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Although the influence of major nutrients on metal toxicity in marine phytoplankton has been widely explored, the mechanisms involving the cell surface are poorly understood. Here, the model marine diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum was cultured under different nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) availabilities from the f/2 to the f/20 level in the laboratory; the diatom's accumulation of cadmium (Cd) and the effects of the physical and chemical properties of the cell wall were investigated at the single-cell level. Under higher N and/or P supply at the f/2 level, both the adsorption and uptake of Cd were enhanced in the P. tricornutum cells. The N and P increased the ion-binding sites on the cell surface, causing more negative surface potential and less depolarization of the diatoms' cell walls. Up-regulated transporter genes were detected in those cells with enriched nutrient supply, which could be attributed to the higher Cd uptake. These results strongly indicate that N and P are critical nutrients for frustule-mediated metal accumulation and tolerance in marine diatoms. Our study provides new clues on the nutrient-dependent cell-surface physical and chemical mechanisms involved in metal toxicity in marine diatoms., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Metal tolerance in marine diatoms vary between morphotypes, strains, and species due to their long-term adaptations to stochastic environments. The mechanisms underlying this highly variable trait remain a matter of interest in ecotoxicology. In this study, we used several cutting-edge techniques, including a non-invasive micro-test technique, atomic force microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy to examine cadmium (Cd) accumulation and tolerance in the three morphotypes of Phaeodactylum tricornutum. Subcellular Cd distribution, metal transporter expression, and glutathione and phytochelatin activity were also analyzed to characterize the morphology-dependent Cd homeostasis and detoxification. We found that the oval morphotype accumulated more Cd, but was also more Cd tolerant than the other morphotypes. The greater surface binding of Cd to the oval morphotype is attributable to its smaller spherical form, rougher cell surface, and lower surface potential. Moreover, the oval morphotype was less permeable to Cd ions and contained higher phytochelatin and glutathione levels, which explained its higher metal tolerance. Our study offers new explanations for diatom's adaptations to changing environments that may contribute to its evolutionary success., (Copyright © 2020 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Anthropogenic activities have significantly changed the stoichiometry and concentrations of nutrients in coastal waters. Silicon (Si) has become a potential limiting nutrient due to disproportionate nitrogen, phosphorus, and silicate inputs into these areas. The disrupted nutrient ratios can cause changes to metal sensitivity and accumulation in marine diatoms, an important group of eukaryotic phytoplankton that requires silicon for growth. In this study, we examined the effects of Si availability on the metal sensitivity in the diatom P. tricornutum. We found that Si starvation dramatically compromised its cadmium, copper, and lead tolerances. Interestingly, multiple lines of evidence indicated that Si-enriched cells had higher metal adsorption and influx rates than Si-starved cells. Yet Si-enriched cells also had a greater ability to respond to and counteract metal toxicity via elevated expression of membrane and vacuolar metal transporters and greater antioxidant activities which scavenge reactive oxygen species created by metal stress., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declared that they have no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Marine phytoplankton possess a sophisticated homeostatic network to counteract metal toxicity. Changes in environmental conditions such as ambient nutrient concentrations can significantly impact their intrinsic metal sensitivity. In this study, we evaluated the role of silicon (Si) in counteracting cadmium (Cd) toxicity in the marine diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum. We first demonstrated that Si enrichment dramatically enhanced Cd tolerance and changed the Cd accumulation in the diatom. Our modeling suggested that Si-enriched cells adsorbed more Cd but had a higher Cd elimination rate than the Si-starved cells. Examinations by atomic force microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy revealed that the Si-enriched cells had better silification and more SiO - in the cell walls, which markedly lowered the surface potential of the diatom cells and allowed them to attract more Cd. Although the Si-enriched cells tended to have a high Cd burden when facing Cd stress, they suppressed the increase of intracellular Cd by both down-regulating the influx transporter ZIP and up-regulating the efflux transporter ATPase5-1B. Our study shows the significant roles Si plays in maintaining metal homeostasis and combating Cd challenge in marine diatoms., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The anthors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The interactions between metal and phytoplankton are affected by salinity in estuarine environments. While water chemistry is an important factor regulating the metal bioavailability in phytoplankton, the physiological adaptation of the algae cells may also change their intrinsic response to metals. In this work, we tried to interpret the salinity-dependent Cd toxicity in a pennate diatom Nitzchia closterium from a biological side. As with many studies, we observed Cd toxicity to the diatom increased with decreasing salinity. However, changing free Cd ion concentrations may be partly responsible for the enhanced Cd toxicity. Multiple evidences showed that diatom cells acclimated at low salinity had stronger intrinsic Cd adsorption capacity. Salinity significantly affected not only the nanostructures but also the biochemical composition in the cell surface of the diatom. Diatom cells grown at lower salinity had a lower surface potential, higher specific surface area, and more sulfur-containing groups in the cell wall, leading to stronger Cd binding capacity in the cells. Meanwhile, more Si was present as poly-silicic acid when the salinity decreased. The change of Si content and speciation in the cell wall are also considered a major reason for the variations of Cd surface binding. Our study provided new clues for the salinity-dependent metal toxicity in marine diatoms., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) loadings in coastal waters have greatly increased due to anthropogenic input. However, the silicate levels have remained stable in the past decades, leading to nutrient status alternating from N limitation to Si limitation. Few studies have examined the effects of such nutrient imbalance on Cd accumulation in marine diatoms. In the present study, we provide multiple lines of evidence that Si limitation reduced the Cd binding capability in the marine diatom Nitzschia closterium . Diatom cells adapted to lower Si exposure had weaker mechanical strength and less negatively charged surfaces. Close examination of the cell surface revealed that Si shortage changed the biochemical composition of the cell surface and decreased the diatom’s silicification ability. The lower density of the silanol groups in the cell wall is the most likely reason for the weaker Cd adsorption ability observed in the Si limited diatom cells. This study demonstrates the significance of Si in controlling the metal accumulation in marine diatoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]