Sebastián, Marta, Smith, Alastair F., González, José M., Fredricks, Helen F., Van Mooy, Benjamin, Koblížek, Michal, Brandsma, Joost, Koster, Grielof, Mestre, Mireia, Mostajir, Behzad, Pitta, Paraskevi, Postle, Anthony D., Sánchez, Pablo, Gasol, Josep M., Scanlan, David J. and Chen, Yin (2016) Lipid remodelling is a widespread strategy in marine heterotrophic bacteria upon phosphorus deficiency. The ISME Journal, 10 (4). pp. 968-978. doi:10.1038/ismej.2015.172 ISSN 1751-7362.

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Abstract

Upon phosphorus (P) deficiency, marine phytoplankton reduce their requirements for P by replacing membrane phospholipids with alternative non-phosphorus lipids. It was very recently demonstrated that a SAR11 isolate also shares this capability when phosphate starved in culture. Yet, the extent to which this process occurs in other marine heterotrophic bacteria and in the natural environment is unknown. Here, we demonstrate that the substitution of membrane phospholipids for a variety of non-phosphorus lipids is a conserved response to P deficiency among phylogenetically diverse marine heterotrophic bacteria, including members of the Alphaproteobacteria and Flavobacteria. By deletion mutagenesis and complementation in the model marine bacterium Phaeobacter sp. MED193 and heterologous expression in recombinant Escherichia coli, we confirm the roles of a phospholipase C (PlcP) and a glycosyltransferase in lipid remodelling. Analyses of the Global Ocean Sampling and Tara Oceans metagenome data sets demonstrate that PlcP is particularly abundant in areas characterized by low phosphate concentrations. Furthermore, we show that lipid remodelling occurs seasonally and responds to changing nutrient conditions in natural microbial communities from the Mediterranean Sea. Together, our results point to the key role of lipid substitution as an adaptive strategy enabling heterotrophic bacteria to thrive in the vast P-depleted areas of the ocean.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Subjects:	Q Science > QR Microbiology
Divisions:	Faculty of Science, Engineering and Medicine > Science > Life Sciences (2010- )
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	Heterotrophic bacteria, Phosphorus cycle (Biogeochemistry)
Journal or Publication Title:	The ISME Journal
Publisher:	Nature Publishing Group
ISSN:	1751-7362
Official Date:	April 2016
Dates:	Date Event April 2016 Published 13 November 2015 Available 10 August 2015 Accepted 4 August 2015 Submitted
Volume:	10
Number:	4
Number of Pages:	11
Page Range:	pp. 968-978
DOI:	10.1038/ismej.2015.172
Status:	Peer Reviewed
Publication Status:	Published
Access rights to Published version:	Open Access (Creative Commons)
Date of first compliant deposit:	14 January 2016
Date of first compliant Open Access:	14 January 2016
Funder:	Natural Environment Research Council (Great Britain) (NERC), Spain, Seventh Framework Programme (European Commission) (FP7)
Grant number:	NE/M002233/1 (NERC), CTM2009-09352/MAR, CSD2008-00077, CTM2011-30010/MAR, CTM2012- 34294, CTM2013-48292-C3-3-R, 228224 (FP7)

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