Combined autoradiography and immunofluorescence for estimation of single cell activity by ammonium-oxidizing bacteria

Journal Article · Thu Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 1984 · Limnol. Oceanogr.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.4319/lo.1984.29.2.0402· OSTI ID:6538646

Ward, B B

Immunofluorescence and /sup 14/CO/sub 2/ autoradiography were used for simultaneously enumerating and assaying the autotrophic activity of ammonium-oxidizing bacteria in seawater. Relative activity (/sup 14/CO/sub 2/ assimilation as measured by autoradiography) and abundance were measured in simulated in situ incubations at seven stations in the primary NO/sub 2//sup -/ maximum region of the Northeast Pacific Ocean. More than 10/sup 4/ cells liter/sup -1/ were present; relative activity often showed a peak near the surface and an increase in the NO/sub 2//sup -/ max region below the photic zone. The method permits assessment of individual cell activity; most cells at all depths were active in CO/sub 2/ assimilation, usually at low and quite variable levels. There were no differences in relative activity between samples incubated under simulated in situ conditions and in the dark. Relative activity was positively correlated with the abundance of ammonium-oxidizing bacteria, temperature, total dark CO/sub 2/ assimilation (as measured by liquid scintillation counting of replicate samples), and pheopigment concentration, and negatively correlated with oxygen concentration.

• Research Organization: Univ. of Washington, Seattle, WA (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AT06-76EV75026
• OSTI ID: 6538646
• Journal Information: Limnol. Oceanogr.; (United States), Vol. 29:2
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
BACTERIA
METABOLISM
SEAWATER
NITRIFICATION
AMMONIUM COMPOUNDS
AUTORADIOGRAPHY
CARBON 14 COMPOUNDS
CARBON DIOXIDE
NITROGEN DIOXIDE
TRACER TECHNIQUES
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON OXIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
ISOTOPE APPLICATIONS
LABELLED COMPOUNDS
MICROORGANISMS
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NITROGEN OXIDES
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
WATER
550701* - Microbiology- Tracer Techniques