The Effect of cytoskeleton inhibitors on coccolith morphology in Coccolithus braarudii and Scyphosphaera apsteinii

The Effect of cytoskeleton inhibitors on coccolith morphology in Coccolithus braarudii and Scyphosphaera apsteinii

The calcite platelets of coccolithophores (Haptophyta), the coccoliths, are among the most elaborate biomineral structures. How these unicellular algae accomplish the complex morphogenesis of coccoliths is still largely unknown. It has long been proposed that the cytoskeleton plays a central role in...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of phycology Vol. 59; no. 1; pp. 87 - 96
Main Authors: Langer, Gerald, Probert, Ian, Cox, Madison B., Taylor, Alison, Harper, Glenn M., Brownlee, Colin, Wheeler, Glen
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: United States Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01-02-2023
Subjects:
Actin
Actins
Algae
calcification
Calcite
Calcium Carbonate
coccolith
coccolithophore
Coccoliths
Coccolithus
Colchicine
Cytochalasin B
Cytoskeleton
Defects
Disruption
Filaments
Haptophyta - chemistry
Inhibitors
microtubule
Microtubules
Morphogenesis
Morphology
Secretion
Species diversity
Vinblastine
coccolithophore
microtubule
actin
calcification
coccolith
cytoskeleton
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Summary:The calcite platelets of coccolithophores (Haptophyta), the coccoliths, are among the most elaborate biomineral structures. How these unicellular algae accomplish the complex morphogenesis of coccoliths is still largely unknown. It has long been proposed that the cytoskeleton plays a central role in shaping the growing coccoliths. Previous studies have indicated that disruption of the microtubule network led to defects in coccolith morphogenesis in Emiliania huxleyi and Coccolithus braarudii. Disruption of the actin network also led to defects in coccolith morphology in E. huxleyi, but its impact on coccolith morphology in C. braarudii was unclear, as coccolith secretion was largely inhibited under the conditions used. A more detailed examination of the role of actin and microtubule networks is therefore required to address the wider role of the cytoskeleton in coccolith morphogenesis. In this study, we have examined coccolith morphology in C. braarudii and Scyphosphaera apsteinii following treatment with the microtubule inhibitors vinblastine and colchicine (S. apsteinii only) and the actin inhibitor cytochalasin B. We found that all cytoskeleton inhibitors induced coccolith malformations, strongly suggesting that both microtubules and actin filaments are instrumental in morphogenesis. By demonstrating the requirement for the microtubule and actin networks in coccolith morphogenesis in diverse species, our results suggest that both of these cytoskeletal elements are likely to play conserved roles in defining coccolith morphology.
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ISSN:0022-3646
1529-8817
DOI:10.1111/jpy.13303