Li Partitioning Into Coccoliths of Emiliania huxleyi: Evaluating the General Role of “Vital Effects” in Explaining Element Partitioning in Biogenic Carbonates
Abstract Emiliania huxleyi cells were grown in artificial seawater of different Li and Ca concentrations and coccolith Li/Ca ratios determined. Coccolith Li/Ca ratios were positively correlated to seawater Li/Ca ratios only if the seawater Li concentration was changed, not if the seawater Ca concent...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wiley
2020-08-01
|
| Series: | Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1029/2020GC009129 |
| _version_ | 1827771768946819072 |
|---|---|
| author | Gerald Langer Aleksey Sadekov Mervyn Greaves Gernot Nehrke Ian Probert Sambuddha Misra Silke Thoms |
| author_facet | Gerald Langer Aleksey Sadekov Mervyn Greaves Gernot Nehrke Ian Probert Sambuddha Misra Silke Thoms |
| author_sort | Gerald Langer |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Emiliania huxleyi cells were grown in artificial seawater of different Li and Ca concentrations and coccolith Li/Ca ratios determined. Coccolith Li/Ca ratios were positively correlated to seawater Li/Ca ratios only if the seawater Li concentration was changed, not if the seawater Ca concentration was changed. This Li partitioning pattern of E. huxleyi was previously also observed in the benthic foraminifer Amphistegina lessonii and inorganically precipitated calcite. We argue that Li partitioning in both E. huxleyi and A. lessonii is dominated by a coupled transmembrane transport of Li and Ca from seawater to the site of calcification. We present a refined version of a recently proposed transmembrane transport model for Li and Ca. The model assumes that Li and Ca enter the cell via Ca channels, the Li flux being dependent on the Ca flux. While the original model features a linear function to describe the experimental data, our refined version uses a power function, changing the stoichiometry of Li and Ca. The version presented here accurately predicts the observed dependence of DLi on seawater Li/Ca ratios. Our data demonstrate that minor element partitioning in calcifying organisms is partly mediated by biological processes even if the partitioning behavior of the calcifying organism is indistinguishable from that of inorganically precipitated calcium carbonate. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T12:58:55Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d3d833083e6e4793a56f2085967512e5 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1525-2027 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T12:58:55Z |
| publishDate | 2020-08-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems |
| spelling | doaj.art-d3d833083e6e4793a56f2085967512e52023-11-03T16:55:28ZengWileyGeochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems1525-20272020-08-01218n/an/a10.1029/2020GC009129Li Partitioning Into Coccoliths of Emiliania huxleyi: Evaluating the General Role of “Vital Effects” in Explaining Element Partitioning in Biogenic CarbonatesGerald Langer0Aleksey Sadekov1Mervyn Greaves2Gernot Nehrke3Ian Probert4Sambuddha Misra5Silke Thoms6The Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill Plymouth UKARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, Ocean Graduate School University of Western Australia Crawley Western Australia AustraliaThe Godwin Laboratory for Palaeoclimate Research, Department of Earth Sciences University of Cambridge Cambridge UKAlfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research Bremerhaven GermanySorbonne Université/Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Roscoff Culture Collection, FR2424, Station Biologique de Roscoff Roscoff FranceCentre for Earth Sciences Indian Institute of Science Bangalore IndiaAlfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research Bremerhaven GermanyAbstract Emiliania huxleyi cells were grown in artificial seawater of different Li and Ca concentrations and coccolith Li/Ca ratios determined. Coccolith Li/Ca ratios were positively correlated to seawater Li/Ca ratios only if the seawater Li concentration was changed, not if the seawater Ca concentration was changed. This Li partitioning pattern of E. huxleyi was previously also observed in the benthic foraminifer Amphistegina lessonii and inorganically precipitated calcite. We argue that Li partitioning in both E. huxleyi and A. lessonii is dominated by a coupled transmembrane transport of Li and Ca from seawater to the site of calcification. We present a refined version of a recently proposed transmembrane transport model for Li and Ca. The model assumes that Li and Ca enter the cell via Ca channels, the Li flux being dependent on the Ca flux. While the original model features a linear function to describe the experimental data, our refined version uses a power function, changing the stoichiometry of Li and Ca. The version presented here accurately predicts the observed dependence of DLi on seawater Li/Ca ratios. Our data demonstrate that minor element partitioning in calcifying organisms is partly mediated by biological processes even if the partitioning behavior of the calcifying organism is indistinguishable from that of inorganically precipitated calcium carbonate.https://doi.org/10.1029/2020GC009129coccolithophoresforaminiferaminor element partitioningbiomineralizationvital effectlithium |
| spellingShingle | Gerald Langer Aleksey Sadekov Mervyn Greaves Gernot Nehrke Ian Probert Sambuddha Misra Silke Thoms Li Partitioning Into Coccoliths of Emiliania huxleyi: Evaluating the General Role of “Vital Effects” in Explaining Element Partitioning in Biogenic Carbonates Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems coccolithophores foraminifera minor element partitioning biomineralization vital effect lithium |
| title | Li Partitioning Into Coccoliths of Emiliania huxleyi: Evaluating the General Role of “Vital Effects” in Explaining Element Partitioning in Biogenic Carbonates |
| title_full | Li Partitioning Into Coccoliths of Emiliania huxleyi: Evaluating the General Role of “Vital Effects” in Explaining Element Partitioning in Biogenic Carbonates |
| title_fullStr | Li Partitioning Into Coccoliths of Emiliania huxleyi: Evaluating the General Role of “Vital Effects” in Explaining Element Partitioning in Biogenic Carbonates |
| title_full_unstemmed | Li Partitioning Into Coccoliths of Emiliania huxleyi: Evaluating the General Role of “Vital Effects” in Explaining Element Partitioning in Biogenic Carbonates |
| title_short | Li Partitioning Into Coccoliths of Emiliania huxleyi: Evaluating the General Role of “Vital Effects” in Explaining Element Partitioning in Biogenic Carbonates |
| title_sort | li partitioning into coccoliths of emiliania huxleyi evaluating the general role of vital effects in explaining element partitioning in biogenic carbonates |
| topic | coccolithophores foraminifera minor element partitioning biomineralization vital effect lithium |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1029/2020GC009129 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT geraldlanger lipartitioningintococcolithsofemilianiahuxleyievaluatingthegeneralroleofvitaleffectsinexplainingelementpartitioninginbiogeniccarbonates AT alekseysadekov lipartitioningintococcolithsofemilianiahuxleyievaluatingthegeneralroleofvitaleffectsinexplainingelementpartitioninginbiogeniccarbonates AT mervyngreaves lipartitioningintococcolithsofemilianiahuxleyievaluatingthegeneralroleofvitaleffectsinexplainingelementpartitioninginbiogeniccarbonates AT gernotnehrke lipartitioningintococcolithsofemilianiahuxleyievaluatingthegeneralroleofvitaleffectsinexplainingelementpartitioninginbiogeniccarbonates AT ianprobert lipartitioningintococcolithsofemilianiahuxleyievaluatingthegeneralroleofvitaleffectsinexplainingelementpartitioninginbiogeniccarbonates AT sambuddhamisra lipartitioningintococcolithsofemilianiahuxleyievaluatingthegeneralroleofvitaleffectsinexplainingelementpartitioninginbiogeniccarbonates AT silkethoms lipartitioningintococcolithsofemilianiahuxleyievaluatingthegeneralroleofvitaleffectsinexplainingelementpartitioninginbiogeniccarbonates |