Exocytosis of the silicified cell wall of diatoms involves extensive membrane disintegration
Diatoms are unicellular algae, characterized by silica cell walls. The silica elements are formed intracellularly in a membrane-bound silica deposition vesicle (SDV), and are exocytosed after completion. How diatoms maintain membrane homeostasis during the exocytosis of these large and rigid silica elements is a long-standing enigma. We studied membrane dynamics during cell wall formation and exocytosis in two model diatom species, using live-cell confocal microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and cryo-electron tomography. Our results show that during the formation of the mineral phase it is in tight association with the SDV membranes, which are forming a precise mold of the delicate geometrical patterns. During exocytosis, the distal SDV membrane and the plasma membrane gradually detach from the mineral and disintegrate in the extracellular space, without any noticeable endocytic retrieval or extracellular repurposing. Within the cell, there is no evidence for the formation of a new plasma membrane, thus the proximal SDV membrane becomes the new barrier between the cell and its environment, and assumes the role of a new plasma membrane. These results provide direct structural observations of diatom silica exocytosis, and point to an extraordinary mechanism in which membrane homeostasis is maintained by discarding, rather than recycling, significant membrane patches. Significance StatementExocytosis is a fundamental process for cell metabolism, communication, and growth. During exocytosis, an intracellular vesicle fuses with the plasma membrane to release its contents. In classical exocytosis, where the exocytosed vesicles are much smaller than the cell, membrane homeostasis is maintained by recycling excess membranes back into the cell. However, an extreme case of exocytosis is the extrusion of large and rigid cell wall elements by unicellular marine algae. During this process, the cell needs to deal with a potential doubling of its plasma membrane. This study reports on a unique exocytosis mechanism used by these organisms, in which the cells cope with the geometrical and physical challenges of exocytosis by releasing a significant amount of membranes to the extracellular space.