Prokaryotic associations with photosynthetic picoeukaryotes

In this study fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS) and sequencing of 16S rRNA genes of sorted PPE populations and single cells were systematically screened to identify close associations with PPEs in the oligotrophic North Pacific Subtropical Gyre (NPSG). Samples were collected during two cruises, spanning depths around the deep chlorophyll maximum (DCM), where the abundances of PPE cells were the highest. The identification of previously unknown species-specific associations is a prerequisite for investigating their roles in microbial food webs and impacts on processing of organic matter and biogeochemical cycling dynamics.