Secondary Metabolite Mediated Control of Chlamydomonas spp. in Microbial Communities
(A02)
Subject Area
Plant Biochemistry and Biophysics
Plant Genetics and Genomics
Organismic Interactions, Chemical Ecology and Microbiomes of Plant Systems
Plant Physiology
Plant Cell and Developmental Biology
Term
since 2014
Project identifier
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 239748522
Albeit microalgae are key contributors to global carbon fixation, their interactions with other microbes in terrestrial and marine ecosystems are barely known. We found that the soil bacterium Pseudomonas protegens arrests the growth of the green soil alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, deflagellates it and alters its morphology by using an arsenal of bacterial chemical weapons; the most potent toxins are a cyclic lipopep-tide and a polyyne. We also identified abiotic and biotic factors shaping this interaction. We now aim to further study the involved regulatory mechanisms and to compare those with a marine Chlamydomonas- based model system. This knowledge is relevant for primary production and for the control of algal blooms.
DFG Programme
Collaborative Research Centres
