Modeling of molecular dynamism governing inorganic carbon acquisition system in marine diatoms

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24310015
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Partial Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Environmental dynamic analysis
• Research Institution: Kwansei Gakuin University
• Principal Investigator: Matsuda Yusuke 関西学院大学, 理工学部, 教授 (30291975)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): FUJIWARA Shinsuke 関西学院大学, 理工学部, 教授 (90263219) ; SATO Hidetoshi 関西学院大学, 理工学部, 教授 (10300873)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 海洋生態 / 環境変動 / 水圏現象 / 植物 / 海洋性珪藻

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study aimed at the construction of a dynamic environmental response model of the CO2-concentrating mechanism (CCM) by elucidating the molecular mechanisms of the CCM and its environmental response in marine diatoms, a major marine photosynthetic organism, which is responsible for about 20% annual global CO2 fixation. The mechanisms to take up bicarbonate using "pump proteins" from seawater and to accumulate inorganic carbon into the chloroplast were clarified. Further analyses of CCM response to ocean iron limitation, changing CO2, light, and nitrogen revealed that marine diatoms save energy to drive CCM when grown in high CO2, but they drive a minimum efficient CCM system to support photosynthesis under iron and/or CO2 limitation. This minimum CCM system also works for dissipation of excess light energy by maintaining CO2 cycle across plasma membrane.

Free Research Field

植物分子生理学