Bacterioplankton Community Shifts in an Arctic Lake Correlate with Seasonal Changes in Organic Matter Source

Seasonal shifts in bacterioplankton community composition in Toolik Lake, a tundra lake on the North Slope of Alaska, were related to shifts in the source (terrestrial versus phytoplankton) and lability of dissolved organic matter (DOM). A shift in community composition, measured by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) of 16S rRNA genes, occurred at 4°C in near-surface waters beneath seasonal ice and snow cover in spring. This shift was associated with an annual peak in bacterial productivity ([¹⁴C]leucine incorporation) driven by the large influx of labile terrestrial DOM associated with snow meltwater. A second shift occurred after the flux of terrestrial DOM had ended in early summer as ice left the lake and as the phytoplankton community developed. Bacterioplankton communities were composed of persistent populations present throughout the year and transient populations that appeared and disappeared. Most of the transient populations could be divided into those that were advected into the lake with terrestrial DOM in spring and those that grew up from low concentrations during the development of the phytoplankton community in early summer. Sequencing of DNA in DGGE bands demonstrated that most bands represented single ribotypes and that matching bands from different samples represented identical ribotypes. Bacteria were identified as members of globally distributed freshwater phylogenetic clusters within the α- and β-Proteobacteria, the Cytophaga-Flavobacteria-Bacteroides group, and the Actinobacteria.     

The signaling potential of the receptors for insulin and insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) in 3T3-L1 adipocytes: comparison of glucose transport activity, induction of oncogene c-fos, glucose transporter mRNA, and DNA-synthesis.

The receptors for insulin and insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) have in common a high sequence homology and diverse overlapping functions, (e.g., the stimulation of acute metabolic events and the induction of cell growth.). In the present study, we have compared the potential of insulin and IGF-I receptors in stimulating glucose transport activity, glucose transporter gene expression, DNA-synthesis, and expression of proto-oncogene c-fos in 3T3-L1 adipocytes which express high levels of both receptors. Binding of both hormones to their own receptors was highly specific as compared with binding to the respective other receptor (insulin receptor: KD = 3.6 nM, KI of IGF-I greater than 500 nM; IGF-I receptor, KD = 1.1 nM, KI of insulin = 191 nM). Induction of proto-oncogene c-fos mRNA by insulin and IGF-I paralleled their respective receptor occupancy and was thus induced by both hormones via their own receptor (EC50 of insulin, 3.7; IGF-I, 3.9 nM). Similarly, both insulin and IGF-I increased DNA synthesis (EC50 of insulin, 5.8 nM; IGF-I, 4.0 nM), glucose transport activity (EC50 of insulin, 1.7 nM; IGF-I, 1.4 nM), and glucose transporter (GLUT4) mRNA levels in concentrations corresponding with their respective receptor occupancy. These data indicate that in 3T3-L1 cells the alpha-subunits of insulin and IGF-I receptors have an equal potential to stimulate a metabolic and a mitogenic response.     

The distribution of nuclear mass, volume and dimensions

Our own measurements and a review of measurements presented in the literature showed that the mass, volume and dimensions of cell nuclei are distributed with a skew towards higher values, a distribution that can best be described as lognormal. The practical consequences of this finding suggest that the measurements of mass and of size should be plotted on a logarithmic scale while DNA values are appropriately presented on a linear scale. The distribution of DNA values of normal cells represents errors introduced by random disturbances in preparations and measurements.     

On the activity of ribulosediphosphate carboxylase with CO2 and O2 from leaf extracts of Zea mays

Ribulosediphosphate carboxylase, partially purified from corn leaves, demonstrates a low K_m(CO₂) of 19 μM if stabilized with ribose-5-phosphate during extraction. It also exhibits a ribulosediphosphate dependent uptake of oxygen, similar to that observed with spinach carboxylase. The low K_m(CO₂) is similar to the apparent K_m(CO₂) for photosynthesis by intact corn tissue and requires reconsideration of the hypothesis that CO₂ is concentrated in the bundle sheath cell by the C₄ pathway during photosynthesis.     

Differential modification of seawater carbonate chemistry by major coral reef benthic communities

Ocean acidification (OA) resulting from uptake of anthropogenic CO₂ may negatively affect coral reefs by causing decreased rates of biogenic calcification and increased rates of CaCO₃ dissolution and bioerosion. However, in addition to the gradual decrease in seawater pH and Ω _a resulting from anthropogenic activities, seawater carbonate chemistry in these coastal ecosystems is also strongly influenced by the benthic metabolism which can either exacerbate or alleviate OA through net community calcification (NCC = calcification – CaCO₃ dissolution) and net community organic carbon production (NCP = primary production ? respiration). Therefore, to project OA on coral reefs, it is necessary to understand how different benthic communities modify the reef seawater carbonate chemistry. In this study, we used flow-through mesocosms to investigate the modification of seawater carbonate chemistry by benthic metabolism of five distinct reef communities [carbonate sand, crustose coralline algae (CCA), corals, fleshy algae, and a mixed community] under ambient and acidified conditions during summer and winter. The results showed that different communities had distinct influences on carbonate chemistry related to the relative importance of NCC and NCP. Sand, CCA, and corals exerted relatively small influences on seawater pH and Ω _a over diel cycles due to closely balanced NCC and NCP rates, whereas fleshy algae and mixed communities strongly elevated daytime pH and Ω _a due to high NCP rates. Interestingly, the influence on seawater pH at night was relatively small and quite similar across communities. NCC and NCP rates were not significantly affected by short-term acidification, but larger diel variability in pH was observed due to decreased seawater buffering capacity. Except for corals, increased net dissolution was observed at night for all communities under OA, partially buffering against nighttime acidification. Thus, algal-dominated areas of coral reefs and increased net CaCO₃ dissolution may partially counteract reductions in seawater pH associated with anthropogenic OA at the local scale.