Bacteria modulate microalgal aging physiology through the induction of extracellular vesicle production to remove harmful metabolites

The bloom and bust patterns of microalgae in aquatic systems contribute massively to global biogeochemical cycles. The decline of algal blooms is mainly caused by nutrient limitation resulting in cell death, the arrest of cell division and the aging of surviving cells. Nutrient intake can re-initiate proliferation, but the processes involved are poorly understood. Here we characterize how the bloom-forming diatom Coscinodiscus radiatus recovers from starvation after nutrient influx. Rejuvenation is mediated by extracellular vesicles that shuttle reactive oxygen species, oxylipins and other harmful metabolites out of the old cells, thereby re-enabling their proliferation. By administering nutrient pulses to aged cells and metabolomic monitoring of the response, we show that regulated pathways are centred around the methionine cycle in C. radiatus. Co-incubation experiments show that bacteria mediate aging processes and trigger vesicle production using chemical signalling. This work opens new perspectives on cellular aging and rejuvenation in complex microbial communities.