankton species diversification is driven by light competition, leading to varied photosynthetic pigments.
  • Synechococcus cyanobacteria exhibit three pigment types: blue light (BL) specialists, green light (GL) specialists, and chromatic acclimaters (CA4).

Purpose of the Study:

  • To test the hypothesis that chromatic acclimation (CA4) confers a fitness advantage in specific light conditions.
  • To understand the competitive dynamics between different Synechococcus pigment types under varying light spectra and intensities.

Main Methods:

  • Monocultures and co-cultures of BL specialist, GL specialist, and CA4-capable Synechococcus strains were performed in chemostats.
  • A resource competition model was parameterized using monoculture data to predict co-culture outcomes.
  • Competition experiments were conducted under different light color and intensity conditions.

Main Results:

  • Model predictions aligned with experimental results: BL specialists dominated low blue light, and GL specialists dominated low and high green light.
  • CA4-capable strains were disadvantaged at low light but outcompeted specialists in high blue light conditions.
  • Different pigment types occupy distinct spectral niches, with CA4 providing a competitive edge in high blue light environments.

Conclusions:

  • Chromatic acclimation in Synechococcus allows adaptation to specific light environments, particularly high blue light.
  • The competitive success of different pigment types is strongly dependent on light availability and spectral quality.
  • This study elucidates niche partitioning strategies employed by marine phytoplankton for survival and dominance in diverse oceanic light fields.