Pili allow dominant marine cyanobacteria to avoid sinking and evade predation

• Published in: Nature communications Vol. 12; no. 1; p. 1857
• Main Authors: Aguilo-Ferretjans, Maria del Mar, Bosch, Rafael, Puxty, Richard J., Latva, Mira, Zadjelovic, Vinko, Chhun, Audam, Sousoni, Despoina, Polin, Marco, Scanlan, David J., Christie-Oleza, Joseph A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 25-03-2021; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 14/19; 14/28; 49/31; 631/158/855; 631/326/41/2482; 631/326/41/2535; 631/326/88; 82/47; 82/58; Cyanobacteria; Drag; Ecosystem; Fimbriae, Bacterial - classification; Fimbriae, Bacterial - physiology; Flotation; Humanities and Social Sciences; Microorganisms; multidisciplinary; Oceans; Oceans and Seas; Organisms; Pili; Plankton - physiology; Predation; Predator-prey interactions; Prey; Prochlorococcus - physiology; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Suspensions; Synechococcus - physiology; Water circulation; Water column
• ISSN: 2041-1723; 2041-1723
• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-22152-w

How oligotrophic marine cyanobacteria position themselves in the water column is currently unknown. The current paradigm is that these organisms avoid sinking due to their reduced size and passive drift within currents. Here, we show that one in four picocyanobacteria encode a type IV pilus which allows these organisms to increase drag and remain suspended at optimal positions in the water column, as well as evade predation by grazers. The evolution of this sophisticated floatation mechanism in these purely planktonic streamlined microorganisms has important implications for our current understanding of microbial distribution in the oceans and predator–prey interactions which ultimately will need incorporating into future models of marine carbon flux dynamics.
It was thought that marine cyanobacteria drifted randomly in the water column. Here the authors show that one in four picocyanobacteria encode a type IV pilus which allows these organisms to increase drag and retain optimal positions in the water column, as well as evade predation by grazers.