{delta}15N signatures of marine mesozooplankton and seston size fractions in Kiel Fjord, Baltic Sea

The ¹⁵N of marine mesozooplankton species was measured on fouroccasions. Significant differences were found between copepodsand meroplanktonic larvae, yet not between holoplanktonic species.On average, mesozooplankton was enriched by 3.4 ± 0.9relative to selected seston size fractions. Despite suggestingsmall differences (0.5 to 1) in the ¹⁵N of different phytoplanktontaxa on one occasion, the size fractionation procedure generallyproved inadequate in separating major taxonomic groups composingseston. This circumstance, and phase-shifts in the transmissionof rapid changes (>2) in seston ¹⁵N to mesozooplankton complicatethe calculation of mesozooplankton trophic levels.     

15N abundance in micronekton in Sagami Bay, Central Japan

The ¹⁵N values of micronekton collected from Sagami Bay rangedfrom 9.4 to 14.2%. The ¹⁵N values of the micronekton, Gonostomagracile, increased with growth (9.4 to 12.6%) and it seems thatmales, before sex reversal, and females consume different foodorganisms.     

Carbon isotopic composition of Trichodesmium spp. colonies off Bermuda: effects of colony mass and season

Colonies of Trichodesmium spp. are conspicuous, macroscopiccomponents of the life in tropical and subtropical oceans. Thelarge size and the morphology of the colony raise questionsregarding the mechanism of carbon supply for photosynthesis.Constraints on these mechanisms may be indicated by the stablecarbon isotopic composition (¹³C) that reflects the balancebetween carbon supply and speciation, as well as the growthrate and colony size. The ¹³C of Trichodesmium off Bermuda measuredhere revealed a strong correlation between size of individualcolonies and season. The smallest colonies, 2–7 µgC colony^–1, showed the lightest ¹³C composition (–19),increasing to asymptotic values of –12 above 7 µgC colony^–1. The average ¹³C of the colonies was lightestimmediately after the onset of stratification in the SargassoSea, gradually increasing by 4 to heavier values during thesummer. We propose that the mass effect is due to increaseduse of HCO₃^– by the larger colonies, whereas the seasonalinfluence may be related to changes in irradiance and pCO₂ affectingthe internal carbon cycling.     

Temporal and spatial variations in phytoplankton carbon isotopes in a polymictic subtropical lake

Stable carbon isotopes (¹³C) were determined for phytoplanktonand dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) from Lake Apopka, a shallow,polymictic and hypereutrophic lake in Florida, USA. Bulk planktondominated by pico- and nanqanobacteria were enriched in ¹³(–13.1± 1.1%) as a result of assimilation of extremely ¹³C-richDIC (¹³C = 9.6 ± 3.0%). Diatoms (Aulacoseira spp.) hada ¹³C of –14.3 ± 0.6% that was slightly more negativethan that of small cyanobacteria. Meroplanktonic diatoms hada ¹³C (–13.6 ± 1.8%), similar to their planktoniccounterparts. The ¹³C of a colonial cyanobacterium (Microcystisincerta) was exceptionally heavy (–3.0 ± 1.0%)and attributed to localized carbon limitation. Seasonal variationin ¹³C of bulk plankton was small (4%) relative to reports forother lacustrine systems No difference in the ¹³C of bulk planktonhorn surface water between stratified and non-stratified periodswas found. No measurable changes in ¹³C of bulk plankton wereindicated in light and dark incubation experiments Frequentwind mixing of the water column, high DIC concentration, andconsistently high lake productivity were used to explain thetemporal and spatial isotope consistency of phytoplankton inthis lake.     

Interspecific variability and environmental influence on particulate organic carbon {delta}13C in cultured marine phytoplankton

The stable carbon isotope composition of particulate organicmatter expressed as ¹³C was measured in cultures of 13 speciesof marine microalgae in different phylogenetic groups. The effectsof salinity variations and changes in photoperiod were alsoassayed for three of them (i.e. Skeletonema costatum, Amphidiniumopercularum and Isochrysis galbana); the effect of nature ofnitrogen supply (nitrate. ammonium) was studied for one (S.costatum).These environmental parameters were chosen because of theirvariability in the ocean and their possible effects on ¹³C valuesof phytoplankton organic carbon. Batch culture conditions andsampling time after inoculum were strongly controlled in orderto provide cells in good physiological state which were comparablefrom one culture to the other. In the same way, sampling waslimited to the first 2 days of exponential growth, in orderto avoid a possible dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) limitation.Carboxylase activities [of the enzyme ribulose 1,5-bisphosphatecarboxylase oxygenase (Rubisco), and the three ß carboxylases:phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC), phosphoenolpyruvatecarboxykinase (PEPCK) and pyruvate carboxylase (PC)] and totalchlorophyll a concentrations were assayed simultaneously. The¹³C values observed were between –30.2 and –12.7i.e. comparable to those observed in the world's oceans. Theisotopic composition of phytoplankton organic carbon was shownto be under the influence of the parameters tested but ¹³C variationsare specific to the species considered. The nature of ßcarboxylase found in each species, or systematic position, couldnot be linked to the isotopic composition of organic carbon.No linear or single correlation between ¹³C variations and environmentalmodifications were observed and there is no evidence for a simpleand universal relation between ¹³C of phytoplankters and theirenvironment. In monospecific cultures as in the field, ¹³C fractionationby Rubisco (and eventually by PEPCK) may be counterbalancedby other mechanisms.     

On filament width in oceanic plankton distributions

A plankton patch deformed by diffusion, straining flow and biologicalgrowth is demonstrated to have a minimum width, /, which ispurely a function of the effective diffusivity, , and the strainrate, .     

{delta}15N and {delta}13C Measurements of Antarctic Peninsula Fauna: Trophic Relationships and Assimilation of Benthic Seaweeds

Measurements of ¹³C, ¹⁵N, and C/N for a variety of Antarcticpeninsula fauna and flora were used to quantify the importanceof benthic brown algae to resident organisms and determine foodweb relationships among this diverse littoral fauna. ¹³C valuesranged from–16.8 for benthic algal herbivores (limpets)to –29.8 for the krill, Euphausia superba; the averagepooled value for brown macroalgae, including their attachedfilamentous diatoms, was–20.6. There was no correlationbetween biomass ¹³C or ¹⁵N with C/N content, and consequentlyboth ¹³C and ¹⁵N values were useful in evaluating trophic relationships.¹⁵N values of the fauna ranged from 3.1 to 12.5, with lowestvalues recorded in suspension feeders (e.g., bryozoans) andhighest values in Adelie penguins (12.5) collected in 1989.The comparatively lower ¹⁵N value for a Chinstrap penguin (6.9)collected in 1997 is attributed to the different dietary foodsources consumed by these species as reflected in their respective¹³C values. Significant amounts of benthic macroalgal carbonis incorporated into the tissues of invertebrates and fishesthat occupy up to four trophic levels. For many benthic andepibenthic species, including various crustaceans and molluscs,assimilation of benthic algal carbon through detrital pathwaysranges from 30 to 100%. Consequently, the trophic importanceof benthic brown algae may well extend to many pelagic organismsthat are key prey species for birds, fishes, and marine mammals.These data support the hypothesis that benthic seaweeeds, togetherwith their associated epiphytic diatoms, provide an importantcarbon source that is readily incorporated into Antarctic peninsulafood webs.     

Occurrence of mycosporine-like amino acids in the red-tide dinoflagellate Alexandrium excavatum: UV-photoprotective compounds?

Water extracts of the red-tide dinoflagellate Alexandrium excavatumgrown at ‘high’ light intensity (200 µE m^–2s^–1) show a broad absorbance maximum in the UV regionof the spectrum (310–360 nm). Using TLC and reverse-phaseHPLC a series of mycosporine-like amino acids have been characterized:mycosporine-glycine (_max = 310 nm), palythine (_max = 320 nm),asterina-330 (_max = 330 nm), shinorine (_max = 334 nm), porphyra-334(_max= 334 nm), palythenic acid (_max = 337 nm) and the isomericmixture of usujirene and palythene (_max = 359 nm). From theobserved spectral changes during transference from ‘low’(20 µE m^–2 s^–1) to ‘high’ (200µE m^–2 s^–1) light intensities and vice versa,the series of compounds are supposed to be biogenically relatedto one another. The presence of these compounds in A.excavatumis discussed in relation to their possible role in the photoprotectionto deleterious UV radiation.     

The Incorporation of C14-labelled Substrates into the Amino-acids of Groundnut Plants (Arachis hypogaea)

The amino-acid metabolism of groundnut plants has been studiedwith special reference to -methyleneglutamic acid (-MGA) andy-methyleneglutamine (-MG), constituents not found in the greatmajority of plant species. The sequence in which C¹⁴ from radioactive C¹⁴-carbon dioxideenters the amino-acids of leaves was determined. The patternof labelling was very similar to that found for leaves of otherspecies. The metabolic relationships existing between photosynthesisand amino-acid synthesis therefore do not seem to be affectedby the large quantities of -MGA and -MG present in the leaves.-MGA and -MG only gained traces of radioactivity. Experiments designed to study the incorporation of C¹⁴ fromuniformly labelled C¹⁴-alanine into the amino-acids of roots,immature leaves and cotyledons of seedlings and young plantsindicated that the main site of synthesis of -MGA was the cotyledons. Various C^I4-labelled substrates were fed to germinating seedsand, after a period of growth, the specific activities of theamino-acids of seedlings receiving different treatments weredetermined. Comparison of the specific activities enabled certaindeductions to be made concerning the probable biosynthetic pathwaysleading to -MGA and -MG. The results were consistent with theintact incorporation of pyruvate molecules, or another related3-carbon-atom containing compound, into -MGA.     

Alternative Methods of Analysing Water Potential Isotherms: Some Cautions and Clarifications: I. THE IMPACT OF NON-IDEALITY AND OF SOME EXPERIMENTAL ERRORS

In recent years alternative ways have been proposed to transformmeasurements of leaf water potential, , and relative water content,R^*, in order to derive values of osmotic pressure at full turgidityin leaves and shoots, ^o(when 0). Two types of transformationsare usually considered: 1/ versus R^* and versus 1/R^*, and linearregression is used to fit the data in the region where turgoris thought to be zero. It appears that when ^o is estimated bylinear extrapolation of 1/Psi; versus R^* then apoplastic watermight not influence the accuracy of ^o but when the versus \/R^*transformation is used apoplastic water causes an underestimateof ^o. We examine the accuracy of the estimate of ^o obtainedfrom the two transformations when there are random errors in, systematic errors in , and when the osmotic solutions arenon-ideal. The 1/ versus R^* transformation generally producesthe best estimate of ⁰ by linear extrapolation.     

Isolation of Subunits of Coupling Factor 1 from Maize and Spinach Chloroplasts and Properties of Combinations of Subunits with ATPase Activity

Subunits (, ß, ) and mixtures of subunits ( ß, , ß , ß ) were isolated without denaturationfrom a chloroform extract of chloroplast coupling factor 1 (CF₁)from maize (Zea mays var. Ushiku 5-4) and from spinach by fastprotein liquid chromatography (FPLC), on an anion-exchange columnof Mono-Q in the presence of n-octylglucoside (OG) and on achromatofocusing column of Mono-P. The ß -subunitcomplex (CF¹ ß ) was the minimum unit required forATPase activity, as was confirmed by the reconstituted complexof ß and subunits. An subunit isolated from maizeinhibited the ATPase activity of CF₁ ß from bothmaize and spinach. CF₁ ß was found to contain anOG-dependent Mg²⁺-ATPase. The ATPase activity of CF₁ ß required divalent cations, such as Mg²⁺ or Mn²⁺, for its expressionin the presence of OG; its optimum pH was 8.0 and it was markedlyinhibited by NaN₃. The enzyme hydrolyzed ATP in prefernece toGTP but not CTP, UTP, ADP, AMP or pNPP. Lineweaver-Burk plotsof its activity were curvilinear in the range of 0.6–0.7mM ATP.Mg²⁺. ¹Present address: Department of Biology, School of Education,Waseda University, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 160 Japan. (Received February 15, 1989; Accepted April 20, 1989)     

Variation in Natural Abundance of 15N among Plant Parts and in 15N/14N Fractionation during N2 Fixation in the Legume-Rhizobia Symbiotic System

Sixteen legumes were grown in N-free media so that N was suppliedentirely by symbiotic N₂ fixation. The plant tissues were analyzedfor natural ¹⁵N abundance (expressed as ¹⁵N per mil relativeto air N₂) with a ratio mass spectrometer. The nodules of desmodium,centro, siratro, soybean and winged bean showed high enrichmentin ¹⁵N (+9), while red clover showed slight enrichment (+2).The nodules of 9 other forage legumes (Townsville stylo, whiteclover, alsike clover, common vetch, Chinese milk vetch, senna,alfalfa, ladino clover, and hairy vetch) showed little enrichmentin ¹⁵N. In all the legumes investigated, particularly in the ureide-transportingplants such as desmodium, centro, siratro, soybean, winged beanand field bean, the ¹⁵N value of the shoots was negative (–3.2).The ¹⁵N value of the shoots in winged bean and field bean variedby about 1 depending on the Rhizobium strains used. The isotopicmass balance of 13 legumes indicated that isotopic fractionationoccurs during N₂ fixation by the legume-rhizobia symbiosis witha preference for ¹⁴N over ¹⁵N, resulting in a ¹⁵N value of –0.2to –2 in the whole plant. The results indicate that ¹⁵N/¹⁴N isotopic discrimination witha preference for the lighter atom may occur in both N₂ fixationand export of fixed N from nodules. ¹Present address: Department of Soils and Fertilizers, NationalAgriculture Research Center, Kannondai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305,Japan. (Received October 8, 1985; Accepted April 7, 1986)     

Adaptation of the Euryhaline Charophyte Lamprothamnium papulosum to Brackish and Freshwater: Turgor Pressure and Vacuolar Solute Concentrations During Steady-State Culture and After Hypo-osmotic Treatment

The euryhaline charophyte Lamprothamnium papulosum (Wallr.)J. Gr. was adapted to media with decreasing salinities rangingfrom 550 to 0 mosmol kg^–1. Vegetative plants grown inmedia with osmotic pressures (⁰) in the range of 550 to 130mosmol kg^–1 maintained a constant turgor pressure () at309 + 7 mosmol kg^–1. The ions K+, Na+ and Cl–, werethe predominant solutes in the vacuole. Changes in their concentrationsaccount for the variation in internal osmotic pressure (¹) with,⁰. The divalent ions Mg²⁺, Ca²⁺ and were also present in significant amounts, but their concentrationsdid not alter with changes in, ⁰. In cells subjected to hypo-osmotic shock the regulation of was incomplete. The turgor pressure increased from 302 to 383mosmol kg^–1. The first rapid response to the sudden decreasein ⁰ was a loss of K⁺ and Cl^–. In contrast to the decreasein ionic concentrations an accumulation of sucrose occurredwhich could account for the increase of . The increase in sucroseconcentration started 24 to 48 h after the downshock and reachedits highest value after 3 to 4 weeks. The sucrose concentrationin the vacuole was up to 320 mol m^–3. During this timethe ionic content continued to decrease but did not counterbalancethe sucrose concentration sufficiently to regain the original. High sucrose levels accompanied by an enhanced were also observedduring the period of fructification (sexual reproduction: formationof antheridia and oogonia) in Lamprothamnium kept under conditionsof constant salinity. It is concluded that high sucrose content and elevated arecharacteristic of sexual reproduction in this charophyte. Lamprothamniumis able to tolerate different during various developmentalstages (e.g. vegetative and reproductive phases). Key words: Lamprothamnium papulosum, sucrose, turgor pressure     

Trophic diversity within the planktonic food web of the Elbe Estuary determined on isolated individual species by 13C analysis

The uptake of organic substrates by heterotrophic planktonicorganisms was studied along the freshwater Elbe Estuary in May,July and October 2000 using ¹³C analysis of individually isolateddominant species of copepoda, cladocera, rotifera and ciliata.Non-sedimenting suspended particulate matter (SPM_ns) was separatedfrom sedimenting matter and further analysed for the chemicalcomposition of its different size fractions in order to estimatesubstrate availability. Particles <5 µm accounted for15% of total SPM_ns [40 mg dry weight (DW) L^–1] and containedC:N ratios indicating a predominance of living matter (i.e.mass C:N of phytoplankton). All species under study exhibiteda high capacity for selective feeding with little variationin the diet along the whole freshwater profile. Picoplanktonof 0.2–1.2 µm formed mainly by bacteria had a ¹³Cvalue of –26 in May and July and –29 in October,similar to the ¹³C of the dissolved organic carbon (DOC). Bacteriadid not fractionate isotopically and did not preferentiallyconsume specific subunits of their substrate, i.e. they exhibitedno trophic shift. It appears that phytoplankton exudates werea minor component to total DOC in this estuary. Phytoplanktonwas the exclusive food for all phagotrophic organisms understudy in July, thus only one trophic level was exhibited. DuringMay and October the grazers under study used different substrates,resulting in a planktonic food web of three trophic levels formedby different species of the taxonomic groups under study. Theresults indicate a conditioned behaviour with regard to substrateselection allowing the grazers to produce high abundances evenwhen particles were abundant and competition for phytoplanktonwas high.     

Carbon isotopic variability in the composite pelagic foodweb of four oligotrophic lakes: feeding diversity or metabolic fractionations?

The ¹³C values of a simple pelagic foodweb (zooplankton, mysids,lake trout) composited from four oligotrophic Canadian Shieldlakes showed no relationships to either animal trophic position(¹⁵ or lipid content (C/N ratios). Carbon isotopic variabilityis therefore thought to be reflective of feeding diversity andnot organismal metabolic fractionations due to either biochemicalor trophic effects.     

Response of Gonyaulax tamarensis to the presence of a pycnocline in an artificial water column

In nature, large concentrations of the toxic bloom-forming dinoflagellate,Gonyaulax tamarensis, are frequently observed in the vicinityof the pycnocline. In the absence of a pycnocline the organismis usually recorded near the surface, where light levels aremore advantageous for photosynthesis. In this paper we examinethe swimming behaviour of G.tamarensis when exposed to varyingdegrees of stratification and investigate whether the maintenanceof a subsurface (pycnocline) population is the result of retentionof the algae by a physical barrier or active accumulation ofthe organisms at a density interface. The study indicates thatG.tamarensis cells presented with a halocline of S<{smalltilde}6–7 (occurring over a few centimeters) cross thissalinity barrier and accumulate at the highest available photonflux density ({small tilde}100 µmol m^–2 s^–1).Cells exposed to a gradient of S>{small tilde}7remain atthe halocline (pfd={small tilde}40 µmol m^–2 s^–1).However, when light above the pycnocline is attenuated by theaddition of food colour to the medium, the cells cross a haloclineof S=10 and accumulate at the highest available photon fluxdensity. In the absence of added nutrients (inorganic N andP) the organism fails to exhibit a phototactic response. Thus,the presence of a strong halocline does not represent an inpenetrablephysical barrier for G.tamarensis and the development of pycnoclinepopulations of this organism is a function of density, lightand nutrient climate.     

The Relationship Between Transpiration Rate, Water Potential, and Resistances to Water Movement in Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.)

The effects of transpiration rate on the vertical gradientsof leaf and stem xylem water potential ( and ) were examinedusing hydroponic sunflower plants. Transpiration was variedby stepwise alterations of environmental conditions. The gradientsof and were relatively small (2.3 and 0.8 x 10⁵ Pa m^–1)when transpiration rates approached zero, but increased sharplyto 5.4 and 2.3 x 10⁵ Pa m^–1 as transpiration increased.However, the gradients were independent of transpiration ratesabove 0.4 g dm^–2 h^–1 owing to variability of theplant resistance. The gradients of _I were usually less thanhalf those of _I. ₁ in individual leaves remained constant over a wide range oftranspiration rates (0.4—2.4 g dm^–2 h^–1) andeach leaf possessed a characteristic plateau value related toits elevation. _I responded similarly but was approximately 2.0x 10⁵ Pa higher than _I at the same elevation. Identical resultswere obtained regardless of the procedure employed to vary transpiration. The drop in water potential between stem and leaf implies thatthe leaf resistance is appreciable. This was confirmed usingrapidly transpiring excised leaves freely supplied with water._I increased by 2.0–2.5 x 10⁵ Pa following removal of theroot resistance but remained 2 x 10⁵ Pa lower than similar excisedleaves in darkness. Furthermore, ^I in excised leaves remainedconstant over a wide range of transporting rates, demonstratingthat the leaf resistance is also variable. The results are discussed in relation to previous reports.     

Nucleoside Triphosphate(NTP)-Binding Proteins and Endogenous ADP-ribosyl Transferase in Neurospora crassa

Nucleoside triphosphate(NTP)-binding proteins were detectedin the crude extract of mycelia of Neurospora crassa, whichwas treated with 1% Lubrol PX and fractionated by gel filtration.Protein fractions showing the capacity to bind [³⁵S]ATPS or[³⁵S]GTPS were designated as AGN1 to 6. The binding of [³⁵S]ATPSor [³⁵S]GTPS was prevented in the presence of 0.1 mM ATP orGTP except that in fractions AGN1 and 2, the presence of GTPstimulated the binding of [³⁵S] ATPS to ATP(NTP)-binding proteins.ATP or GTP was 1 to 2 orders of magnitude more effective thanCTP or UTP in preventing the binding of [³⁵S]GTPS in AGN1, 2and 5. Among these fractions AGN1, 2, 5 and 6 showed activityto hydrolyze 1 nM [–³²P]ATP or [–³²P]GTP. NTP-bindingproteins bound with [³⁵S]ATPS or [³⁵S]GTPS had lower apparentmolecular weights than the same proteins without bound nucleotide.Proteins bound with [³⁵S]ATPS or [³⁵S]GTPS and those [³²P]ADP-ribosylatedby endogenous ADP-ribosyl transferase in each fraction wereanalyzed by SDS-PAGE. About 20 species of ATP or ATP-GTP-bindingproteins were detected, several of which were ADP-ribosylated.The binding of [³⁵S]ATPS or [³⁵S]GTPS to NTP-binding proteinswas confirmed by the comparison of non-boiled and boiled samplesimmediately before loading to SDS-PAGE. ATP, GTP, CTP or UTPat the concentration of 0.1 mM effectively removed [³³S]ATPSor [³⁵S]GTPS bound to NTP-binding proteins. (Received December 10, 1990; Accepted April 18, 1991)     

Regulation of sexual agglutinability in Saccharomyces cerevisiae of {alpha} and {alpha} types by sex-specific factors produced by their respective opposite mating types

The sexual agglutinability of haploid cells of heterothallicSaccharomyces cerevisiae was repressed when they were culturedin the absence of easily fermentable sugars, such as glucoseand mannose. The repression was reversed by the action of hormone-likesubstances of the opposite mating types. The substance producedby mating type cells was identical to subtsance-I which isknown to induce sexual agglutinability of inducible matingtype cells. The mating type cells produce a new hormone-likesubstance which induces or enhances sexual agglutinability of mating type cells. A crude fraction of the mating type-specific substance ( substance-I)was obtained by passing the culture filtrate of mating typecells through Amberlite CG-50 (H⁺ form), followed by elutionwith 1.5 M ammonia. ² On leave from Osaka City University. (Received December 25, 1975; )     

The maximum quantum yield of phylopiankton photosynthesis in situ

Light-limited photosynthetic carbon incorportion is expectedto be directly proportional to the scalar quantum irradiance.The proportionality constant is , where _mis the maximum quantum yield (mol C Einstein^–1 absorbed)and $$\stackrel{\&macr;}{{\hbox{ k }}_{\hbox{ c }}}$$ isthe mean spectral absorption coefficient (m² mg^–1 chla). Recent efforts to evaluate of in situphytoplankton photosynthesis are variously flawed. Lack of evidenceof proportionality and lack of correction of cosine to scalarirradiance are common deficiencies. Most data, as we interpretthem, indicate values in the range 0.0003 – 0.0006 mol C m² Einstein1 abs mg1 chl a. New determinationsin lrondequoit Bay, New York, lie in this range. Most estimatesof at depth have been about 0.010 m² mg^–1chl a. Similar values are being obtained for total particulatesfrom lrondequoit Bay; whether detritus contributes significantlyis not yet known. Published data, in our view, all point tovalues of m in situ in the range 0.03–0.07 mol C Einstein^–1abs. Published values >0.10 are almost certainly due to imprecisionor systematic error. ^*This paper is the result of a study made at the Group for AquaticPrimary Productivity (GAP) First International Workshop heldat the Limnological Institute, University of Konstanz, in April1982.