Microbial growth and macromolecular synthesis in the northwestern Atlantic Ocean

Journal Article · Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1983 · Bull. Environ. Contam. Toxicol.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.4319/lo.1983.28.1.0001· OSTI ID:5177840

Cuhel, R L; Jannasch, H W; Taylor, C D

Simultaneous time-course measurements of /sup 35/SO/sub 4//sup 2 -/, /sup 32/PO/sup 43 -/, /sup 15/NH/sub 4//sup +/, and (/sup 14/C)acetate, glucose, and glutamate uptake were made at three stations in the northwestern Atlantic Ocean, using water samples taken from well below the euphotic zone. Marked deviations from linearity were observed in 14 of the 15 cases. At the two most inshore stations uptake of /sup 15/NH/sub 4//sup +/ or incorporation of /sup 35/SO/sub 4//sup 2 -/ into protein was undetectable for 16-30 h, followed by very rapid increases in the rates of activity. The sudden burst of SO/sub 4//sup 2 -/and NH/sub 4//sup +/ uptake was accompanied by a major increase in the incorporation of /sup 32/P into RNA and lipid fractions of the microbial population at a continental slope station. At a station in Sargasso Sea, all substrates were taken up without lag. Extended incubations led to a growth plateau which may be a measure of the total biologically labile organic nutrient supply. In all cases tested, chloramphenicol severely restricted uptake. One of the inshore stations was revisited a year later with similar results. The combined data demonstrate the utility of using inorganic nutrient uptake and subcellular incorporation patterns to measure microbial growth and metabolism and stress the necessity of time-course rather than end-point incubations.

• Research Organization: Woods Hole Oceanographic Inst., MA
• OSTI ID: 5177840
• Journal Information: Bull. Environ. Contam. Toxicol.; (United States), Vol. 28:1
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
LIPIDS
BIOSYNTHESIS
MICROORGANISMS
BIOCHEMISTRY
GROWTH
PROTEINS
RNA
ACETATES
AMMONIUM COMPOUNDS
ATLANTIC OCEAN
CARBON 14 COMPOUNDS
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
GLUCOSE
LIMNOLOGY
NITROGEN 15
PHOSPHATES
PHOSPHORUS 32
SARGASSO SEA
SULFATES
SULFUR 35
TRACER TECHNIQUES
ALDEHYDES
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CARBOHYDRATES
CARBOXYLIC ACID SALTS
CHEMISTRY
DATA
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
HEXOSES
INFORMATION
ISOTOPE APPLICATIONS
ISOTOPES
LABELLED COMPOUNDS
LIGHT NUCLEI
MONOSACCHARIDES
NITROGEN ISOTOPES
NUCLEI
NUCLEIC ACIDS
NUMERICAL DATA
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
ODD-ODD NUCLEI
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PHOSPHORUS COMPOUNDS
PHOSPHORUS ISOTOPES
RADIOISOTOPES
SACCHARIDES
SEAS
STABLE ISOTOPES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SULFUR ISOTOPES
SURFACE WATERS
SYNTHESIS
520101* - Environment
Aquatic- Basic Studies- Radiometric Techniques- (-1989)