Dipartimento di Fisica, University of Milano, Via Celoria 16, Milano, Italy.
INFN, Milano, Italy.
Phys Rev E. 2016 Aug;94(2-1):022418. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevE.94.022418. Epub 2016 Aug 23.
Chain formation in diatoms is relevant because of several aspects of their adaptation to the ecosystem. However, the tools to quantify the regulation of their assemblage and infer specific mechanisms in a laboratory setting are scarce. To address this problem, we define an approach based on a statistical physics model of chain growth and separation in combination with experimental evaluation of chain-length distributions. Applying this combined analysis to data from Chaetoceros decipiens and Phaeodactylum tricornutum, we find that cells of the first species control chain separation, likely through a cell-to-cell communication process, while the second species only modulates the separation rate. These results promote quantitative methods for characterizing chain formation in several chain-forming species and in diatoms in particular.
硅藻的链形成与其对生态系统的适应有关。然而，在实验室环境中定量调节其组合并推断特定机制的工具却很少。为了解决这个问题，我们定义了一种基于链生长和分离的统计物理模型的方法，并结合实验评估链长分布。将这种联合分析应用于 Chaetoceros decipiens 和 Phaeodactylum tricornutum 的数据，我们发现第一种物种的细胞控制链分离，可能通过细胞间通讯过程，而第二种物种仅调节分离速率。这些结果促进了几种形成链的物种特别是硅藻中链形成的定量方法。
