Nature Communications (Jan 2018)

Dynamic changes in carbonate chemistry in the microenvironment around single marine phytoplankton cells

  • Abdul Chrachri,
  • Brian M. Hopkinson,
  • Kevin Flynn,
  • Colin Brownlee,
  • Glen L. Wheeler

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-017-02426-y
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 9, no. 1
pp. 1 – 12

Abstract

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The supply of CO2 to large marine phytoplankton cells is potentially limited by their diffusive boundary layer. Here, using direct microelectrode measurements, the authors show that extracellular carbonic anhydrase acts to maintain the concentration of CO2 at the cell surface to overcome this problem.