Single-cell heterogeneity underpins diatom success in dynamic ocean environments

Single-cell heterogeneity underpins diatom success in dynamic ocean environments | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Biological Sciences - Article Single-cell heterogeneity underpins diatom success in dynamic ocean environments Monica Orellana, Jacob Valenzuela, Christopher Lausted, Christopher Deutsch, and 2 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7699470/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Diatoms are the most successful and diverse phytoplankton group in the world's oceans. Here, we surveyed, at single-cell resolution, dynamic changes in the transcriptional landscape of a clonal population of Thalassiosira pseudonana as it transitioned through the light/dark cycle and fluctuations in nitrogen (N) availability conditions that simulated the end of a seasonal bloom. By profiling >7,000 single-cell transcriptomes, we have discovered extensive heterogeneity in the transcriptional states of co-existing T. pseudonana sub-populations within a clonal population. Our findings show how functionally distinct sub-populations drive adaptation of T. pseudonana to the light/dark cycle, while redistributing C and N during N-depletion. The diatom culture adapts to N-starvation through an increase in the relative size of a pre-existing sub-population expressing N-uptake and utilization genes, which enables its rapid recovery upon N-influx. We discuss how dynamic changes in the relative composition of functionally diverse sub-populations further demonstrate how anticipatory and bet-hedging strategies likely contribute to the ecological success of diatoms in the world’s oceans, by enabling their rapid adaptation to routine, as well as stressful, and unexpected environmental fluctuations. Biological sciences/Molecular biology/Transcriptomics Biological sciences/Ecology/Molecular ecology Full Text Additional Declarations There is NO Competing Interest. Supplementary Files SupplementaryInformationThapsscRNA091725.pdf Supplement Tables, and Figures. FunctionsEnrichedGenesRanked092125.pdf Supplementary Data File 1. Functional Enrich Genes Ranked. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-7699470","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Biological Sciences - Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":523324112,"identity":"27750e42-7db5-4bd0-914d-fa645e378560","order_by":0,"name":"Monica Orellana","email":"data:image/png;base64,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","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5990-9380","institution":"Institute for Systems Biology","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Monica","middleName":"","lastName":"Orellana","suffix":""},{"id":523324113,"identity":"a48fc303-40b6-42d6-9396-8d713ce33f20","order_by":1,"name":"Jacob Valenzuela","email":"","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2320-241X","institution":"Institute for Systems Biology","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Jacob","middleName":"","lastName":"Valenzuela","suffix":""},{"id":523324114,"identity":"0676f55c-6052-4588-a690-257a500db562","order_by":2,"name":"Christopher Lausted","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Institute for Systems Biology","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Christopher","middleName":"","lastName":"Lausted","suffix":""},{"id":523324115,"identity":"ffbc3106-b0d5-4c84-a3f6-c9cd5c7533c7","order_by":3,"name":"Christopher Deutsch","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Institute for Systems Biology","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Christopher","middleName":"","lastName":"Deutsch","suffix":""},{"id":523324116,"identity":"bfe2c093-58ae-45c0-813a-4b2841a49611","order_by":4,"name":"Sui Huang","email":"","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3545-4665","institution":"Institute for Systems Biology","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Sui","middleName":"","lastName":"Huang","suffix":""},{"id":523324117,"identity":"f4f9b66d-2aa2-4efa-933e-8b211d5e39a5","order_by":5,"name":"Nitin Baliga","email":"","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9157-5974","institution":"Institute for Systems Biology","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Nitin","middleName":"","lastName":"Baliga","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2025-09-24 05:10:18","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7699470/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7699470/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":94598964,"identity":"17836e39-38b1-46d3-ab3d-af4eb9be8dc9","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-28 18:59:00","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":1625041,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"Article File","description":"","filename":"Orellanaetal09172025.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7699470/v1_covered_4d0ffb0b-1498-49c8-82fc-6fac2910604f.pdf"},{"id":94568980,"identity":"41eef34d-1f35-4f29-938b-c7faba956457","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-28 18:06:07","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"supplement","size":755879,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"Supplement Tables, and Figures.","description":"","filename":"SupplementaryInformationThapsscRNA091725.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7699470/v1/85fef9983a25d7c67a39d486.pdf"},{"id":94569936,"identity":"26f7b9a9-b31d-4244-8a56-a3154b0da3e9","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-28 18:06:47","extension":"pdf","order_by":2,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"supplement","size":379734,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"Supplementary Data File 1. 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