Mixotrophy in aquatic plants, an overlooked ability

Antoine Firmin (1) , Marc-André Selosse (2, 3) , Christophe Dunand (4) , Arnaud Elger (1)

1 LEFE - Laboratoire Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Environnement
2 ISYEB - Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité
3 UG - University of Gdańsk
4 Dynamique et Evolution des Parois cellulaires végétales

Aquatic plants are crucial for the proper functioning of aquatic environments. So far, mixotrophy, widespread in aquatic microbial communities and in certain terrestrial plants, has been studied rarely in aquatic plants other than carnivorous ones. New evidence, particularly in Lemna and other close genera, suggests that mixotrophy is much more widespread than previously thought. Three processes could be involved, namely biotrophic associations, capture of prey (e.g., in carnivorous plants), and absorbotrophy (uptake of dissolved organic carbon). The latter process seems to be the most probable hypothesis in regard to the physiology of aquatic plants, but further research at both organism and cellular levels is needed to understand and clarify the processes involved and their importance. This opinion opens a new window of opportunity in aquatic ecology, with possible unsuspected applications in water management.

Mots clés: aquatic plant; mixotrophy; heterotrophy; dissolved organic carbon

Domaines: Biologie végétale

Antoine Firmin, Marc-André Selosse, Christophe Dunand, Arnaud Elger. Mixotrophy in aquatic plants, an overlooked ability. Trends in Plant Science, inPress, 11 p. ⟨10.1016/j.tplants.2021.08.011⟩. ⟨hal-03416199⟩