The DOI matches its Crossref record; 29 of the 29 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Algae acquire vitamin B12 through a symbiotic relationship with bacteria
Abstract
Vitamin B12 (cobalamin) was identified nearly 80 years ago as the anti-pernicious anaemia factor in liver, and its importance in human health and disease has resulted in much work on its uptake, cellular transport and utilization. Plants do not contain cobalamin because they have no cobalamin-dependent enzymes. Deficiencies are therefore common in strict vegetarians, and in the elderly, who are susceptible to an autoimmune disorder that prevents its efficient uptake. In contrast, many algae are rich in vitamin B12, with some species, such as Porphyra yezoensis (Nori), containing as much cobalamin as liver. Despite this, the role of the cofactor in algal metabolism remains unknown, as does the source of the vitamin for these organisms. A survey of 326 algal species revealed that 171 species require exogenous vitamin B12 for growth, implying that more than half of the algal kingdom are cobalamin auxotrophs. Here we show that the role of vitamin B12 in algal metabolism is primarily as a cofactor for vitamin B12-dependent methionine synthase, and that cobalamin auxotrophy has arisen numerous times throughout evolution, probably owing to the loss of the vitamin B12-independent form of the enzyme. The source of cobalamin seems to be bacteria, indicating an important and unsuspected symbiosis.
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“Microalgae exude a part of the photosynthesized organics as dissolved organic carbon (DOC); these are assimilated by heterotrophic bacteria, and in return, bacteria contribute to algal growth through the generation of CO2, micronutrients (such as Fe), vitamins, macronutrients, specifically fixed N and phytohormones [15,17].”
From Toward the Enhancement of Microalgal Metabolite Production through Microalgae–Bacteria Consortia (2021) · cites this paper as [15]
In the citing paper
“Croft et al. [15] found that the vitamin B12 producer Halomonas sp., isolated from non-axenic cultures of Amphidinium operculatum, can support the growth of the cobalamin-auxotroph Porphyridium purpureum, similarly to exogenous vitamin B12.”
From Toward the Enhancement of Microalgal Metabolite Production through Microalgae–Bacteria Consortia (2021) · cites this paper as [15]
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Metadata
- Authors
- Croft, M. T., Lawrence, A. D., Raux-Deery, E., Warren, M. J., & Smith, A. G.
- Affiliations
- University of Cambridge (GB)
- University of Kent (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Smith, Alison G.
- Venue
- Nature
- Published
- 2005-11
- Volume
- 438
- Issue
- 7064
- Pages
- 90-93
- ISSN
- 0028-0836 (ISSN-L)
- 1476-4687
- OpenAlex
- W1980733427
- Cited by
- 1,536
- References
- 29
- Citations by year
- 2026: 106 · 2025: 112 · 2024: 120 · 2023: 144 · 2022: 144 · 2021: 118 · 2020: 93 · 2019: 109 · 2018: 101 · 2017: 87 · 2016: 59 · 2015: 51 · 2014: 57 · 2013: 49 · 2012: 43
- FWCI
- 6.02
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Licence
- www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
- Locations
- Nature (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Kent Academic Repository (University of Kent) (submittedVersion)
- RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
- ePrints Soton (University of Southampton) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Queen Mary University of London
- Research Councils UK
- European Commission
- Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Porphyrin Metabolism and Disorders
- Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Folate and B Vitamins Research
- Physical Sciences › Energy › Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment › Algal biology and biofuel production
- Keywords
- vitamin B12, algae, microalgae, symbiosis, symbiotic bacteria, methionine synthase, cobalamin-dependent enzymes, algal metabolism, seaweed, vitamin B12 deficiency
- MeSH terms
- Bacteria, Symbiosis, 5-Methyltetrahydrofolate-Homocysteine S-Methyltransferase, Vitamin B 12, Genome, Coculture Techniques, Halomonas, Genomics, Eukaryota
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