On the red coloration of saltern crystallizer ponds |
| |
Authors: | Aharon Oren Noga Stambler Zvy Dubinsky |
| |
Institution: | (1) Division of Microbial and Molecular Ecology, The Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 91904 Jerusalem, Israel;(2) The Moshe Shilo Research Center for Marine Biogeochemistry, The Herbrew University of Jerusalem, 91904 Jerusalem, Israel;(3) Life Sciences Department, Bar-Ilan University, 52900 Ramat Gan, Israel |
| |
Abstract: | To assess, respectively, the contribution of red bacteria of theHalobacterium-Haloferax-Haloarcula group and of the β-carotene-rich green algaDunaliella salina to the red colour of saltern crystallizer ponds, we studied the optical properties of the brines of NaCl-saturated saltern
ponds in Eilat, Israel, and quantified the pigments present in their biota. The absorption spectrum of the brines, as measured
using the opal glass method to reduce the interference by scattering, or using an integrating sphere, nearly corresponded
to thein vivo absorption spectrum of bacterioruberin-containing red archaeobacteria. However, extracts of the microbial community in organic
solvents were dominated by β-carotene, a pigment occurring in high concentrations in theDunaliella cells present, and bacterioruberin contributed only between 13 and 28 per cent of the total visible light absorption by the
extracts. The apparent discrepancy between these results can be explained by the very small in vivo optical cross-section
of β-carotene, which is densely packed in globules inside theD. salina cells. |
| |
Keywords: | solar salterns Halobacterium Dunaliella bacterioruberin β -carotene |
本文献已被 SpringerLink 等数据库收录! |
|