Sulfur response in Alexandrium minutum and shift in associated bacteria composition under acute thermal stress

Biogenic sulfur compounds dimethylsulfide (DMS), dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) and dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) play key environmental roles on both a microscopic and global scale by maintaining cellular functions under stress exposure and regulating the climate through contributing to cloud formation in the atmosphere. These sulfur compounds can also influence phytoplankton-bacteria interactions, which in turn might dictate atmospheric DMS emissions. It is thus essential to understand how these compounds will be produced and consumed in a changing ocean. Alexandrium minutum is a dinoflagellate algae responsible for toxic red tides with the highest DMSP cell content on records.