Diatoms, single-celled algae typically enshrined in a siliceous cell wall, generally act as opportunistic organisms, reproducing uncontrollably in the presence of favorable conditions, but are also able to make altruistic decisions acting for the good of the community.
A new study, led by the Zoological Station Anton Dohrn in Naples (SZN), in collaboration with SISSA and CEA of Grenoble, focused on the marine diatom Pseudo-nitzschia multistriata, showed that when cells of the opposite mating types meet and are in the right conditions to reproduce sexually, only a small fraction takes part in the sexual event, while the rest of the cells block their own growth limiting their activities and reducing the absorption of nutrients. This phenomenon occurs in conditions of abundance of nutrients, thus representing a paradox for microalgae which usually compete for environmental resources.
The research, carried out through genetic, physiological and numerical analyses, was funded by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and saw the involvement of molecular and cellular biologists, ecologists, oceanographers, bioinformaticians and modellers.