深圳大鹏湾海域锥状斯氏藻赤潮期间细菌群落结构变化研究

目的:近年来,赤潮在我国的发生呈增加的趋势,并造成了极大的经济损失。过去研究赤潮发生的机理主要集中在理化因素的影响,而越来越多的证据表明仅凭借营养盐等环境因素并不能解释大部分赤潮现象,藻际微生物可能发挥着重要作用。本文跟踪观测了2010年7月深圳大鹏湾海域爆发的锥状斯氏藻赤潮生消过程中细菌群落丰度种类的变化,从微生物与赤潮藻相互作用的角度探讨了赤潮的生消过程,讨论了不同时期不同关键菌群的特殊作用,为解释赤潮爆发和消亡提供了新的视角,为赤潮的监控和防治新方法的建立奠定了理论基础。方法:本文按时间顺序共采集该赤潮9次样本,利用末端限制性酶切片段长度多态性分析(T-RFLP)等分子生物学方法,通过主成分分析、克隆文库的构建,研究了微生物群落的变化过程,并探讨了特定种属的微生物在赤潮发生、发展和消亡过程中的作用。结果:从浮游细菌丰度来看,随着锥状斯氏藻细胞数量的波动,浮游细菌总数也随之呈现相应的变化。从浮游细菌的种类来看,它们主要属于变形杆菌门(Proteobacteria)、拟杆菌门(Bacteroidetes)和厚壁菌门(Firmicutes)。从浮游细菌的动态变化过程来看,赤潮生消过程中,浮游细菌群落呈现出一定的演替现象,特别是在赤潮后期,群落主成分变化尤为显著。从关键菌群的作用来看,属于γ变形杆菌门的Alteromonas sp.一直占有较高的丰度,赤潮中后期受到菌群相互作用导致比例下降,而赤潮后期其他关键菌群的丰度的增高可能是导致赤潮消亡的重要原因。结论:本文利用T-RFLP这一DNA指纹技术分析微生物群落结构和多样性特征,通过研究赤潮生消过程中藻际浮游细菌群落的动态变化,发现随着赤潮的发展,浮游细菌群落发生着相应的变化。结果说明赤潮藻体丰度数量的改变影响着浮游细菌群落的组成。相对地,细菌群落的适应调整迅速造成赤潮藻体局部生长环境的改变,从而影响赤潮的发展过程。     

氮和磷浓度对中肋骨条藻和锥状斯氏藻种间竞争的影响

采用室内单养和混养方法, 设置不同的氮、磷营养条件, 研究了氮、磷对中肋骨条藻(Skeletonema costatum)和锥状斯氏藻(Scrippsiella trochoidea)种间竞争的影响。结果表明: 混养时各氮和磷浓度下均呈现培养初期中肋骨条藻为优势种、培养后期锥状斯氏藻为优势种的变化趋势, 但随着氮、磷浓度的升高, 中肋骨条藻作为优势种的时间延长; 与单养时相比, 混养中两种微藻的最大密度受到不同程度的抑制, 表现出氮、磷浓度越高, 受抑制的程度越大的特征, 且与锥状斯氏藻相比, 中肋骨条藻的最大密度受到抑制的程度更大。混养时两种微藻均是在氮、磷浓度最高时, 抑制起始点出现时间最长, 随着氮、磷浓度的降低, 抑制起始点出现时间缩短; 各氮、磷浓度条件下, 锥状斯氏藻对中肋骨条藻的竞争抑制参数明显高于中肋骨条藻对锥状斯氏藻的竞争抑制参数, 当氮浓度为512 μmol·L^-1、磷浓度为2 μmol·L ^-1时, 竞争结果是锥状斯氏藻获胜; 其余氮、磷浓度条件下为两种微藻不稳定共存。     

厦门海域2011年中肋骨条藻和血红哈卡藻赤潮期间细菌群落结构变化

【目的】研究2011年8月厦门海域爆发的由中肋骨条藻和血红哈卡藻共同引发的赤潮生消过程中细菌群落结构变化。【方法】应用变性梯度凝胶电泳技术(Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis,DGGE)对两个赤潮站位和一个非赤潮站位的细菌群落结构进行研究。通过DGGE图谱分析确定赤潮生消过程中细菌群落中的关键菌群,借助Canoco软件分析细菌菌群与环境因子的相关性。【结果】在赤潮起始阶段细菌的群落结构与pH、N/P的相关性较大,在赤潮消亡阶段细菌的群落结构与盐度、温度呈明显的正相关。γ变形杆菌(Gammaproteobacteria)(47.7%)在赤潮期间处于主导位置,假交替单胞菌属(Pseudoalteromonas)、假单胞菌属(Pseudomonas)、交替单胞菌属(Alteromonas)、噬氢菌属(Hydrogenophaga)、Actibacter、Oleibacter等属均为优势菌群。香农-威列多样性指数表明,赤潮站位细菌多样性随着赤潮生消呈先升高后降低趋势,而非赤潮站位细菌多样性基本保持不变。通过Canoco对细菌菌群的主成分分析发现,在赤潮开始阶段Hydrogenophaga属为优势菌群,而在赤潮消退阶段则以Pseudomonas和Pseudoalteromonas属为主。赤潮站位藻际细菌和游离细菌群落多样性在藻密度较大时均达到最大值,然而两者与环境因子的相关性有较大差别。【结论】研究结果表明赤潮站位细菌群落多样性远高于非赤潮站位,细菌丰度随着赤潮藻密度的升高而增加,细菌与赤潮藻有着密切的关系。本文首次研究了多种优势藻引发的赤潮环境下细菌群落结构的变化,这对于多种藻引发的赤潮生消过程中细菌菌群结构有了深入的了解,为赤潮调控的研究提供了理论依据。     

锥状斯氏藻藻华期间群体感应信号菌株的动态变化

群体感应信号(quorum sensing, QS)是细菌的一种特殊交流方式, 它具有调节种群密度、生物膜形成、毒素产生以及色素的形成等多种功能。藻菌关系是藻华过程中重要的一环, 为了探求藻华过程中信号微生物的动态变化, 我们以深圳大鹏湾的锥状斯氏藻(Scrippsiella trochoidea)藻华中的QS 菌株为研究对象, 应用报告菌株和环境微生物宏基因组方法, 监测了藻华爆发期间信号微生物的动态变化过程, 并构建了藻类、QS 微生物与其它微生物的相关性关系。结果表明:在筛选的QS 菌株中经去冗余和重复后成功鉴定了7 种不同的细菌, 分别是冷杆菌Psychrobacter cryohalolentis、普罗维登斯菌Providencia sneebia、假单胞菌Pseudomonas stutzeri、微小杆菌Exiguobacterium sp. AT1b、产酸克雷伯菌Klebsiellaoxytoca、球形赖氨酸芽孢杆菌Lysinibacillus sphaericus 和鲍氏不动杆菌Acinetobacter baumannii。相关性分析发现P.sneebia 的丰度与藻类数量变化呈正相关, 而L. sphaericus 和P. stutzeri 的丰度与藻类数量变化呈负相关, 其它QS 微生物中未见显著相关性。综合实验的结果来看, QS 微生物在藻际微生物的群体结构中扮演着一定的生态作用, 它帮助我们从一个新的视角了解藻华过程中QS 微生物的丰度变化和网络关系, 为认识藻菌关系提供了新的思路。     

赤潮藻米氏凯伦藻(Karenia mikimotoi)藻际细菌群落及其原位抑藻效应

采用16S rRNA高通量测序技术分析了赤潮藻米氏凯伦藻藻际细菌群落组成,探究了原位营养刺激下藻际细菌对米氏凯伦藻生长的抑制作用。结果表明:米氏凯伦藻藻际环境以Proteobacteria为主(α-Proteobacteria 48.1%,γ-Proteobacteria 8.6%),其次Sphingobacteria 22.4%,Cyanobacteria 10.8%。通过加混合抗生素获得了米氏凯伦藻无菌培养体系,验证了所加营养液对藻的生长无明显影响。向米氏凯伦藻培养体系中添加体积比5%的2216E培养基、甘油和柠檬酸钠时,米氏凯伦藻的生长受到显著抑制,抑制率分别为99.6%、96.0%和91.5%。对2216E刺激下藻际细菌群落变化进行分析表明,α-Proteobacteria丰度增至58.7%,其中Rhodobacteraceae由8.7%增至22.3%,Thalassobaculum由2.7%增至13.3%,γ-Proteobacteria增至13.3%,其中Pseudomonas由2.4%增至4.9%。米氏凯伦藻藻际环境存在着丰富的微生物类群,适量外部营养刺激可以实现藻际细菌原位抑藻效应。     

黑暗、温度对锥状斯氏藻暂时性孢囊形成、存活与萌发的影响

锥状斯氏藻(Scrippsiella trochoidea)是一种世界性的赤潮甲藻,暂时性孢囊是甲藻为了抵御瞬时不良环境条件而形成的不动细胞,暂时性孢囊在锥状斯氏藻生活史及其赤潮发生过程中充当着重要的角色。本文研究了黑暗和温度(8、20和25℃)对锥状斯氏藻暂时性孢囊形成、存活与萌发的影响。结果表明:暂时性孢囊在黑暗处理的第1天就开始形成,在第3～5天孢囊形成率达到最高,且常温下孢囊形成高峰延迟,8、20和25℃下孢囊的最终累积形成率分别为15.9%、20.1%和9.9%;同时,暂时性孢囊不耐保存,在形成后第1天即出现死亡,第8～16天后全部死亡;暂时性孢囊在低温下存活时间较长,8、20和25℃下半存活时间分别为5.9、2.9和2.7 d;暂时性孢囊不存在强制性休眠期,全部处理组的暂时性孢囊均在培养后的24 h内开始萌发,3～6 d内达到最大累积萌发率,为43.3%～65.6%,低温下形成的孢囊萌发率较高;锥状斯氏藻极易形成暂时性孢囊,当环境条件合适时能迅速萌发,说明暂时性孢囊在锥状斯氏藻种群动态以及赤潮形成和消亡过程中具有重要作用。     

氮磷限制对锥状斯氏藻孢囊形成的作用

在实验室研究了锥状斯氏藻(Scrippsiellatrochoidea)在N、P单因子营养限制(N:500μg.L-1,P:74～0.74μg.L-1和P:74μg.L-1,N:500～5μg.L-1)条件下的生长和孢囊形成。结果显示N、P限制不利于锥状斯氏藻的快速生长,其中低P对细胞生长的限制作用更显著。其孢囊形成率在15～99%之间,中度N限制能促进孢囊的形成,形成率几乎可达100%。孢囊一般在对数生长期结束、细胞数量达到最大值时开始形成。但由于接种后营养盐浓度的急剧降低,营养极度限制组孢囊可在接种后第1d就开始形成。结果显示稳定生长期孢囊的大量形成大大降低了锥状斯氏藻营养细胞数量,能在一定程度上促进其赤潮的消亡。     

广东大亚湾甲藻孢囊及其与锥状斯氏藻赤潮的关系

1999年12月至2001年1月,在大亚湾澳头海域用沉积物捕捉器(Sediment trap)及TFO重力采泥器对甲藻孢囊进行每月一次的周年监测,并同时研究了浮游植物的季节变化.结果显示,晚秋孢囊形成率最高(3.48105 cysts/m2d),冬季形成率较低,年平均为1.28105 cysts/m2d.锥状斯氏藻(Scrippsiella trochoidea)是大亚湾沉积物孢囊中的绝对优势种,除个别季节外,其形成率一般占孢囊总形成率的50%以上.2000年8月至9月,该海域发生了一次较大规模的锥状斯氏藻赤潮,最高细胞密度达4.0104 cells/mL.赤潮中后期,锥状斯氏藻孢囊包括暂时性孢囊和休眠孢囊大量形成,孢囊的形成减少了水体中营养细胞数量,是赤潮消退原因之一.       

强壮前沟藻化感物质分析

微藻化感作用是一种极其复杂的生理、生态学现象。选取强壮前沟藻指数生长初期Ⅰ和平台生长初期Ⅱ两个阶段的滤液对中肋骨条藻、海洋原甲藻、锥状斯氏藻及球等鞭金藻生长的影响进行了研究,并萃取了阶段Ⅱ的粗提物,抑藻检测表明其具有"杀藻"效应,通过GC/MS分析该粗提物中具有潜在化感作用的物质种类。研究发现强壮前沟藻两个生长阶段的滤液对中肋骨条藻均产生强烈致死效应(phaseⅠ:F=15.18475,P=0.00298<0.05;phaseⅡ:F=6.24559,P=0.03149<0.05);锥状斯氏藻在强壮前沟藻滤液中生长,实验结束时两个阶段中的细胞密度分别是对照组的79.3%和68.9%;海洋原甲藻在强壮前沟藻生长阶段Ⅱ滤液实验的最后3d,其生长受到显著抑制(F=4.84438,P=0.04925<0.05);而等鞭金藻在强壮前沟藻两个生长阶段滤液中被抑制现象不明显(P>0.05)。强壮前沟藻滤液实验表明,强壮前沟藻能够向微环境中分泌代谢产物来抑制中肋骨条藻和海洋原甲藻的生长,并且这种抑制效应具有种类特殊对应性。上述实验结果还表明,强壮前沟藻生长阶段Ⅱ的滤液具有的生长抑制作用较为明显。采用乙酸乙酯萃取强壮前沟藻生长阶段Ⅱ滤液中的代谢产物,检测发现其代谢粗提物具有溶藻效应,GC/MS分析结果表明粗提物中存在4种可能产生化感抑制作用的物质,其中二丁基羟基甲苯(Butylated Hydroxytoluene BHT)被认为具有抗滤过性病原体和抗微生物活性。     

海洋卡盾藻与中肋骨条藻和锥状斯氏藻种间竞争研究

研究了不同起始细胞密度与硅酸盐浓度对海洋卡盾藻(Cm)与中肋骨条藻(Sc)及锥状斯氏藻(St)之间种间竞争的影响,利用竞争抑制参数对相互间的竞争关系进行了分析,并引入体积竞争抑制系数的概念。结果表明:海洋卡盾藻的环境容量不受起始细胞密度(100—3600cells/mL)的影响,但随着起始接种密度的增加,达到最大细胞密度和进入稳定生长期的时间均提前。在硅缺乏的条件下,中肋骨条藻仍能保持一定生长,并能在与海洋卡盾藻之间的种间竞争中保持数量优势,但硅酸盐浓度的增加有利于其种间竞争。初始细胞密度和接种比例对3种赤潮藻类之间的种间竞争影响明显,总体来说海洋卡盾藻在竞争中处于劣势。当海洋卡盾藻细胞密度远远高于中肋骨条藻时(Cm:Sc=6:1),海洋卡盾藻才能在与中肋骨条藻的竞争中取胜;而在与海洋卡盾藻共培养条件下,锥状斯氏藻具有一定竞争优势,其对海洋卡盾藻的体积抑制系数(α’)是后者(β’)的27—100倍。但在所有处理中均没有绝对优胜者,竞争结果都会出现不稳定的平衡状态。       

Bacterial community structure associated with a dimethylsulfoniopropionate-producing North Atlantic algal bloom

The bacteria associated with oceanic algal blooms are acknowledged to play important roles in carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur cycling, yet little information is available on their identities or phylogenetic affiliations. Three culture-independent methods were used to characterize bacteria from a dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP)-producing algal bloom in the North Atlantic. Group-specific 16S rRNA-targeted oligonucleotides, 16S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) clone libraries, and terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis all indicated that the marine Roseobacter lineage was numerically important in the heterotrophic bacterial community, averaging >20% of the 16S rDNA sampled. Two other groups of heterotrophic bacteria, the SAR86 and SAR11 clades, were also shown by the three 16S rRNA-based methods to be abundant in the bloom community. In surface waters, the Roseobacter, SAR86, and SAR11 lineages together accounted for over 50% of the bacterial rDNA and showed little spatial variability in abundance despite variations in the dominant algal species. Depth profiles indicated that Roseobacter phylotype abundance decreased with depth and was positively correlated with chlorophyll a, DMSP, and total organic sulfur (dimethyl sulfide plus DMSP plus dimethyl sulfoxide) concentrations. Based on these data and previous physiological studies of cultured Roseobacter strains, we hypothesize that this lineage plays a role in cycling organic sulfur compounds produced within the bloom. Three other abundant bacterial phylotypes (representing a cyanobacterium and two members of the alpha Proteobacteria) were primarily associated with chlorophyll-rich surface waters of the bloom (0 to 50 m), while two others (representing Cytophagales and delta Proteobacteria) were primarily found in deeper waters (200 to 500 m).     

Molecular detection of potentially toxic cyanobacteria and their associated bacteria in lake water column and sediment

We investigated the molecular diversity of cyanobacteria and bacteria during a water bloom in a lake with a long history of toxic cyanobacterial blooms (Lake Kastoria, Greece). We also tested the hypothesis whether bloom-forming cyanobacteria are preserved in the lake’s sediment 2 years after the bloom. The dominant cyanobacteria during the bloom included the potentially toxin-producing Microcystis aeruginosa and several other Chroococcales forms closely related to the genus Microcystis. This suggests that the use of cyanobacterial-specific primers seems to be very informative in describing the cyanobacteria during the water blooms. The bacterial community showed high diversity, consisting mostly of singleton and doubleton phylotypes. The majority of the phylotypes were typical lake bacteria including some potential pathogens and toxin metabolising bacteria, suggesting that the dominant toxic cyanobacteria did not have any significant effect on the bacterial community structure. In the sediment, 2 years after the water bloom, no bloom-forming cyanobacteria were retrieved, suggesting that they cannot be preserved in the sediment. Similar to the water column, sediment bacterial diversity was also high, consisting mostly of yet-uncultured bacteria that are related to environments where organic matter degradation takes place.     

Dynamics of bacterial community structure during blooms of Cochlodinium polykrikoides (Gymnodiniales,Dinophyceae) in Korean coastal waters

Recent studies of dinoflagellates have reported that blooms can be closely related to the characteristics of the associated bacteria, but studies of the correlation between the toxic dinoflagellate, Cochlodinium polykrikoides and their associated bacterial community composition has not been explored. To understand this correlation, changes in bacterial community structure through the evolution of a C. polykrikoides bloom in Korean coastal waters via clone library analysis were investigated. Although there were no apparent changes in physio-chemical factors during the onset of the C. polykrikoides bloom, the abundance of bacteria bourgeoned in parallel with C. polykrikoides densities. Alpha-, gamma-proteobacteria and Flavobacteria were found to be dominant phyletic groups during C. polykrikoides blooms. The proportion of gamma-proteobacteria was lower (11.8%) during peak of the bloom period compared to the post-bloom period (26.2%). In contrast, alpha-proteobacteria increased in dominance during blooms. Among the alpha-proteobacteria, members of Rhodobacterales abruptly increased from 38% of the alpha-proteobacteria before the bloom to 74% and 56% during the early bloom and peak bloom stages, respectively. Moreover, multiple sites concurrently hosting C. polykrikoides blooms also contained high portions of Rhodobacterales and principal component analysis (PCA) demonstrated that Rhodobacterales had a positive, significant correlation with C. polykrikoides abundances (p ≤ 0.01, Pearson correlation coefficients). Collectively, this study reveals the specific clades of bacteria that increase (Rhodobacterales) and decrease (gamma-proteobacteria) in abundance C. polykrikoides during blooms.     

Host-Specificity and Dynamics in Bacterial Communities Associated with Bloom-Forming Freshwater Phytoplankton

Many freshwater phytoplankton species have the potential to form transient nuisance blooms that affect water quality and other aquatic biota. Heterotrophic bacteria can influence such blooms via nutrient regeneration but also via antagonism and other biotic interactions. We studied the composition of bacterial communities associated with three bloom-forming freshwater phytoplankton species, the diatom Aulacoseira granulata and the cyanobacteria Microcystis aeruginosa and Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii. Experimental cultures incubated with and without lake bacteria were sampled in three different growth phases and bacterial community composition was assessed by 454-Pyrosequencing of 16S rRNA gene amplicons. Betaproteobacteria were dominant in all cultures inoculated with lake bacteria, but decreased during the experiment. In contrast, Alphaproteobacteria, which made up the second most abundant class of bacteria, increased overall during the course of the experiment. Other bacterial classes responded in contrasting ways to the experimental incubations causing significantly different bacterial communities to develop in response to host phytoplankton species, growth phase and between attached and free-living fractions. Differences in bacterial community composition between cyanobacteria and diatom cultures were greater than between the two cyanobacteria. Despite the significance, major differences between phytoplankton cultures were in the proportion of the OTUs rather than in the absence or presence of specific taxa. Different phytoplankton species favoring different bacterial communities may have important consequences for the fate of organic matter in systems where these bloom forming species occur. The dynamics and development of transient blooms may also be affected as bacterial communities seem to influence phytoplankton species growth in contrasting ways.     

Bacterial Community Structure Associated with a Dimethylsulfoniopropionate-Producing North Atlantic Algal Bloom

The bacteria associated with oceanic algal blooms are acknowledged to play important roles in carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur cycling, yet little information is available on their identities or phylogenetic affiliations. Three culture-independent methods were used to characterize bacteria from a dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP)-producing algal bloom in the North Atlantic. Group-specific 16S rRNA-targeted oligonucleotides, 16S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) clone libraries, and terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis all indicated that the marine Roseobacter lineage was numerically important in the heterotrophic bacterial community, averaging >20% of the 16S rDNA sampled. Two other groups of heterotrophic bacteria, the SAR86 and SAR11 clades, were also shown by the three 16S rRNA-based methods to be abundant in the bloom community. In surface waters, the Roseobacter, SAR86, and SAR11 lineages together accounted for over 50% of the bacterial rDNA and showed little spatial variability in abundance despite variations in the dominant algal species. Depth profiles indicated that Roseobacter phylotype abundance decreased with depth and was positively correlated with chlorophyll a, DMSP, and total organic sulfur (dimethyl sulfide plus DMSP plus dimethyl sulfoxide) concentrations. Based on these data and previous physiological studies of cultured Roseobacter strains, we hypothesize that this lineage plays a role in cycling organic sulfur compounds produced within the bloom. Three other abundant bacterial phylotypes (representing a cyanobacterium and two members of the α Proteobacteria) were primarily associated with chlorophyll-rich surface waters of the bloom (0 to 50 m), while two others (representing Cytophagales and δ Proteobacteria) were primarily found in deeper waters (200 to 500 m).     

Linkages between bacterioplankton community composition, heterotrophic carbon cycling and environmental conditions in a highly dynamic coastal ecosystem

We used mesocosm experiments to study the bacterioplankton community in a highly dynamic coastal ecosystem during four contrasting periods of the seasonal cycle: winter mixing, spring phytoplankton bloom, summer stratification and autumn upwelling. A correlation approach was used in order to measure the degree of coupling between the dynamics of major bacterial groups, heterotrophic carbon cycling and environmental factors. We used catalysed reporter deposition-fluorescence in situ hybridization to follow changes in the relative abundance of the most abundant groups of bacteria (Alphaproteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria and Bacteroidetes). Bacterial carbon flux-related variables included bacterial standing stock, bacterial production and microbial respiration. The environmental factors included both, biotic variables such as chlorophyll-a concentration, primary production, phytoplankton extracellular release, and abiotic variables such as the concentration of dissolved inorganic and organic nutrients. Rapid shifts in the dominant bacterial groups occurred associated to environmental changes and bacterial bulk functions. An alternation between Alphaproteobacteria and Bacteroidetes was observed associated to different phytoplankton growth phases. The dominance of the group Bacteroidetes was related to high bacterial biomass and production. We found a significant, non-spurious, linkage between the relative abundances of major bacterial groups and bacterial carbon cycling. Our results suggest that bacteria belonging to these major groups could actually share a function in planktonic ecosystems.     

Attached and free-living bacteria: Production and polymer hydrolysis during a diatom bloom

Abundance, production and extracellular enzymatic activity of free-living and attached bacteria were measured during the development and collapse of a spring bloom in a eutrophic lake. Free-living bacteria accounted for most of the total bacterial production during the first part of the bloom. Their production had a significant positive correlation to chlorophyll (P < .01) and polysaccharide concentration (P < .02) and to potential -glucosidase and aminopeptidase activity (P < .05), suggesting that algal release of dissolved polymeric compounds provided an important carbon source for bacterial production. As the bloom collapsed, we observed a change in the activity and structure of the microbial community. The mean contribution of attached bacteria to total bacterial production increased from 12% during the first part of the bloom to 26% at the end. Also, the extracellular enzymatic activity of attached bacteria increased as the bloom collapsed and constituted up to 75% of the total hydrolytic activity. An estimated disparity between hydrolytic activity and the corresponding carbon demand of attached bacteria suggested a net release of dissolved organic compounds from organic particles via polymer hydrolysis by attached bacteria. Correspondence to: M. Middelboe     

Strong seasonal differences of bacterial polysaccharide utilization in the North Sea over an annual cycle

Marine heterotrophic bacteria contribute considerably to global carbon cycling, in part by utilizing phytoplankton-derived polysaccharides. The patterns and rates of two different polysaccharide utilization modes – extracellular hydrolysis and selfish uptake – have previously been found to change during spring phytoplankton bloom events. Here we investigated seasonal changes in bacterial utilization of three polysaccharides, laminarin, xylan and chondroitin sulfate. Strong seasonal differences were apparent in mode and speed of polysaccharide utilization, as well as in bacterial community compositions. Compared to the winter month of February, during the spring bloom in May, polysaccharide utilization was detected earlier in the incubations and a higher portion of all bacteria took up laminarin selfishly. Highest polysaccharide utilization was measured in June and September, mediated by bacterial communities that were significantly different from spring assemblages. Extensive selfish laminarin uptake, for example, was detectible within a few hours in June, while extracellular hydrolysis of chondroitin was dominant in September. In addition to the well-known Bacteroidota and Gammaproteobacteria clades, the numerically minor verrucomicrobial clade Pedosphaeraceae could be identified as a rapid laminarin utilizer. In summary, polysaccharide utilization proved highly variable over the seasons, both in mode and speed, and also by the bacterial clades involved.     

Predominant growth of Alcanivorax during experiments on "oil spill bioremediation" in mesocosms

Mesocosm experiments were performed to study the changes on bacterial community composition following oil spill in marine environment. The analysis of 16S crDNA revealed a shift in the structure of initial bacterial population that was drastically different from that one measured after 15 days. The results showed that, after 15 days, bacteria closely related to the genus Alcanivorax became the dominant group of bacterial community in petroleum-contaminated sea water nitrogen and phosphorus amended. This suggested that these bacteria played the most important role in the process of bioremediation of oil-contaminated marine environments.     

Recurrent seasonal changes in bacterial growth efficiency,metabolism and community composition in coastal waters

The microbial response to environmental changes in coastal waters of the eastern Cantabrian Sea was explored for four years by analysing a broad set of environmental variables along with bacterial community metabolism and composition. A recurrent seasonal cycle emerged, consisting of two stable periods, characterized by low bacterial metabolic activity (winter) from October to March, and high bacterial metabolic activity (summer) from May to August. These two contrasting periods were linked by short transition periods in April (T_A) and September (T_S). The phylogenetic groups Alphaproteobacteria and Bacteroidetes were dominant during winter and summer respectively, and their recurrent alternation was mainly driven by the bloom of eukaryotic phytoplankton before T_A and the bloom of prokaryotic phytoplankton before T_S. Bacterial growth efficiency remained high and stable during the winter and summer periods but dropped during the two short transition periods. Our results suggest that bacterial growth efficiency should be considered a very resilient property that reflects different stages in the adaptation of the bacterial community composition to the environmental changes occurring throughout the seasonal cycle in this coastal ecosystem.