Membrane voltage of marine phytoplankton, measured in the diatom Coscinodiscus radiatus

Abstract

In order to investigate the role of the ionic relations in buoyancy of marine phytoplankton, voltage recordings have been made on the planktonic diatom Coscinodiscus radiatus using conventional glass microelectrode techniques. The most negative Nernst equilibrium voltage in C. radiatus is E _K, the potassium equilibrium voltage of around-85 mV. Accordingly, stable voltages of-40 to-80 mV were recorded from C. radiatus which conforms to the general theory of electro-diffusion of ions through membranes (voltage range V _d). In addition, membrane voltages much more negative, e.g. up to-140 mV (voltage range V _p), have been recorded in C. radiatus; these voltages demonstrate the operation of an electrogenic pump. Within the voltage range V _d, light-on and-off (microscope illumination) caused weak hyper- and depolarizations by about 2 mV with a time constant of about 10 s. Also within V _d, spontaneous oscillations could be observed with a frequency of about 0.03 Hz and irregular amplitudes up to 30 mV. These phenomena are simulated by a model for electrocoupling of the major ion transporters in plants, as worked out for guard cells with their subtle osmoregulatory system. Equivalent mechanisms are suggested to operate in planktonic diatoms for adjustment of buoyancy by appropriate uptake and release of ions.