Novel, resistant microalgal polyethers: An important sink of organic carbon in the marine environment?
- Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Den Burg (Netherlands); and others
Five out of seven marine microalgal species investigated were found to biosynthesize nonhydrolysable, mainly aliphatic, biomacromolecules (algaenans). The molecular structure of the algaenan isolated from the microalga Nannochloropsis salina of the class Eustigmatophyceae was determined by solid state {sup 13}C NMR spectroscopy, Curie point pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, and chemical degradations with HI and RuO{sub 4}. The structure is predominantly composed of C{sub 28}-C{sub 34} linear chins linked by ether bridges. The algaenan isolated from a second eustigmatophyte (Nannochloropsis sp.) was structurally similar. Algaenans isolated from two chlorophytes also possess a strongly aliphatic nature, as revealed by the dominance of alkenes/alkanes in their pyrolysates. Accordingly, we proposed that the aliphatic character of numerous Recent and ancient marine kerogens reflects selectively preserved algaenans and that these algaenans may act as a source of n-alkanes in marine crude oils.
- OSTI ID:
- 437434
- Journal Information:
- Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, Vol. 60, Issue 7; Other Information: PBD: Apr 1996
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
A comparative study of macromolecular substances of a Coorongite and cell walls of the extant alga Botryococcus braunii
Host selection and stochastic effects influence bacterial community assembly on the microalgal phycosphere