Salinity as a Regulator of DMSP Degradation in Ruegeria pomeroyi DSS-3

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2014

Authors

Salgado, P (Author) Other; Kiene, R (Author) Other; Wiebe, W (Author) Other; Magalhaes, C (Author) Other

Journal

The Journal is awaiting validation by the Administrative Services.

Title: Journal of Microbiology

Vol. 52

Pages: 948-954

ISSN: 1225-8873

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 18 Citations

Scopus - 0 Citations

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-009-XV8

DOI: 10.1007/s12275-014-4409-1

Abstract (EN): Dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) is an important carbon and sulfur source to marine bacterial communities and the main precursor of dimethylsulfide (DMS), a gas that influences atmospheric chemistry and potentially the global climate. In nature, bacterial DMSP catabolism can yield different proportions of DMS and methanethiol (MeSH), but relatively little is known about the factors controlling the pathways of bacterial degradation that select between their formation (cleavage vs. demethiolation). In this study, we carried out experiments to evaluate the influence of salinity on the routes of DMSP catabolism in Ruegeria pomeroyi DSS-3. We monitored DMS and MeSH accumulation in cell suspensions grown in a range of salinities (10, 20, 30 ppt) and with different DMSP amendments (0, 50, 500 mu M). Significantly higher concentrations of DMS accumulated in low salinity treatments (10 ppt; P < 0.001), in both Marine Basal Medium (MBM) and half-strength Yeast Tryptone Sea Salts (1/2 YTSS) media. Results showed a 47.1% and 87.5% decrease of DMS accumulation, from salinity 10 to 20 ppt, in MBM and 1/2 YTSS media, respectively. On the other hand, MeSH showed enhanced accumulations at higher salinities (20, 30 ppt), with a 90.6% increase of MeSH accumulation from the 20 ppt to the 30 ppt salinity treatments. Our results with R. pomeroyi DSS-3 in culture are in agreement with previous results from estuarine sediments and demonstrate that salinity can modulate selection of the DMSP enzymatic degradation routes, with a consequent potential impact on DMS and MeSH liberation into the atmosphere.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 7