Factors controlling the temporal variation of fatty acids in piculate matter during a phytoplankton bloom in a marine mesocosm

Fatty acids present in suspended particles were examined following the onset of a phytoplankton bloom in an experimental marine mesocosm set up in Patricia Bay, Saanich Inlet, British Columbia, Canada. The predominantly diatom bloom, triggered by the addition of nutrients at the commencement of the experiment, was succeeded by several other phytoplankton forms, which in turn led to changes in particulate chl a, and organic carbon, and nitrogen within the experimental enclosure. An examination of individual fatty acids indicated that the variation of individual fatty acids can be classified into three groups, although the variation pattern of individual fatty acids differed from one another. An attempt was made to establish the factors controlling particulate fatty acid concentrations by principal component analysis. After Varimax rotation, six factors were extracted, of which four factors contributed to 83% of the data matrix. These were mainly dependent on the source of the particles i.e., diatoms, dinoflagellates, and bacteria.Fatty acid concentrations obtained by analysis of different lipid class fractions indicated that the production of fatty acids was distinctly related to the growth stage of the phytoplankton bloom. Fatty acids in triglycerides peaked during stationary phase, whereas fatty acids in polar lipids were high during the stage of an increase of phytoplankton biomass. However, fatty acid composition in both lipid classes changed under the influence of species succession of the phytoplankton population. This strongly suggested that species succession of the phytoplankton exerted the most significant control on fatty acid composition of particulate matter.     

Organic sedimentation in the water column in the Arabian Sea: Relationship between the lipid composition of small and large-size,surface and deep particles

Small and large-size particulates (>50 μm) have been collected during the ORGON IV cruise in the Arabian Sea (North-western Indian Ocean), using conventional metallic bottles and vertical near-surface (200-0 m) and deep (below 1000 m) plankton nets. This area presents remarkable conditions for studying organic sedimentation: a high superficial productivity, low oxygen content of seawater and low terrigenous inputs.Lipids have been quantified and analysed by gas-liquid chromatography and gas-liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry for fatty acids, saturated hydrocarbons and sterols. The distribution of biological species, size range and biological nature have been determined through microscopic examination.Principal results are presented in a geochemical context: small and large-size particles belong to two different reservoirs both for concentrations and chemical compositions.The comparison between the size range of particles and chemical characteristics observed through analyses of net and bottle samples emphasizes the importance of large-size particles in the geochemical process of material transfer between surface and sediment. For various lipids, this transfer concerns freshly biosynthesized molecules such as long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, pristane and sterols, compounds which are of high metabolic value for abyssal and pelagic organisms.The lipid fluxes, determined from in situ concentrations, and settling velocity estimated from the size range of deep particulate material, are compared to those reported by different authors using other sampling procedures for deep settling matter.     

Phytopigments and fatty acids as molecular markers for the quality of near-bottom particulate organic matter in the North Sea

In February, May and August 1994, four stations in the North Sea (viz. at the Broad Fourteens, Frisian Front, German Bight and Skagerrak) were visited to sample near-bottom particulate organic matter. Samples, taken by means of a pump, a sediment trap and a sediment recorder, were analysed on organic carbon, total nitrogen, phytopigments and fatty acids. These molecular markers were used to describe the nature and quality of the organic particles in the near-bottom water. Principal component analysis showed chlorophyll a, phaeopigments and fatty acids to be useful markers for the quality of organic matter and yield complementary information.The quality of the near-bottom particles appeared to be related to the local hydrography and depositional circumstances. The Broad Fourteens station, a non-depositional sandy site along the Dutch coast, showed organic particles to be relatively fresh, little influenced by resuspended sedimentary material. Near-bottom organic particles on this site contained relatively high shares of chlorophyll a and polyunsaturated fatty acids, characteristic of algal matter. On the other hand the particulate organic material on the two depositional locations, the Frisian Front and the German Bight stations, was influenced by resuspension of sedimentary organic particles poor in pigments and fatty acids. Amounts of carbon trapped in the near-bottom environment at the Skagerrak station were lower than expected from the literature.     

南沙海洋沉积物中脂肪酸地球化学研究

本文对南沙海洋岩芯和层样品中的脂肪酸进行了分离和鉴定，研究了脂肪酸的组成和分布特征，探讨了沉积物中有机质的来源及脂肪酸的早期成岩变化。结果表明，脂肪酸的组成和分布，反映了沉积有机质主要来自浮游生物和细菌，陆源高等植物的贡献较少；低碳及不饱和脂肪酸相对含量随埋深降低可能与化学和生物化学降解作用有关。／     

Temporal patterns among meiofauna and macrofauna taxa related to changes in sediment geochemistry at an abyssal NE Atlantic site

Two major size classes of the sediment community, meiofauna and macrofauna, and four classes of lipid compounds, fatty acids, alkanes, alcohols and sterols, were investigated using multicorer and USNEL boxcorer samples, collected during six cruises over a two year period (September 1996 to September–October 1998), at the Porcupine Abyssal Plain ( 48° 50′N 16° 30′W, 4850 m depth) within the framework of the MAST 3 BENGAL project. This site was known to be subject to seasonality in the input of organic matter to the seafloor. Results are given for each faunal size class in terms of taxonomic structure at the level of phylum, class or order, depending on the taxon, and for the dominant faunal components in terms of density and vertical distribution. For each lipid compound class, results are given in concentration and vertical distribution. The taxonomic structure of each size class did not change within the study period. Total meiofaunal and macrofaunal densities were particularly high, probably reflecting the high quantity and quality of organic matter inputs to the site. The dominant components of the two size classes presented different temporal patterns in their responses to changes in their environment. Populations of meiofaunal species, a foraminiferan and an opheliid polychaete, which inhabit the surface or sub-surface of sediment and feed on phytodetritus, responded with a rapid increase in abundance to a pulse of organic input in summer 1996. The macrofaunal polychaetes showed a lagged response to the same event by slowly increasing in density. Other components of the sediment community, that can live deeper in the sediment, moved down the sediment column, in response to 1) the impoverishment and bioturbation of the surface layer, and 2) the downward mixing of organic matter in the sediment by larger organisms. In this study, different temporal patterns were demonstrated for the first time in different size classes of the sediment community, and in the biological and environmental parameters that were studied simultaneously.     

Fatty acid composition of phytoplankton, settling particulate matter and sediments at a sheltered bivalve aquaculture site

Fatty acid biomarkers were used to investigate the biogeochemistry of a former blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) aquaculture site in a shallow, sheltered cove in northeastern Newfoundland. High levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in net-tow and sediment trap samples indicated a substantial phytoplankton source of organic matter, and fluctuations in specific fatty acid biomarkers reflected the changing abundances of diatoms and dinoflagellates. In comparison, sediments contained very low levels of PUFA (<15%) and were dominated by terrestrial and bacterial markers. In a separate study, blue mussels were grown at this closed site, providing the opportunity to examine the relationship between lipid supply, as recorded by net-tow and trap samples, and bivalve requirements. The average plankton fatty acid composition throughout the year agreed well with that of the adult blue mussels, suggesting that fatty acids were provided in proportions very similar to the bivalves' requirements. The fatty acid composition of the blue mussels was typical of those collected elsewhere, with PUFA proportions near 50%. However, examination of fatty acid data of plankton sampled in other areas revealed that the plankton in the current study may have been unusual in providing fatty acids at levels required by the bivalves.     

Distribution and bioturbation effects of the tropical alpheid shrimp Alpheus macellarius in sediments impacted by milkfish farming

The impact of milkfish fish pens on the distribution of the alpheid shrimp Alpheus macellarius was studied in the Bolinao area, Philippines. In addition, the impact of the alpheid shrimp on sediment biogeochemistry, including organic matter mineralization, nutrient and sulfur cycling was compared in sediments affected and unaffected by fish farming. The fish farming activity had negative impact on the distribution of shrimps by reducing the abundance up to 60% in the vicinity of the net pens, and to almost absence inside the net pens. At a farm site abandoned seven month prior to sampling the abundance of shrimps was still low and sediment pools of reduced sulfur high, indicating a slow benthic recovery. The shrimp had large physical impact on the sediments, and the mineralization rates were stimulated by the presence of the shrimp in pristine sediments, whereas the fish farm impacted sites showed high mineralization rates both in sediments with and without the presence of the shrimp suggesting that the organic matter enrichment stimulated the mineralization in these low-organic sediments, whereas the shrimp had less impact. Sulfate reduction rates and in particular pools of sulfides increased in the farm impacted sediments, and sulfate reduction was an important process for organic matter mineralization (>67%) in all sediments. Although the shrimp had minor effect on the organic matter mineralization and nutrient fluxes in the farm impacted sediments, they appeared to increase the oxidation of sulfides by increasing the zone of oxidized surface sediment and thereby improving the sediment conditions for recolonization after fish farming has ceased.     

Chemical studies on organic matter and carbon cycle in the ocean

Chemistry of organic materials of the suspended and sinking particles, and the evaluation of the particulate materials for the carbon cycle of the ocean are described in this paper. Organic carbon (POC) and nitrogen (PON) of the suspended particles collected from various areas of the North through South Pacific were determined with considerably high variabilities in their concentration. Higher values of the POC and PON were obtained in the surface water of the higher latitudinal areas of both northern and southern hemispheres and the equatorial Pacific, while the lower values of these organic elements were measured in the middle latitudinal areas of the Pacific. These facts clearly indicate that inorganic nutrients supply to the surface water layers from the underlying water is primarily determinative factor to govern the concentration of the POC and PON in the surface water layer. POC and PON concentrations in the intermediate through deep waters, however, are much less variable in time and space. Carbohydrates, free and combined amino acids and lipid materials were major organic constituents of the suspended particles. The organic composition of the particles was extensively variable in region, time and depth. Such change in the organic composition was mainly caused by the production and decay of the free and combined amino acids, lipid materials and water extractable carbohydrate. Sinking particle which has high sinking rate over 100 m day⁻¹ and can be collected only by sediment trap, also consists of carbohydrates, free and combined amino acids and lipid materials. A detailed analysis of the particle indicate that the sinking particle was much different from the suspended particle from the intermediate through deep waters in terms of the abundance of the biologically susceptible organic materials such as unsaturated hydrocarbon, fatty acid and water extractable carbohydrate often found in phytoplankton. These facts clearly indicate that the sinking particle plays an important role on the vertical transport of the biologically susceptible organic materials from the surface water to the deep water. Vertical flux of organic materials in various water depths was extensively measured in the North Pacific and Antarctic Ocean using the depth-series sediment trap system to collect the sinking particles from various depths of the waters. Regional and seasonal variabilities of the organic carbon flux at the various depths were obviously observed, however the attenuation rate of the organic carbon flux in the intermediate through deep water was not changed so much irrespective of the sampling time and region. The time-series sediment trap system was also using to determine the seasonal variation of the organic carbon flux. An average organic carbon flux at 1 km depth from this trap system was almost comparable to the amount of organic carbon degraded in the water deeper than 1 km depth, which was calculated from oxygen consumption rate of the deep water. Thus, it is clear that the sinking particle must play an important role in the carbon cycle of the deep water.     

Sediment trap comparison experiments

Four types of sediment traps which are different in their shapes were simultaneously deployed in Funka Bay, Hokkaido or open ocean, in order to compare the quantity and quality of settling particles collected at the same time. In Funka Bay, the larger total particulate fluxes were observed with the sediment traps having the larger height to width ratios. The settling particles collected with the narrower sediment traps were somewhat similar to suspended particle enriched in organic matter, phosphorus and Mn. These results suggest that the narrower sediment trap more effectively collects fine and light particles similar to suspended particles.     

Microbial community structure analysis of euxinic sediments using phospholipid fatty acid biomarkers

Microbial community structure in sediments, as determined by the phospholipid ester-linked fatty acid (PLFA) analysis, collected from Kojima Lake during summer and winter was described with reference to the environmental quality of the lake. A characteristic feature of the study area was the persistence of anoxia in summer and winter in the deeper area, and the sediments were under the reduced condition with high levels of sulfide, chemical oxygen demand, and low values of oxidation-reduction potential. PLFA profiles of the sediment were dominated by the saturated, branched and monounsaturated fatty acids. Small amounts (less than 5% of the total PLFA) of polyunsaturated fatty acids (biomarker fatty acids of microeukaryotes) and long chain fatty acids were detected in sediments. Total PLFA concentrations in sediments were higher in summer than in winter. Microbial community structure in the lake sediments was predominated by the prokaryotes, as evidenced from the larger amounts of bacterial biomarker fatty acids in the range of C₁₀ to C₂₀. The presence of signature fatty acids of sulfate reducing bacteria in sediments was consistent with the high levels of sulfide in the sediment and anoxic condition in the study area. PLFA showed significant differences in PLFA profiles between shallow and deeper areas, indicating the differences in the lipid contributing communities. However, no such a significant difference was observed between summer and winter.     

Compositions and transport of lipid biomarkers through the water column and surficial sediments of the equatorial Pacific Ocean

A systematic investigation of fluxes and compositions of lipids through the water column and into sediments was conducted along the U.S. JGOFS EgPac transect from l2°N to l5°S at 140°W. Fluxes of lipids out of the euphotic zone varied spatially and temporally, ranging from ≈0.20 – 0.6 mmol lipid-C m⁻² day⁻¹. Lipid fluxes were greatly attenuated with increasing water column depth, dropping to 0.002-0.06 mmol lipid-C m⁻² day⁻¹ in deep-water sediment traps. Sediment accumulation rates for lipids were ≈ 0.0002 – 0.00003 mmol lipid-C m⁻² day⁻¹. Lipids comprised ≈ 11–23% of C_org in net-plankton, 10–30% in particles exiting the euphotic zone, 2–4% particles in the deep EgPac, and 0.1-1 % in sediments. Lipids were, in general, selectively lost due to their greater reactivity relative to bulk organic matter toward biogeochemical degradation in the water column and sediment. Qualitative changes in lipid compositions through the water column and into sediments are consistent with the reactive nature of lipids. Fatty acids were the most labile compounds, with polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) being quickly lost from particles. Branchedchain C₁₅ and C₁₇ fatty acids increased in relative abundance as particulate matter sank and was incorporated into the sediment, indicating inputs of organic matter from bacteria. Long-chain C₃₉ alkenones of marine origin and long-chain C₂₀-C₃₀ fatty acids, alcohols and hydrocarbons derived from land plants were selectively preserved in sediments. Compositional changes over time and space demonstrate the dynamic range of reactivities among individual biomarker compounds, and hence of organic matter as a whole. A thorough understanding of biogeochemical reprocessing of organic matter in the oceanic water column and sediments is, thus, essential for using the sediment record for reconstructing past oceanic environments.     

Component characteristics of organic matter in hydrothermal barnacle shells from Southwest Indian Ridge

In 2008-2009, hydrothermal barnacle and sediment samples were collected from the Southwest Indian Ridge during a survey of the China Ocean Mineral Resources R＆D Association （COMRA）. Samples were ana- lyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometer （GC-MS）, revealing the main organic constituents of hy- drothermal barnacle and sediment to be fatty acids and alkylbenzenes. N-alkanes which possessed obvious even carbon advantage were also detected in hydrothermal sediment. The high concentrations of aromatic compounds might be the result of macromolecular thermal alteration. Microorganism in the submarine hydrothermal ecosystem, especially those related to sulfur metabolism, might be the source of the high con- centrations of fatty acids detected in these samples. In high temperature and high pressure hydrothermal environments, n-alkanes which possessed obvious even carbon advantage might originate from thermal alteration of carboxylic acids and other lipid compounds.     

Lipids and pigments in deep-sea surface sediments and interfacial particles from the Western Crozet Basin

Deep-sea sediment samples were collected in the Western Crozet Basin (Indian sector of the Southern Ocean) through Permanently Open Ocean Zone (POOZ), Polar Frontal Zone (PFZ) and Sub-Antarctic Zone (SAZ). Lipid class and fatty acid compositions were investigated to determine the sources and fate of organic matter in the first centimeter of sediment and, above this layer, in the fluff (when present) and particles in the overlying water. The total lipid content varied from 74 to 1033 μg l⁻¹ in the overlying particles and fluffs, and from 24 to 97 μg g⁻¹ dry mass (DM) in surficial sediments. Lipid composition was always dominated by phospholipids in the first centimeter of sediment and often in the overlying particles. The amount of phospholipids (labile compounds representative of fresh material) was compared to the amount of chlorophyll a (Chl a), another compound that is susceptible to rapid degradation. A strong N–S gradient was observed in the distribution of these two compounds, which was attributed to the contrasting hydrodynamic of the study area. The high sedimentation rate in POOZ resulted in better preservation of Chl a in this zone than in other zones of the Crozet Basin (PFZ and SAZ). Phospholipid fatty acids suggested the presence of viable as well as morphologically intact organisms, and these organisms consisted essentially of bacteria with some diatom cysts in the fluff of POOZ. These spores were able to grow in the culture, indicating that they were still viable. Despite the strong hydrodynamic variability, phospholipid fatty acids analysed from the deep-sea surficial sediments were never representative of plankton. This pointed to the extremely labile nature of the phospholipids originally present in planktonic material compared with Chl a, which was always found in overlying particles and surficial sediments.     

营养素对鱼类脂肪肝病变的影响

综述了营养性脂肪肝的病理特征与诱病因素,特别是饲料中脂肪、蛋白质和碳水化合物等主要营养素组配不平衡对鱼类脂肪肝病变的诱导作用。并对鱼类肝脏脂肪积累和转运的调节机制进行阐述,指出肝脏脂肪主要来自对饲料中脂肪的直接吸收以及饲料中过量蛋白质和糖类的转化合成,过多的脂肪累积于肝脏中则引起肝脏代谢紊乱。作为脂类载体,脂蛋白将脂肪转运出肝脏,然后再转运至其他组织中再利用或在脂肪组织中储存。介绍了高度不饱和脂肪酸、磷脂、胆碱、甜菜碱和肉碱等抗脂肪肝物质的作用途径和作用效果。最后指出通过平衡营养组成和调控肝脏中脂肪的来源与去路,可望实现对脂肪肝的预防和治疗。     

珠江口沉积物柱状样的脂肪酸垂向变化特征

珠江口3个站位沉积柱的脂肪酸研究结果显示:沉积物中含量最高的脂肪酸是C16:0,其他脂肪酸包括不饱和脂肪酸、单甲基支链脂肪酸和长链脂肪酸。脂肪酸组成表明研究区有机质主要来源于藻类、细菌和陆源有机质。由于横琴岛附近的HQ1031站位靠近外海,初级生产力较高,因而含较多藻类脂肪酸。离淇澳岛较远的QA-B站位处于河口上缘,陆源物质丰富,初级生产力较低,因此该站位含较多陆源脂肪酸。横琴岛附近HQ1031站位的TOC值和总脂肪酸含量均大于QA-B站位,这两个站位的TOC值与总脂肪酸含量在垂向上的相关性差。横琴岛附近HQ1031站位和离淇澳岛较近的QA-A站位分别在20-22cm和16-18cm处藻类脂肪酸突然大量增加,可能与藻类输入突然增多有关。沉积物中所检测到的能指示厌氧微生物或革兰氏阳性菌的脂肪酸含量高于革兰氏阴性菌,表明珠江口沉积物微生物群落中以厌氧微生物为主。     

Metabolic and physiological regulation of Chlorella sp.(Trebouxiophyceae,Chlorophyta) under nitrogen deprivation

A freshwater green microalgae Chlorella sp., UMACC344 was shown to produce high lipid content and has the potential to be used as feedstock for biofuel production. In this study, photosynthetic effciency, biochemical pro?les and non-targeted metabolic pro?ling were studied to compare between the nitrogen-replete and deplete conditions. Slowed growth, change in photosynthetic pigments and lowered photosynthetic effciency were observed in response to nitrogen deprivation. Biochemical pro?les of the cultures showed an increased level of carbohydrate, lipids and total fatty acids, while the total soluble protein content was lowered. A trend of fatty acid saturation was observed in the nitrogen-deplete culture with an increase in the level of saturated fatty acids especially C16:0 and C18:0, accompanied by a decrease in proportions of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Fifty-nine metabolites, including amino acids, lipids, phytochemical compounds, vitamins and cofactors were signi?cantly dysregulated and annotated in this study. Pathway mapping analysis revealed a rewiring of metabolic pathways in the cells, particularly purine, carotenoid, nicotinate and nicotinamide, and amino acid metabolisms. Within the treatment period of nitrogen deprivation, the key processes involved were reshu ? ing of nitrogen from proteins and photosynthetic machinery, together with carbon repartitioning in carbohydrates and lipids.     

Internal recycling of particle reactive organic chemicals in the Chesapeake Bay water column

Hydrophobic organic contaminants (HOCs) may be used as tracers of particle dynamics in aquatic systems. Internal cycling of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were studied in the mesohaline Chesapeake Bay to assess the role of resuspension in maintaining particle and contaminant inventories in the water column, and to compare settling and suspended particle characteristics. Direct measurements of sediment resuspension and settling conducted in conjunction with one of the sediment trap deployments indicate reasonable agreement between measurements of particle flux using the two different methods. Organic carbon and PCB concentrations in settling solids collected in near-surface sediment traps were remarkably lower than concentrations in suspended particles collected by filtration during the trap deployments, but higher PAH concentrations were found in the settling particles. The different behaviors of PAHs and PCBs in the settling particles are due to their different source types and association to different types of particles. Sediment trap collections in near bottom waters were dominated by resuspension. Resuspension fluxes of HOCs measured 2 m above the bay bottom were as high as 2.5 μg/m² day for total PCBs and 15 μg/m² day for fluoranthene, and were 25 and 10 times higher than their settling fluxes from surface waters, respectively. HOC concentrations in the near bottom traps varied much less between trap deployments than HOC concentrations in the surface traps, indicating that the chemical composition of the resuspended particles collected in the near bottom traps was more time-averaged by repeated resuspension than the surface particles.     

Organic geochemistry of sediments from the continental margin off southern New England,U.S.A. — Part II. Lipids

Organic geochemical measurements of the lipid fraction, comprising saturated and aromatic hydrocarbons, fatty acids, alcohols and sterols, have been carried out on six sediment cores collected from the Atlantic shelf, slope and the rise areas to evaluate the cross-shelf transport of the organic carbon.The concentration of most of the organic compound classes studied is correlated with the total organic carbon, which decreases from the shelf through slope to the rise. Terrigenous carbon is recognizable even in the slope and rise sediments, but terrestrial influx decreases relative to marine generated lipids in the slope and rise organic matter. We estimate that ∼50% of the shelf organic matter is exported to the slope.Data of sediment trap material collected at 1200 m from 1250 m water depth are discussed and compared with that of surface sediment from 1280 m water depth (slope). Fluxes for specific organic compound classes have been computed. The fluxes are of the same magnitude as for equatorial North Atlantic trap particulates at comparable water depth, studied by other investigators.     

Variation in microbial biomass and community structure in sediments of peter the great bay (sea of japan/east sea), as estimated from fatty acid biomarkers

Variation in the microbial biomass and community structure found in sediment of heavily polluted bays and the adjacent unpolluted areas were examined using phospholipid fatty acid analysis. Total microbial biomass and microbial community structure were responding to environmental determinants, sediment grain size, depth of sediment, and pollution due to petroleum hydrocarbons. The marker fatty acids of microeukaryotes and prokaryotes - aerobic, anaerobic, and sulfate-reducing bacteria -were detected in sediments of the areas studied. Analysis of the fatty acid profiles revealed wide variations in the community structure in sediments, depending on the extent of pollution, sediment depth, and sediment grain size. The abundance of specific bacterial fatty acids points to the dominance of prokaryotic organisms, whose composition differed among the stations. Fatty acid distributions in sediments suggest the high contribution of aerobic bacteria. Sediments of polluted sites were significantly enriched with anaerobic bacteria in comparison with clean areas. The contribution of this bacterial group increased with the depth of sediments. Anaerobic bacteria were predominantly present in muddy sediments, as evidenced from the fatty acid profiles. Relatively high concentrations of marker fatty acids of sulfate-reducing bacteria were associated with organic pollution in this site. Specific fatty acids of microeukaryotes were more abundant in surface sediments than in deeper sediment layers. Among the microeukaryotes, diatoms were an important component. Significant amounts of bacterial biomass, the predominance of bacterial biomarker fatty acids with abundance of anaerobic and sulfate-reducing bacteria are indicative of a prokaryotic consortium responsive to organic pollution.     

Characterization of the coccoid cyanobacterium <Emphasis Type="Italic">Myxosarcina</Emphasis> sp. KIOST-1 isolated from mangrove forest in Chuuk State,Federated States of Micronesia

Mangrove forests are known to be inhabited by diverse symbiotic cyanobacterial communities that are capable of N₂ fixation. To investigate its biodiversity, root sediments were collected from a mangrove forest in Chuuk State, Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), and an entangled yellow-brown coccoid cyanobacterium was isolated. The isolated cyanobacterium was reproduced by multiple fission and eventually produced baeocytes. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the isolate was most similar to the genera Myxosarcina and Chroococcidiopsis in the order Pleurocapsales. Compositions of protein, lipid and carbohydrate in the cyanobacterial cells were estimated to be 19.4 ± 0.1%, 18.8 ± 0.4% and 31.5 ± 0.1%, respectively. Interestingly, total fatty acids in the isolate were mainly composed of saturated fatty acids and monounsaturated fatty acids, whereas polyunsaturated fatty acids were not detected. Based on the molecular and biochemical characteristics, the isolate was finally classified in the genus Myxosarcina, and designated as Myxosarcina sp. KIOST-1. These results will contribute to better understanding of cyanobacterial biodiversity in the mangrove forest in FSM as well as the genus Myxosarcina, and also will allow further exploitation of its biotechnological potential on the basis of its cellular characteristics.