Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate Carboxylase/oxygenase (RubisCO) Gene Expression and Photosynthetic Activity in Nutrient-enriched Mesocosm Experiments

The temporal variability in carbon dioxide fixation rates and the relative abundance ofrbcLSmRNA (encoding the large subunit of the Calvin cycle enzyme, RubisCO) was determined for nutrient-stimulated populations of marine phytoplankton enclosed in diatom-dominated and coccolithophorid-dominated mesocosms. Both mesocosms were characterized by successive bloom events that were preceded by marked increases in the level of RubisCO gene expression. In general, maxima inrbcLmRNA abundance showed the strongest temporal covariation with peaks in the value of the photosynthetic parameter PBmax, the chlorophyll-specific maximum rate of CO2fixation. Somewhat looser temporal co-variations were observed between peaks in transcript levels and maxima in chlorophyll concentrations or phytoplankton biomass. The specific contribution of the haptophyteEmiliania huxleyito the overall level of gene expression in the diatom-dominated enclosure was investigated using an homologousrbcLgene probe. The results were compared to data obtained at lower hybridization stringency using a generalrbcLprobe originating from the oceanic cyanobacteriumSynechococcusWH8103. The comparative data suggest that, whereas diatoms made a substantial contribution to the mRNA signal during the initial part of the experiment, the contribution ofE. huxleyito the overall level of gene expression increased as the experiment progressed.