scholarly journals Molecular insights into the microbial formation of marine dissolved organic matter: recalcitrant or labile?

2014 ◽  
Vol 11 (15) ◽  
pp. 4173-4190 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. P. Koch ◽  
G. Kattner ◽  
M. Witt ◽  
U. Passow

Abstract. The degradation of marine dissolved organic matter (DOM) is an important control variable in the global carbon cycle. For our understanding of the kinetics of organic matter cycling in the ocean, it is crucial to achieve a mechanistic and molecular understanding of its transformation processes. A long-term microbial experiment was performed to follow the production of non-labile DOM by marine bacteria. Two different glucose concentrations and dissolved algal exudates were used as substrates. We monitored the bacterial abundance, concentrations of dissolved and particulate organic carbon (DOC, POC), nutrients, amino acids and transparent exopolymer particles (TEP) for 2 years. The molecular characterization of extracted DOM was performed by ultrahigh resolution Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS) after 70 days and after ∼2 years of incubation. Although glucose quickly degraded, a non-labile DOC background (5–9% of the initial DOC) was generated in the glucose incubations. Only 20% of the organic carbon from the algal exudate degraded within the 2 years of incubation. The degradation rates for the non-labile DOC background in the different treatments varied between 1 and 11 μmol DOC L−1 year−1. Transparent exopolymer particles, which are released by microorganisms, were produced during glucose degradation but decreased back to half of the maximum concentration within less than 3 weeks (degradation rate: 25 μg xanthan gum equivalents L−1 d−1) and were below detection in all treatments after 2 years. Additional glucose was added after 2 years to test whether labile substrate can promote the degradation of background DOC (co-metabolism; priming effect). A priming effect was not observed but the glucose addition led to a slight increase of background DOC. The molecular analysis demonstrated that DOM generated during glucose degradation differed appreciably from DOM transformed during the degradation of the algal exudates. Our results led to several conclusions: (i) based on our experimental setup, higher substrate concentration resulted in a higher concentration of non-labile DOC; (ii) TEP, generated by bacteria, degrade rapidly, thus limiting their potential contribution to carbon sequestration; (iii) the molecular signatures of DOM derived from algal exudates and glucose after 70 days of incubation differed strongly from refractory DOM. After 2 years, however, the molecular patterns of DOM in glucose incubations were more similar to deep ocean DOM whereas the degraded exudate was still different.

2014 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 3065-3111 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. P. Koch ◽  
G. Kattner ◽  
M. Witt ◽  
U. Passow

Abstract. The degradation of marine dissolved organic matter (DOM) is an important control variable in the global carbon cycle and dependent on the DOM composition. For our understanding of the kinetics of organic matter cycling in the ocean, it is therefore crucial to achieve a mechanistic and molecular understanding of its transformation processes. A long-term microbial experiment was performed to follow the production of non-labile DOM by marine bacteria. Two different glucose concentrations and dissolved algal exudates were used as substrates. We monitored the bacterial abundance, concentrations of dissolved and particulate organic carbon (DOC, POC), nutrients, amino acids, and transparent exopolymer particles (TEP) for two years. Ultrahigh resolution Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance Mass Spectrometry (FT-ICR-MS) allowed the molecular characterization of extracted DOM after 70 days and after ∼2 years of incubation. Although glucose was quickly degraded, a DOC background was generated in glucose incubations. Only 20% of the organic carbon from algal exudate was degraded within the 2 years of incubation. TEP, which are released by micro-organisms, were produced during glucose degradation but decreased within less than three weeks back to half of the maximum concentration and were below detection in all treatments after 2 years. The molecular analysis demonstrated that DOM generated during glucose degradation differed appreciably from DOM produced during the degradation of the algal exudates. Our results led to several conclusions: (i) Higher substrate levels result in a higher level of non-labile DOC which is an important prerequisite for carbon sequestration in the ocean; (ii) TEP are generated by bacteria but are also degraded rapidly, thus limiting their potential contribution to carbon sequestration; (iii) The molecular signatures of DOM derived from algal exudates or glucose after 70 days of incubation differed strongly from refractory DOM. After 2 years, however, the molecular patterns of DOM in glucose incubations were more similar to deep ocean DOM whereas the degraded exudate was still different.


2012 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 1935-1955 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Flerus ◽  
O. J. Lechtenfeld ◽  
B. P. Koch ◽  
S. L. McCallister ◽  
P. Schmitt-Kopplin ◽  
...  

Abstract. Dissolved organic matter (DOM) was extracted by solid-phase extraction (SPE) from 137 water samples from different climate zones and different depths along an eastern Atlantic Ocean transect. The extracts were analyzed with Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS) with electrospray ionization (ESI). Δ14C analyses were performed on subsamples of the SPE-DOM. In addition, the amount of dissolved organic carbon was determined for all water and SPE-DOM samples as well as the yield of amino sugars for selected samples. Linear correlations were observed between the magnitudes of 43 % of the FT-ICR mass peaks and the extract Δ14C values. Decreasing SPE-DOM Δ14C values went along with a shift in the molecular composition to higher average masses (m/z) and lower hydrogen/carbon (H/C) ratios. The correlation was used to model the SPE-DOM Δ14C distribution for all 137 samples. Based on single mass peaks, a degradation index (IDEG) was developed to compare the degradation state of marine SPE-DOM samples analyzed with FT-ICR MS. A correlation between Δ14C, IDEG, DOC values and amino sugar yield supports that SPE-DOM analyzed with FT-ICR MS reflects trends of bulk DOM. DOM weighted normalized mass peak magnitudes were used to compare aged and recent SPE-DOM on a semi-quantitative molecular basis. The magnitude comparison showed a continuum of different degradation rates for the detected compounds. A high proportion of the compounds should persist, possibly modified by partial degradation, in the course of thermohaline circulation. Prokaryotic (bacterial) production, transformation and accumulation of this very stable DOM occur primarily in the upper ocean. This DOM is an important contribution to very old DOM, showing that production and degradation are dynamic processes.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Paula da Silva ◽  
Thorsten Reemtsma ◽  
Katharina Blaurock ◽  
Burkhard Beudert ◽  
Oliver Lechtenfeld

<p>Inland water process large amounts of dissolved organic matter (DOM), representing an important component in the global carbon cycle. Locally, DOM has an important ecological and biogeochemical role that may vary according to its quality (e.g. composition). Land use, season and hydrologic regime are some factors that possibly will influence the changes in DOM composition. State-of-the art technique to study the molecular chemical composition of DOM is Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT ICR MS). The analysis of changes in DOM quality by FT ICR MS allows conclusions to be drawn about the sources and mobilization processes of the organic material. In this study we investigate the changes in DOM quality over a period of 1.5 year in a small forested catchment composed of two different zones: wetland (zone A) and steep slope areas (zone B). The catchment is located in the National Park Bayerischer Wald in Southern Germany. This offers a natural environment unaffected by direct anthropogenic influence. Therefore, only indirect anthropogenic effects and natural vegetation disturbances and possible interactions between them can affect DOM dynamics. Monthly samples were taken along the rivers (1<sup>st</sup> and 2<sup>nd</sup> order) from September 2018-November 2018 and from April 2019-November 2019 with a total of 124 samples. The samples were analyzed by FT ICR MS, total organic carbon analyzer and UV/VIS spectrometer. Our results showed that the concentration of dissolved organic carbon between the sampling points is similar, but differs over the year at normal discharge conditions. FT ICR MS analysis indicated that the main molecular composition of DOM was CHO (38-47%), with the majority of the composition consisting of highly unsaturated compounds. Conversely, samples in zone A had more aliphatic compounds and nitrogen formulas than the ones sampled in zone B during the year. UV/VIS data also indicated that DOM is more aromatic in the zone B. The results suggest that DOM coming mainly from ground water is the dominant pool of organic matter in the wetland during the year, while in the steep zone a contribution from fresh-plant derived DOM is expected. We also found predominantly low averaged molecular weight DOM in summer in the catchment, suggesting that biological activity plays an important role during this season in DOM quality. We conclude that understanding the dynamic and mobilization mechanisms of DOM in catchments with low human impact are important for the conceptual understanding of natural DOM regulation mechanisms.</p>


Author(s):  
Jeonghyun Kim ◽  
Yeseul Kim ◽  
Sung Eun Park ◽  
Tae-Hoon Kim ◽  
Bong-Guk Kim ◽  
...  

AbstractIn Jeju Island, multiple land-based aquafarms were fully operational along most coastal region. However, the effect of effluent on distribution and behaviours of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in the coastal water are still unknown. To decipher characteristics of organic pollution, we compared physicochemical parameters with spectral optical properties near the coastal aquafarms in Jeju Island. Absorption spectra were measured to calculate the absorption coefficient, spectral slope coefficient, and specific UV absorbance. Fluorescent DOM was analysed using fluorescence spectroscopy coupled with parallel factor analysis. Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and total dissolved nitrogen (TDN) were measured using high-temperature catalytic oxidation. The DOC concentration near the discharge outlet was twice higher than that in natural groundwater, and the TDN concentration exponentially increased close to the outlet. These distribution patterns indicate that aquafarms are a significant source of DOM. Herein, principal component analysis was applied to categorise the DOM origins. There were two distinct groups, namely, aquaculture activity for TDN with humic-like and high molecular weights DOM (PC1: 48.1%) and natural biological activity in the coastal water for DOC enrichment and protein-like DOM (PC2: 18.8%). We conclude that the aquafarms significantly discharge organic nitrogen pollutants and provoke in situ production of organic carbon. Furthermore, these findings indicate the potential of optical techniques for the efficient monitoring of anthropogenic organic pollutants from aquafarms worldwide.


2008 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 281-298 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Raimbault ◽  
N. Garcia ◽  
F. Cerutti

Abstract. During the BIOSOPE cruise the RV Atalante was dedicated to study the biogeochemical properties in the South Pacific between the Marquesas Islands (141° W–8° S) and the Chilean upwelling (73° W–34° S). Over the 8000 km covered by the cruise, several different trophic situations were encountered, in particular strong oligotrophic conditions in the South Pacific Gyre (SPG, between 123° W and 101° W). In this isolated region, nitrate was undetectable between the surface and 160–180 m and only trace quantities (<20 nmoles l−1) of regenerated nitrogen (nitrite and ammonium) were detected, even in the subsurface maximum. Integrated nitrate over the photic layer, which reached 165 m, was close to zero. Despite this severe nitrogen-depletion, phosphate was always present in significant concentrations (≈0.1 μmoles l−1), while silicic acid was maintained at low but classical oceanic levels (≈1 μmoles l−1). In contrast, the Marquesas region (MAR) to the west and Chilean upwelling (UPW) to the east were characterized by high nutrient concentrations, one hundred to one thousand fold higher than in the SPG. The distribution of surface chlorophyll reflected the nitrate gradient, the lowest concentrations (0.023 nmoles l−1) being measured at the centre of the SPG, where integrated value throughout the photic layer was very low (≈ 10 mg m−2). However, due to the relatively high concentrations of chlorophyll-a encountered in the DCM (0.2 μg l−1), chlorophyll-a concentrations throughout the photic layer were less variable than nitrate concentrations (by a factor 2 to 5). In contrast to chlorophyll-a, integrated particulate organic matter (POM) remained more or less constant along the study area (500 mmoles m−2, 60 mmoles m−2 and 3.5 mmoles m−2 for particulate organic carbon, particulate organic nitrogen and particulate organic phosphorus, respectively), with the exception of the upwelling, where values were two fold higher. The residence time of particulate carbon in the surface water was only 4–5 days in the upwelling, but up to 30 days in the SPG, where light isotopic δ15N signal noted in the suspended POM suggests that N2-fixation provides a dominant supply of nitrogen to phytoplankton. The most striking feature was the large accumulation of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in the SPG compared to the surrounding waters, in particular dissolved organic carbon (DOC) where concentrations were at levels rarely measured in oceanic waters (>100 μmoles l−1). Due to this large pool of DOM in the SPG photic layer, integrated values followed a converse geographical pattern to that of inorganic nutrients with a large accumulation in the centre of the SPG. Whereas suspended particulate matter in the mixed layer had a C/N ratio largely conforming to the Redfield stochiometry (C/N≈6.6), marked deviations were observed in this excess DOM (C/N≈16 to 23). The marked geographical trend suggests that a net in situ source exists, mainly due to biological processes. Thus, in spite of strong nitrate-depletion leading to low chlorophyll biomass, the closed ecosystem of the SPG can accumulate large amounts of C-rich dissolved organic matter. The implications of this finding are examined, the conclusion being that, due to weak lateral advection, the biologically produced dissolved organic carbon can be accumulated and stored in the photic layer for very long periods. In spite of the lack of seasonal vertical mixing, a significant part of new production (up to 34%), which was mainly supported by dinitrogen fixation, can be exported to deep waters by turbulent diffusion in terms of DOC. The diffusive rate estimated in the SPG (134 μmolesC m−2 d−1), was quite equivalent to the particles flux measured by sediments traps.


2009 ◽  
Vol 113 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 219-226 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Lønborg ◽  
Keith Davidson ◽  
Xosé A. Álvarez–Salgado ◽  
Axel E.J. Miller

2014 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 14097-14132 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Tremblay ◽  
J. Caparros ◽  
K. Leblanc ◽  
I. Obernosterer

Abstract. Natural iron fertilization of high-nutrient low-chlorophyll (HNLC) waters induces annually occurring spring phytoplankton blooms off Kerguelen Islands (Southern Ocean). To examine the origin and fate of particulate and dissolved organic matter (POM and DOM), D- and L-amino acids (AA) were quantified at bloom and HNLC stations. Total hydrolysable AA accounted for 21–25% of surface particulate organic carbon (%POCAA) at the bloom sites, but for 10% at the HNLC site. A marked decrease in %POCAA with depth was observed at the most productive stations leading to values between 3 and 5% below 300 m depth. AA contributed to only 0.9–4.4% of dissolved organic carbon (%DOCAA) at all stations. The only consistent vertical trend was observed at the most productive station (A3-2) where %DOCAA decreased from ∼2% in the surface waters to 0.9% near 300 m. These AA yields and other markers revealed that POM and DOM were more rapidly altered or mineralized at the bloom sites compared to the HNLC site. Different molecular markers indicated that POM mostly originated from diatoms and bacteria. The estimated average proportion of POM from intact phytoplankton cells in surface waters was 45% at the bloom station A3-2, but 14% at the HNLC site. Estimates based on D-AA yields indicated that ∼15% of POM and ∼30% of DOM was of bacterial origin (cells and cell fragments) at all stations. Surprisingly, the DOM in HNLC waters appeared less altered than the DOM from the bloom, had slightly higher dissolved AA concentrations, and showed no sign of alteration within the water column. Unfavorable conditions for bacterial degradation in HNLC regions can explain these findings. In contrast, large inputs of labile organic molecules and iron, likely stimulate the degradation of organic matter (priming effect) and the production of more recalcitrant DOM (microbial carbon pump) during iron-fertilized blooms.


Fisheries ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 (5) ◽  
pp. 25-29
Author(s):  
Anatoliy Sadchikov ◽  
Sergey Ostroumov

The role of algae and bacteria in the consumption and mineralization of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in a highly trophic aquatic ecosystem was studied. The phytoplankton and bacterioplankton community consumed 60% of added DOM in August and 56% of DOM in September. Of the uptaken DOM, a significant amount of organic carbon was mineralized. In August 42.7% and in September 29% of organic carbon (of the consumed organic matter) were used for respiration.


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