Prochlorococcus extracellular vesicles: Molecular composition and adsorption to diverse microbial cells

ABSTRACT: Extracellular vesicles are small (~50–200 nm diameter) membrane-bound structures released by cells from all domains of life. While extremely abundant in the oceans, our understanding of their functions, both for cells and the emergent ecosystem, is in its infancy. To advance this understanding, we analyzed the lipid, metabolite, and protein content of vesicles produced by two strains of the most abundant phytoplankton cell in the ocean, the cyanobacterium Prochlorococcus. We show that Prochlorococcus exports an enormous array of cellular compounds into their surroundings via extracellular vesicles. The vesicles produced by the two different strains contained some materials in common, but also displayed numerous strain-specific differences, reflecting functional complexity within natural vesicle populations. Prochlorococcus vesicles contain active enzymes, indicating that they can mediate biogeochemically relevant extracellular reactions in the wild. Interaction assays demonstrate that vesicles from Prochlorococcus and multiple genera of heterotrophic bacteria can associate with other marine microbes, including Pelagibacter, the most abundant heterotrophic group in the oceans. Our observations suggest that vesicles may play diverse functional roles in the oceans, including but not limited to mediating energy and nutrient transfers, catalyzing extracellular biochemical reactions, and mitigating toxicity of reactive oxygen species. These findings further indicate that a portion of the ‘dissolved’ compounds in the oceans are not truly dissolved, but are instead packaged within locally structured, colloidal vesicles.

ORGANISM(S): Algae Prochlorococcus Marinus Str. Mit 9312;prochlorococcus Marinus Mit9313

TISSUE(S): Cultured Cells

SUBMITTER: Laura Carlson  

PROVIDER: ST001524 | MetabolomicsWorkbench | Wed Nov 04 00:00:00 GMT 2020

REPOSITORIES: MetabolomicsWorkbench