Sr in coccoliths of Scyphosphaera apsteinii: partitioning behavior and role in coccolith morphogenesis

Published: 19 February 2020| Version 1 | DOI: 10.17632/3swtykz23k.1
Contributor:
Erin Meyer

Description

Coccolithophores are important contributors to global calcium carbonate through their species-specific production of calcite coccoliths. Nannofossil coccolith calcite remains an important tool for paleoreconstructions through geochemical analysis of isotopic and trace element incorporation, including Sr, which is a potential indicator of past surface ocean temperature and productivity. Scyphosphaera apsteinii exhibits an unusually high Sr/Ca ratio and correspondingly high partitioning coefficient (DSr) in their two morphologically distinct types of coccoliths. Whether or not this reflects mechanistic differences in calcification compared to other coccolithophores is unknown. We therefore examined the possible role of Sr in S. apsteinii calcification by growing cells in deplete, ambient, and higher than ambient Sr conditions (between 0.33 - 140 mmol/mol Sr/Ca). The effects on growth, quantum efficiency of photosystem II (Fv/Fm), coccolith morphology, and calcite DSr were evaluated. Reducing the Sr/Ca from ambient (9 mmol/mol) did not significantly alter the frequency of malformed and aberrant muroliths and lopadoliths, but at higher than ambient Sr/Ca conditions coccolith morphology was significantly disrupted. This implies that Sr is not a critical determining factor in normal coccolith calcite morphology in this dimorphic species. Interestingly, muroliths had significantly lower Sr/Ca than lopadoliths at ambient and elevated [Sr], and lopadolith tips had lower Sr than bases in ambient conditions. In summary, the Sr fractionation behavior of S. apsteinii is unusual because of an overall high DSr, and an inter- and intra-coccolith variability in Sr/Ca. We hypothesize that differential Sr-and Ca-binding capacity of coccolith associated polysaccharides may account for the unusual Sr fractionation of this species which can explain all observations made in this study.

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Cellular Physiology, Scanning Electron Microscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy-Energy Dispersive X-Ray, Morphometrics

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