Quaternized Amphiphilic Block Copolymers as Antimicrobial Agents

In this study, a novel polystyrene-block-quaternized polyisoprene amphipathic block copolymer (PS-b-PIN) is derived from anionic polymerization. Quaternized polymers are prepared through post-quaternization on a functionalized polymer side chain. Moreover, the antibacterial activity of quaternized polymers without red blood cell (RBCs) hemolysis can be controlled by block composition, side chain length, and polymer morphology. The solvent environment is highly related to the polymer morphology, forming micelles or other structures. The polymersome formation would decrease the hemolysis and increase the electron density or quaternized groups density as previous research and our experiment revealed. Herein, the PS-b-PIN with N,N-dimethyldodecylamine as side chain would form a polymersome structure in the aqueous solution to display the best inhibiting bacterial growth efficiency without hemolytic effect. Therefore, the different single-chain quaternized groups play an important role in the antibacterial action, and act as a controllable factor.

Spatial patterns of ectoenzymatic kinetics in relation to biogeochemical properties in the Mediterranean Sea and the concentration of the fluorogenic substrate used

Ectoenzymatic activity, prokaryotic heterotrophic abundances and production were determined in the Mediterranean Sea. Sampling was carried out in the sub-surface, the deep chlorophyll maximum layer (DCM), the core of the Levantine intermediate waters and in the deeper part of the mesopelagic layers. Michaelis–Menten kinetics were assessed using a large range of concentrations of fluorogenic substrates (0.025 to 50 µM). As a consequence, Km (Michaelis–Menten half-saturation constant) and Vm (maximum hydrolysis velocity) parameters were determined for both low- and high-affinity enzymes for alkaline phosphatase, aminopeptidase (LAP) and β-glucosidase (βGLU). Based on the constant derived from the high-LAP-affinity enzyme (0.025–1 µM substrate concentration range), in situ hydrolysis of N proteins contributed 48 % ± 30 % to the heterotrophic bacterial nitrogen demand within the epipelagic layers and 180 % ± 154 % in the Levantine intermediate waters and the upper part of the mesopelagic layers. The LAP hydrolysis rate was higher than bacterial N demand only within the deeper layer and only when considering the high-affinity enzyme. Based on a 10 % bacterial growth efficiency, the cumulative hydrolysis rates of C proteins and C polysaccharides contributed on average 2.5 % ± 1.3 % to the heterotrophic bacterial carbon demand in the epipelagic layers sampled (sub-surface and DCM). This study clearly reveals potential biases in current and past interpretations of the kinetic parameters for the three enzymes tested based on the fluorogenic-substrate concentration used. In particular, the LAP / βGLU enzymatic ratios and some of the depth-related trends differed between the use of high and low concentrations of fluorogenic substrates.

Effect of Ocean Acidification on Bacterial Metabolic Activity and Community Composition in Oligotrophic Oceans, Inferred From Short-Term Bioassays

Increasing anthropogenic CO2 emissions in recent decades cause ocean acidification (OA), affecting carbon cycling in oceans by regulating eco-physiological processes of plankton. Heterotrophic bacteria play an important role in carbon cycling in oceans. However, the effect of OA on bacteria in oceans, especially in oligotrophic regions, was not well understood. In our study, the response of bacterial metabolic activity and community composition to OA was assessed by determining bacterial production, respiration, and community composition at the low-pCO2 (400 ppm) and high-pCO2 (800 ppm) treatments over the short term at two oligotrophic stations in the northern South China Sea. Bacterial production decreased significantly by 17.1–37.1 % in response to OA, since bacteria with high nucleic acid content preferentially were repressed by OA, which was less abundant under high-pCO2 treatment. Correspondingly, shifts in bacterial community composition occurred in response to OA, with a high fraction of the small-sized bacteria and high bacterial species diversity in a high-pCO2 scenario at K11. Bacterial respiration responded to OA differently at both stations, most likely attributed to different physiological responses of the bacterial community to OA. OA mitigated bacterial growth efficiency, and consequently, a larger fraction of DOC entering microbial loops was transferred to CO2.

Potential bioavailability of organic matter from atmospheric particles to marine heterotrophic bacteria

The surface ocean receives important amounts of organic carbon from atmospheric deposition. The degree of bioavailability of this source of organic carbon will determine its impact on the marine carbon cycle. In this study, the potential availability of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) leached from both desert dust and anthropogenic aerosols to marine heterotrophic bacteria was investigated. The experimental design was based on 16 d incubations, in the dark, of a marine bacterial inoculum into artificial seawater amended with water-soluble Saharan dust (D treatment) and anthropogenic (A treatment) aerosols, so that the initial DOC concentration was similar between treatments. Glucose-amended (G) and non-amended (control) treatments were run in parallel. Over the incubation period, an increase in bacterial abundance (BA) and bacterial production (BP) was observed first in the G treatment, followed then by the D and finally A treatments, with bacterial growth rates significantly higher in the G and D treatments than the A treatment. Following this growth, maxima of BP reached were similar in the D (879 ± 64 ng C L−1 h−1; n=3) and G (648 ± 156 ng C L−1 h−1; n=3) treatments and were significantly higher than in the A treatment (124 ng C L−1 h−1; n=2). The DOC consumed over the incubation period was similar in the A (9 µM; n=2) and D (9 ± 2 µM; n=3) treatments and was significantly lower than in the G treatment (22 ± 3 µM; n=3). Nevertheless, the bacterial growth efficiency (BGE) in the D treatment (14.2 ± 5.5 %; n=3) compared well with the G treatment (7.6 ± 2 %; n=3), suggesting that the metabolic use of the labile DOC fraction in both conditions was energetically equivalent. In contrast, the BGE in the A treatment was lower (1.7 %; n=2), suggesting that most of the used labile DOC was catabolized. The results obtained in this study highlight the potential of aerosol organic matter to sustain the metabolism of marine heterotrophs and stress the need to include this external source of organic carbon in biogeochemical models for a better constraining of the carbon budget.

Spatial patterns of biphasic ectoenzymatic kinetics related to biogeochemical properties in the Mediterranean Sea

Prokaryotic ectoenzymatic activity, abundance and heterotrophic production were determined in the Mediterranean Sea, within the epipelagic and the upper part of the mesopelagic layers. The Michaelis-Menten kinetics were assessed, using a range of low (0.025 to 1 µM) and high (0.025 to 50 µM) concentrations of fluorogenic substrates. Thus, Km and Vm parameters were determined for both low and high affinity systems for alkaline phosphatase (AP), aminopeptidase (LAP) and β-glucosidase (βGLU). Based on the constant derived from the high AP affinity system, in-situ hydrolysis rates of N-protein contributed of 48 % ± 30 % for the heterotrophic prokaryotic nitrogen demand within epipelagic waters and of 180 % ± 154 % within deeper layers. LAP hydrolysis rate was higher than bacterial N demand only within the deeper layer, and only based on the high affinity system. Although ectoenzymatic hydrolysis contribution to heterotrophic prokaryotic need was high in terms of N, but low in terms of C. Based on a 10 % bacterial growth efficiency, the cumulative hydrolysis rates of C-proteins and C-polysaccharides contributed to a small part of the heterotrophic prokaryotic carbon demand, on average 2.5 % ± 1.3 % in the epipelagic layers. This study notably points out the biases in current and past interpretation of the relative activities differences among the 3 tested enzymes, in regard to the choice of added concentrations of fluorogenic substrates. In particular, enzymatic ratios LAP/βGLU, as well as some trends with depth, were different considering activities resulting from the high or the low affinity system.

Experimental evidence of the potential bioavailability for marine heterotrophic bacteria of aerosols organic matter

The surface ocean receives important amounts of organic carbon from atmospheric deposition. The degree of bioavailability of this source of organic carbon will determine its impact on the marine carbon cycle. In this study, the potential availability of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) leached from both desert dust and anthropogenic aerosols to marine heterotrophic bacteria was investigated. The experimental design was based on 16-days incubation, in the dark, of a marine bacterial inoculum into artificial seawater amended with water-soluble Saharan dust (D-treatment) and anthropogenic (A-treatment) aerosols, so that the initial DOC concentration leachate from aerosols is 36 µM C. Glucose-amended (G) and non-amended (control) treatments were run in parallel. Over the incubation period, an increase in bacterial abundance (BA) and bacterial production (BP) was observed first in the G-treatment, followed then by D and finally A treatments, with bacterial growth rates significantly higher in the G and D treatments than the A treatment. Following this growth, maxima of BP reached were similar in D (879 ± 64 ng C L−1 h−1; n = 3) and G (648 ± 156 ng C L−1 h−1; n = 3) treatments and were significantly higher than in A-treatment (124 ± 39 ng C L−1 h−1; n = 2). The DOC consumed over the incubation period was similar in A (9 ± 4 µM; n = 2) and D (9 ± 2 µM; n = 3) treatments and was significantly lower than that consumed in the G-treatment (22 ± 3 µM). Nevertheless, the bacterial growth efficiency (BGE) in the D treatment (14.2 ± 5.5 %; n = 3) compared well with the G treatment (7.6 ± 2 %; n = 3), suggesting that the metabolic use of the labile DOC fraction in both conditions was energetically equivalent. In contrast, the BGE in the A-treatment was lower (1.7 ± 0.1 %; n = 2), suggesting that the most part of used labile DOC was catabolized. The results obtained in this study highlight the potential of aerosol organic matter to sustain the metabolism of marine heterotrophs and stress the need to include this external source of organic carbon into biogeochemical models, for a better constraining of the carbon budget.

Drivers of Microbial Carbon Fluxes Variability in Two Oligotrophic Mediterranean Coastal Systems

The carbon fluxes between phytoplankton and heterotrophic bacterioplankton were studied in two coastal oligotrophic sites in the NW Mediterranean. Phytoplankton and bacterial production rates were measured under natural conditions using different methods. In the Bay of Villefranche, the temporal variability revealed net heterotrophy in July-October and net autotrophy in December-March. The spatial variability was studied in the Bay of Palma, showing net autotrophic areas in the west and heterotrophic areas in the east. On average bacterial respiration, represented 62% of the total community respiration. Bacterial growth efficiency (BGE) values were significantly higher in autotrophic conditions than in heterotrophic ones. During autotrophic periods, dissolved primary production (DPP) was enough to sustained bacterial metabolism, although it showed a positive correlation with organic carbon stock (DOC). Under heterotrophic conditions, DPP did not sustain bacterial metabolism but bacterial respiration correlated with DPP and bacterial production with DOC. Temperature affected positively, DOC, BGE, bacterial respiration and production when the trophic status was autotrophic. To summarize, the response of bacterial metabolism to temperature and carbon sources depends on the trophic status within these oligotrophic coastal systems.

The structuring role of macrophytes on plankton community composition and bacterial metabolism in a large subtropical shallow lake

Aim We aimed at investigating changes in major groups of plankton (bacterioplankton, phytoplankton and zooplankton) and bacterioplankton metabolism along a transect covering a littoral, macrophyte dominated zone to a pelagic, phytoplankton dominated zone in the large subtropical shallow lake Mangueira, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil. Methods The 3.2 km littoral-pelagic transect (7 points) was sampled in October 2007 in the southern section of the lake. Major taxonomic groups of phytoplankton and zooplankton were counted and identified by optic microscopy. The bacterioplankton was identified by FISH (Fluorescent in situ Hybridization), and bacterial abundance, biovolume and biomass were quantified by epifluorescence microscopy. Primary and bacterial productions were measured by incorporation of radioactive bicarbonate and leucine, respectively. Bacterial respiration was measured by experiments of oxygen consumption, and an extensive data set of limnological variables were measured through standard methods. Results Sharp changes in chemical/physical variables, as well as in bacterial density, biovolume, biomass and bacterial growth efficiency occurred on average at 30% of macrophyte coverage, with most of them increasing towards pelagic zones. The composition of major groups of zooplankton, phytoplankton, bacterial morphotypes and phylotypes indicated that different planktonic assemblies live apart in these two zones. Conclusions Our results demonstrate that macrophytes are a structuring driver of the plankton community and bacterial metabolism in this large subtropical shallow lake.