Extraction and Analysis of Microbial Phospholipid Fatty Acids in Soils |
| |
| Authors: | Sylvie A. Quideau Anne C.S. McIntosh Charlotte E. Norris Emily Lloret Mathew J.B. Swallow Kirsten Hannam |
| |
| Affiliation: | 1Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta;2Department of Science, Augustana Faculty, University of Alberta;3Laboratoire Génie Civil et géo-Environnement, Université de Lille;4Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Mount Royal University;5Forest Ecology & Production, Great Lakes Forestry Centre, Natural Resources Canada |
| |
| Abstract: | Phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs) are key components of microbial cell membranes. The analysis of PLFAs extracted from soils can provide information about the overall structure of terrestrial microbial communities. PLFA profiling has been extensively used in a range of ecosystems as a biological index of overall soil quality, and as a quantitative indicator of soil response to land management and other environmental stressors.The standard method presented here outlines four key steps: 1. lipid extraction from soil samples with a single-phase chloroform mixture, 2. fractionation using solid phase extraction columns to isolate phospholipids from other extracted lipids, 3. methanolysis of phospholipids to produce fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs), and 4. FAME analysis by capillary gas chromatography using a flame ionization detector (GC-FID). Two standards are used, including 1,2-dinonadecanoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (PC(19:0/19:0)) to assess the overall recovery of the extraction method, and methyl decanoate (MeC10:0) as an internal standard (ISTD) for the GC analysis. |
| |
| Keywords: | Environmental Sciences Issue 114 Microbial community structure phospholipid fatty acids PLFA soil microbes soil biology microbial ecology land use change land management |
|
|
