In times of great famine, microalgae digest themselves
In a recent study, scientists of the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI) have determined the molecular mechanisms which microalgae apply in order to switch from rapid cell division to growth-arrest during times of acute nutrient deficiency. In laboratory experiments, the scientists have been able to observe that calcifying microalgae in a state of nutrient deficiency initially tweak their metabolism to be more economic and efficient before, out of necessity, they even partially digest themselves. The molecular switches for these basic functions of cells are strikingly similar in all living things. Apparently, it is these switches, which, when malfunctioning in humans, cause cells to lose control of their division activity and potentially become cancer cells. The new findings are being published online this week in the journal Frontiers of Marine Science.