The cell cycle of phytoplankton: A review

Phytoplankton play an enormously important role in ecology and serve as critical food for aquatic organisms. The phytoplankton population rapidly increases in number after continuous cell cycles. Thus, understanding the cell cycle of phytoplankton is fundamental to the aquatic ecosystem research. The eukaryotic cell cycle has been clarified; however, unique characteristics exist in phytoplankton. Their cell cycle progression either differs among species or varies with environmental changes. Here, we review the cell cycle progression of the eukaryotic phytoplankton and its response to environmental factors, introduce the cell cycle research methods, highlight the identified cell cycle regulatory proteins, and discuss prospects for future research directions.