Symbiotic Relations of Sediment-Agglutinating Nematodes and Bacteria in Detrital Habitats: The Enzyme-Sharing Concept

Abstract. A new concept (‘enzyme sharing’) concerning the interaction of marine nematodes and microbes in the degradation of sedimentary detritus is presented. Elements of this concept are (1) the notorious tendency of many aquatic nematodes to agglutinate detrital particles by mucus secretions, (2) new observations on the stimulation of microbial growth by nematodes in agar plates, and (3) literature data on limited endogenous proteolytic capacities of aquatic nematodes.
Observations on nematode‐microbe associations in agar plates prompted the conceptual synthesis. In agar medium without the addition of any nutrients a spectacular growth of bacteria was visible on the sinusoidal crawling trails of nematodes only 2 – 3 days after introduction of the worms (species of Adoncholaimus, Anoplostoma and Sabatieria). Juveniles of Anoplostoma that hatched in the agar cultures left their minute trails in the medium and these were rapidly occupied by bacteria. The nematodes repeatedly visited their bacterial trails, which persisted as a peculiar biotic structure for more than one year and survived the nematodes.
In sterile agar preparations containing the fluorogenic methylumbelliferyl‐β‐glucoside in the presence of the nematode Adoncholaimus, an enhanced fluorescence of the medium was visible, indicating β‐glucosidase activity. We therefore assume that oncholaimid nematodes discharge enzymes that alone, or in concert with microbial activities, contribute to the hydrolytic cleavage of refractory polysaccharides containing β‐glucosidic bonds such as agar components and cellulose. The sugars thus produced may then be taken up by the nematodes and concomitantly support the conspicuous growth of microbes. Since we did not observe any feeding of the nematodes on the associated microbes in agar plates, we question the nutritive potential of intact microbial cells for a number of nematodes abounding in detrital habitats, and call attention to the significance of ambient dissolved or adsorbed organic monomeric nutrients.
Consequently, we perceive the puzzling perpetual accretion of detrital organic particles to sediment agglutinations by nematodes as an adaptation for operating an ‘enzymatic reactor’ for the production of dissolved nutrients. We hypothesise a relationship of mutual commensalism of nematodes and heterotrophic microbes in detrital habitats and propose the term ‘enzyme sharing’ for this relationship. Both parties invest in a common enzyme pool that decomposes organic detritus for their nutrition. We present here evidence that nematodes contribute β‐glucosidase, which is involved in the cellulase system. Data from the literature suggest that microbial enzymatic processing of detrital proteins yields amino acids available to nematodes, which apparently have no efficient proteolytic enzyme system in their intestines.     

Chemical abundances from B-stars in the Magellanic Clouds

We observed near-Main-Sequence B-stars in the Magellanic Clouds with the 3.6 m telescope and CASPEC at La Silla. We obtained spectra of high resolution and high S/N-ratio. The stars are members of the blue globular clusters NGC 1818 (LMC) and NGC 330 (SMC). The spectra are used for differential abundance analyses using HER as galactic reference star. Apart from CNO the metals are underabundant by about a factor of three and four for the LMC and SMC star, respectively. The CNO pattern is interesting since in both stars oxygen is considerably more abundant than carbon.Based on observations collected at ESO, La Silla and on Calar Alto, Spain and on observations made with the International Ultraviolet Explorer.     

Uranus: Disk structure within the 7300-Å methane band

Orthogonal narrow-band (100 Å) photoelectric slit scan photometry of Uranus has been used to infer the basic two-dimensional structure of the disk within the 7300-Å methane band. Numerical image reconstruction and restoration techniques have been applied to quantitatively estimate the degrees of polar and limb brightening on the planet. Through partial removal of atmospheric smearing, an effective spatial resolution of approximately 0.9 arcsec has been achieved. Peak polar, limb, and central intensities on the disk are in the respective proportions 3:2:1. In addition, the bright polar feature is displaced from the geometric pole towards the equator of the planet.     

Application of X-ray computed tomography for analyzing cleat spacing and cleat aperture in coal samples

New techniques to determine distributions of cleat aperture, cleat orientation and cleat spacing from CT scans have been developed. For cleat orientation and spacing distributions, two different coal blocks were scanned. The CT scans have been analyzed for the three orthogonal directions. Histograms of the cleat orientations are bimodal, expressing the typical cleat texture of face and butt cleats and bedding perpendicular relaxation fractures. Deviations up to 20° from the peak values in the cleat orientation distributions were used as input for automated image analysis of cleat spacing. Distributions of the cleat spacing measurements are related to the face and butt cleat directions. The term “relevant cleat length” is introduced as a measure to extract the amount of cleat length involved with the cleat spacing measurements. The ratio ranges from 0.03 to 0.38 and expresses the difference in cleat texture in both samples. Cleat spacing versus relevant cleat length shows sample specific patterns for face cleat, butt cleat and bedding. To describe cleat aperture quantitatively, peak height and missing attenuation have been used. The image of a cleat was seen as a convolution of a rectangular fracture profile with a Gaussian point spread function.     

Genesis and distribution of mineral waters as a consequence of recent lithospheric dynamics: the Rhenish Massif,Central Europe

Three major, interdependent processes control the genesis and distribution of mineral and thermal waters in the Rhenish Massif, Central Europe: (a) Magmatic processes in the upper mantle provide most of the CO₂ to produce bicarbonate waters in shallow aquifers. (b) Extension of the brittle upper crust enables the ascent of sodium chloride waters. (c) Uplift and erosion shape the massif's relief, which determines the extent of flow systems and the distribution of thermal springs. The chemistry of mineral waters further depends on the aquifers' mineral composition. A comprehensive set of hydrological, chemical, tectonic and geophysical data on the Rhenish Massif has been compiled. It was used to classify the mineral waters and to map the spatial distribution of water properties. The composition of cuttings from several representative wells producing different water types shows that the hydrothermal alteration of the aquifer rocks consists mainly of kaolinization of chlorite and dissolution of feldspar. Numerical transport simulations favour two modes of groundwater flow: topography-driven flow and the pressure-driven ascent of basement brines along active faults. Thermal convection is less important.     

Caledonian high-pressure metamorphism in the Strona-Ceneri Zone (Southern Alps of southern Switzerland and northern Italy)

The Strona-Ceneri Zone comprises a succession of polymetamorphic, pre-Alpidic basement rocks including ortho- and paragneisses, metasedimentary schists, amphibolites, and eclogites. The rock pile represents a Late Proterozoic or Palaeozoic subduction accretion complex that was intruded by Ordovician granitoids. Eclogites, which occur as lenses within the ortho-paragneiss succession and as xenoliths within the granitoids record a subduction related high-pressure event (D1) with peak metamorphic conditions of 710 ± 30 °C at 21.0 ± 2.5 kbar. After isothermal uplift, the eclogites experienced a Barrowtype (D2) tectonometamorphic overprint under amphibolite facies conditions (570-630 °C, 7-9 kbar). U-Pb dating on zircon of the eclogites gives a metamorphic age of 457 ± 5 Ma, and syn-eclogite facies rutile gives a ²⁰⁶Pb/²³⁸U age of 443 ± 19 Ma classifying the subduction as a Caledonian event. These data show that the main tectonometamorphic evolution of the Strona-Ceneri Zone most probably took place in a convergent margin scenario, in which accretion, eclogitization of MOR-basalt, polyphase (D1 and D2) deformation, anatexis and magmatism all occurred during the Ordovician. Caledonian high-pressure metamorphism, subsequent magmatism and Barrow-type metamorphism are believed to be related to subduction and collision within the northern margin of Gondwana. Editorial handling: Edwin Gnos     

Redistribution of HFSE elements during rutile replacement by titanite

Titanite growth at the expense of rutile during retrograde hydration of eclogite into amphibolite is a common phenomenon. We investigated an amphibolite sample from the Tromsø eclogite facies terrain in Northern Norway to gain insight into the trace element distribution between rutile and titanite during incomplete resorption of the rutile by titanite. Patchy compositional zoning of Al, Ti, and F in titanite relates to the presence of a fluid with variable Ti/Al and/or F during its growth. Laser ablation ICP–MS and electron microprobe data for high field strength elements (HFSE: Nb, Zr, Ta, and Hf) of rutile resorbed by titanite indicate a pronounced enrichment of these elements in the rim of a large single rutile crystal (~8 mm) and a systematic decrease towards uniform HFSE contents in the large core. HFSE contents of smaller rutile grains (~0.5 mm) and rutile inclusions (<100 μm) in the titanite overgrowth are similar or higher than in the rims of large rutile crystals. Element profiles from the rim inward demonstrate that HFSE enrichment in rutile is controlled by diffusion. HFSE ratios in diffusion-altered rutile show systematic variations compared with the uniform core composition of the large rutile. Modelling of Zr and Nb diffusion in rutile indicates that diffusion coefficients in rutile in fluid-dominated natural systems must be considerably higher than those determined experimentally at 1 bar in dry systems. Variations of HFSE contents in the newly formed titanite show no systematic spatial distribution. HFSE ratios in titanite and the rims of rutile are different, indicating different solid/fluid distribution coefficients in these minerals. Element fractionation by diffusion into the relict rutile and during fluid-mediated growth of new titanite could substantially change the HFSE budget of these minerals and could affect their use for geochemical tracing and other applications, such as Zr-based geothermobarometry.     

Pre-Cenozoic intra-plate magmatism along the Central Andes (17–34°S): Composition of the mantle at an active margin

Sr–Nd–Pb isotope ratios of alkaline mafic intra-plate magmatism constrain the isotopic compositions of the lithospheric mantle along what is now the eastern foreland or back arc of the Cenozoic Central Andes (17–34°S). Most small-volume basanite volcanic rocks and alkaline intrusive rocks of Cretaceous (and rare Miocene) age were derived from a depleted lithospheric mantle source with rather uniform initial ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd ( 0.5127–0.5128) and ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ( 0.7032–0.7040). The initial ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb ratios are variable (18.5–19.7) at uniform ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁴Pb ratios (15.60 ± 0.05). A variety of the Cretaceous depleted mantle source of the magmatic rocks shows elevated Sr isotope ratios up to 0.707 at constant high Nd isotope ratios. The variable Sr and Pb isotope ratios are probably due to radiogenic growth in a metasomatized lithospheric mantle, which represents the former sub-arc mantle beneath the early Palaeozoic active continental margin. Sr–Nd–Pb isotope signatures of a second mantle type reflected in the composition of Cretaceous (one late Palaeozoic age) intra-plate magmatic rocks (¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd  0.5123, ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr  0.704, ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb  17.5–18.5, and ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁴Pb  15.45–15.50) are similar to the isotopic composition of old sub-continental lithospheric mantle of the Brazilian Shield.

Published Nd and Sr isotopic compositions of Mesozoic to Cenozoic arc-related magmatic rocks (18–40°S) represent the composition of the convective sub-arc mantle in the Central Andes and are similar to those of the Cretaceous (and rare Miocene) intra-plate magmatic rocks. The dominant convective and lithospheric mantle type beneath this old continental margin is depleted mantle, which is compositionally different from average MORB-type depleted mantle. The old sub-continental lithospheric mantle did not contribute to Mesozoic to Cenozoic arc magmatism.     

Assessment of small-diameter shallow wells for managed aquifer recharge at a site in southern Styria,Austria

An approach to establish the recharge component of managed aquifer recharge (MAR) has recently been proposed that uses small-diameter shallow wells installed using relatively inexpensive drilling methods such as direct push. As part of further development of that approach, a generalized procedure is presented for a technical and economic assessment of the approach’s potential in comparison to other systems. Following this procedure, the use of small-diameter wells was evaluated both experimentally and numerically for a site located in southern Styria, Austria. MAR is currently done at the site using a horizontal pipe infiltration system, and system expansion has been proposed with a target rate of 12 l/s using small-diameter wells as one possible option. A short-duration single-well field recharge experiment (recharge rate 1.3–3.5 l/s) was performed (recharge by gravity only). Numerical modeling of the injection test was used to estimate hydraulic conductivity (K). Quasi-steady-state, single-well recharge simulations for different locations, as well as a long-term transient simulation, were performed using the K value calibrated from the field injection test. Results indicate that a recharge capacity of 4.1 l/s was achievable with a maximum head rise of 0.2 m at the injection well. Finally, simulations were performed for three different well fields (4, 6 and 8 wells, respectively) designed to infiltrate a target rate of 12 l/s. The experimental and numerical assessments, supported by a cost analysis of the small-diameter wells, indicate that the small-diameter wells are a viable, cost-effective recharge approach at this and other similar sites.