Environmental and physiological conditions that led to the rise of calcifying nannoplankton in the Late Triassic
The rise of calcifying nannoplankton in the Late Triassic (237–201 Ma) had profound consequences for the carbonate buffering capacity of the ocean. Research on the appearance of calcification typically focuses on the reasons that made this process successful on a global scale. The underlying environ...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-07-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Earth Science |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feart.2023.747059/full |
| _version_ | 1827889607544406016 |
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| author | Sönke Hohn Jacopo Dal Corso Kim Lisa Hoke Silke Thoms Agostino Merico Agostino Merico |
| author_facet | Sönke Hohn Jacopo Dal Corso Kim Lisa Hoke Silke Thoms Agostino Merico Agostino Merico |
| author_sort | Sönke Hohn |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The rise of calcifying nannoplankton in the Late Triassic (237–201 Ma) had profound consequences for the carbonate buffering capacity of the ocean. Research on the appearance of calcification typically focuses on the reasons that made this process successful on a global scale. The underlying environmental and physiological conditions that led to its appearance, therefore, are still obscure. Here we show that the rise of intracellular calcification is intrinsically linked to cellular calcium metabolism and to the prevention of calcium accumulation in the cytoplasm. Using gene tree analysis, we present evidence that the physiological machinery for calcification was already present in non-calcifying ancestor cells. Additionally, by modelling the energy demands for calcium transport in calcifying and non-calcifying cells, we demonstrate that intracellular calcification does not require additional energy investments. Since all eukaryotic cells export calcium across the plasma membrane, our findings indicate that the onset of intracellular calcification in Earth’s history required only the activation of calcium transport proteins during their passage to the plasma membrane. Hence, intracellular calcification could have occurred at any time in the geological past because physiological preconditions were already present, but a combination of favourable environmental factors may have helped calcifying nannoplankton to spread at the beginning of the Mesozoic, a time of catastrophic climate changes and mass extinctions that reshuffled life on Earth. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T20:58:02Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-64c1e6e9eb22462c9a6b9fe9534d8ff1 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-6463 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T20:58:02Z |
| publishDate | 2023-07-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Earth Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-64c1e6e9eb22462c9a6b9fe9534d8ff12023-07-31T11:53:29ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Earth Science2296-64632023-07-011110.3389/feart.2023.747059747059Environmental and physiological conditions that led to the rise of calcifying nannoplankton in the Late TriassicSönke Hohn0Jacopo Dal Corso1Kim Lisa Hoke2Silke Thoms3Agostino Merico4Agostino Merico5Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT), Department of Integrated Modelling, Bremen, GermanyState Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, ChinaDepartment of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United StatesDivision of Biosciences, Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research (AWI), Bremerhaven, GermanyLeibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT), Department of Integrated Modelling, Bremen, GermanySchool of Science, Constructor University, Bremen, GermanyThe rise of calcifying nannoplankton in the Late Triassic (237–201 Ma) had profound consequences for the carbonate buffering capacity of the ocean. Research on the appearance of calcification typically focuses on the reasons that made this process successful on a global scale. The underlying environmental and physiological conditions that led to its appearance, therefore, are still obscure. Here we show that the rise of intracellular calcification is intrinsically linked to cellular calcium metabolism and to the prevention of calcium accumulation in the cytoplasm. Using gene tree analysis, we present evidence that the physiological machinery for calcification was already present in non-calcifying ancestor cells. Additionally, by modelling the energy demands for calcium transport in calcifying and non-calcifying cells, we demonstrate that intracellular calcification does not require additional energy investments. Since all eukaryotic cells export calcium across the plasma membrane, our findings indicate that the onset of intracellular calcification in Earth’s history required only the activation of calcium transport proteins during their passage to the plasma membrane. Hence, intracellular calcification could have occurred at any time in the geological past because physiological preconditions were already present, but a combination of favourable environmental factors may have helped calcifying nannoplankton to spread at the beginning of the Mesozoic, a time of catastrophic climate changes and mass extinctions that reshuffled life on Earth.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feart.2023.747059/fullcalcareous nannoplanktonunicellular eukaryotescalcium homeostasision transportCarniancoccolithophores |
| spellingShingle | Sönke Hohn Jacopo Dal Corso Kim Lisa Hoke Silke Thoms Agostino Merico Agostino Merico Environmental and physiological conditions that led to the rise of calcifying nannoplankton in the Late Triassic Frontiers in Earth Science calcareous nannoplankton unicellular eukaryotes calcium homeostasis ion transport Carnian coccolithophores |
| title | Environmental and physiological conditions that led to the rise of calcifying nannoplankton in the Late Triassic |
| title_full | Environmental and physiological conditions that led to the rise of calcifying nannoplankton in the Late Triassic |
| title_fullStr | Environmental and physiological conditions that led to the rise of calcifying nannoplankton in the Late Triassic |
| title_full_unstemmed | Environmental and physiological conditions that led to the rise of calcifying nannoplankton in the Late Triassic |
| title_short | Environmental and physiological conditions that led to the rise of calcifying nannoplankton in the Late Triassic |
| title_sort | environmental and physiological conditions that led to the rise of calcifying nannoplankton in the late triassic |
| topic | calcareous nannoplankton unicellular eukaryotes calcium homeostasis ion transport Carnian coccolithophores |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feart.2023.747059/full |
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