Plankton, Viruses, Glycosphingolipids: Interactions

Coccolithophores

• Unicellular• Most abundant species = Emiliana huxleyi• Found in temperate, subtropical, and tropical

oceans• Important part of the planktonic base of

marine food webs• Forms extensive blooms

What patterns do you see in this satellite image of coccolithophores (teal green)?

Phytoplankton and Viruses

• Phytoplankton abundance = regulated by interactions of:– abiotic factors (e.g., nutrients and light availability)– biotic factors (e.g., grazers and viruses).

• E. huxleyi form massive annual spring blooms that are routinely terminated by coccolithoviruses.

Glycosphingolipids (GSL)• A type of lipid that has a

carbohydrate attached.• Found on outer surface of cell

membranes for all organisms…aka both phytoplankton and viruses have them.

• Act as markers for cell recognition.

• Virus GSLs trigger a cell-signaling pathway that results in the Programmed Cell Death of the host cell.

Brainstorm

How can scientists use the information about:– the presence of GSLs in both phytoplankton and

virus cells– the fact that viruses often terminate a bloom of

phytoplanktonto investigate the infection success of viruses in a phytoplankton bloom?

Abundance Data Challenge

Challenge = 1. What patterns do you notice in the abundance of

the two groups? 2. What hypothesis can you draw as to why the

groups demonstrate this pattern?

Abundance Data Challenge

Challenge = 1. What patterns do you notice in the abundance of the two

groups? 2. What hypothesis can you draw as to why the groups

demonstrate this pattern?3. Draw on your data visualization the pattern in abundance of

the other dataset based upon the patterns in your dataset?Datasets: (1) Phytoplankton & Virus(2) Host GSL & Virus GSL

Time (days)

Abun

danc

ePhytoplankton and Virus Abundances

Phytoplankton

Virus

Time (days)

Abun

danc

eHost GSL and Virus GSL Abundances

Host GSL

Virus GSL

Time (days)

Abun

danc

ePhytoplankton, Virus, and GSL Abundances

Host GSL

Virus GSL

Phytoplankton

Virus

Time (days)

Abun

danc

ePhytoplankton, Virus, and GSL Abundances

Host GSL

Virus GSL

Phytoplankton

Virus

How does the abundance of phytoplankton and viruses compare over time?

Time (days)

Abun

danc

ePhytoplankton, Virus, and GSL Abundances

Host GSL

Virus GSL

Phytoplankton

Virus

How do scientists use the presence and absence of GSLs to understand the interaction between

phytoplankton and viruses?