An individual-based model for the analysis of Prochlorococcus diel cycle behavior

Authored by Annette M Hynes, Brian J Binder, Brad J Blythe

Date Published: 2015

DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2015.01.011

Sponsors: United States National Science Foundation (NSF)

Platforms: MATLAB

Model Documentation: ODD Flow charts Mathematical description

Model Code URLs: http://www.sciencedirect.com.ezproxy1.lib.asu.edu/science/MiamiMultiMediaURL/1-s2.0-S030438001500023X/1-s2.0-S030438001500023X-mmc1.pdf/271743/html/S030438001500023X/e4624a1cc6a6b70c27b00fcfd1ec9376/mmc1.pdf

Abstract

Prochlorococcus spp. are the smallest and most numerous phytoplankton in the ocean. The tightly-phased diel dynamics of cellular growth and division can be used to estimate population growth and mortality rates of Prochlorococcus in the field. However, traditional approaches for making these estimates involve deconvolving cell cycle phases from DNA distributions, a potential source of error. In this study, we used an individual-based model (IBM) to capture the cell size patterns, DNA content, and cell cycle phase distributions of Prochlorococcus. Model parameters were estimated from cell cycle data of field populations in the North Atlantic Ocean and then optimized using the Nelder-Mead algorithm. The model reproduced observed field diel growth and cell cycle dynamics well. Model optimization can be used to estimate population growth rates and other cell cycle parameters directly from DNA distributiohs, independent of cell cycle phase deconvolution. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Tags
Light Phytoplankton Dna-replication Equatorial pacific Photosynthetic prokaryote Marine cyanobacterium prochlorococcus North pacific-ocean Cell-cycle Circadian clock Limited growth