Molecular and cellular mechanisms of diatom response to environmental changes

Abstract

The review is devoted adaptations of diatom under environmental changes and stress factors. Life cycle of diatoms is influenced by various environmental changes, including changes in light intensity, temperature, nutrient availability, and exposure to infochemicals, algicidal bacteria, and viruses. During evolution diatoms have evolved many molecular pathways to respond to stress factors: altering their metabolism to react on abiotic stressors, or producing secondary metabolites to protect themselves from competitors and predators. Prolonged exposure to a stress factor leads to a variety of disorders in cells – oxidative stress, disruption of photosynthesis, mitochondrial function, protein folding, resulting in cell death. It is assumed that these mechanisms have allowed diatoms to adapt to a variety of conditions and successfully exist in ecosystems for many millions of years.