Low-CO2-inducible bestrophins outside the pyrenoid sustain high photosynthetic efficacy in diatoms.

Anion transporters sustain a variety of physiological states in cells. Bestrophins (BSTs) belong to a Cl- and/or HCO3- transporter family conserved in bacteria, animals, algae, and plants. Recently, putative BSTs were found in the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, where they are upregulated under low CO2 (LC) conditions and play an essential role in the CO2-concentrating mechanism (CCM).