Project description
Exploring the role of hopanoid production in marine cyanobacterial diazotrophs
Marine cyanobacteria are essential for phytoplankton growth, performing both oxygenic photosynthesis and nitrogen fixation. In oxic environments, cyanobacterial diazotrophs have adapted strategies such as forming specialised cells or segregating nitrogen fixation and photosynthesis temporally. However, these do not explain how non-heterocyst-forming cyanobacteria prevent oxygen diffusion through cell membranes. Studies indicate that hopanoids produced in non-heterocyst-forming cyanobacteria may act as oxygen barriers to facilitate nitrogen fixation, but the mechanisms are unclear. Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the NITROHOP project will explore whether hopanoid production promotes nitrogen fixation in marine cyanobacterial diazotrophs. Using quantitative polymerase chain reaction and atomic force microscopy, it will analyse gene expression and lipid membrane characteristics to determine the relationship between hopanoid synthesis and nitrogen fixation.
Objective
The bioavailability of nitrogen (N) is critical for phytoplankton growth, affecting global primary production and CO2 sequestration. Biological dinitrogen (N2) fixation, catalysed by the enzyme nitrogenase, converts N2 into bioavailable forms like ammonia. This process is strictly anaerobic, as nitrogenase is inactivated by oxygen (O2). Cyanobacteria, the primary oceanic N2 fixers, face the challenge of conducting both oxygenic photosynthesis and N2 fixation in an oxic environment. To overcome this, marine cyanobacterial diazotrophs employ various strategies, such as forming specialised cells or segregating nitrogen fixation and photosynthesis temporally and spatially. However, these methods do not address how non-heterocyst-forming cyanobacteria prevent O2 diffusion through cell membranes. Recent studies suggest that hopanoids, lipids that may act as O2 barriers, are present in non-heterocyst-forming cyanobacteria, potentially aiding N2 fixation in oxygen-rich waters. Hopanoids help maintain membrane stability and reduce permeability to O2. Despite the documentation of hopanoid production in nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria, its role in facilitating N2 fixation remains unclear. To shed light on this, the NITROHOP project aims to investigate whether hopanoid production supports N2 fixation in marine cyanobacterial diazotrophs. By using quantitative PCR and atomic force microscopy NITROHOP will explore the temporal relationship between hopanoid synthesis and nitrogen fixation, examining gene expression and lipid membrane characteristics. This will be tested in three different cyanobacteria diazotrophs: UCYN-A, Crocosphaera, and Trichodesmium, differentiating their ecological strategies to perform both processes over day-night cycles. This research will will answer a long-standing question about the mechanisms enabling the process of oxygen diffusion and their role on marine nitrogen fixation in oxygenated environments.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
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Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
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Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
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Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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Call for proposal
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(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2024-PF-01
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28006 Madrid
Spain
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