Abstract
In outdoor tanks enclosed monocultures of Thalassiosira rotula showed partly synchronized cell divisions during exponential growth. The changes in division activity showed a characteristic frequency, which also could be found for cell length (pervalvar axis) and assimilation rate as well as for concentration changes of dissolved free amino acids (DFAA) and ammonia. Excretion of DFAA occurred preferentially during periods of reduced cell division activity, when assimilation was at a higher level. The concentration of ammonia decreased during these periods. The rates per hour of these parameters showed significant multiple correlations. The release of six individual amino acids (ala, β-ala, gly, lys, orn and ser) seemed to be controlled by the physiological status of the diatoms. These amino acids amounted to a portion of about 70–80% of the total DFAA. Uptake and release rates of DFAA nitrogen and ammonia were in the same range with maxima of about 350 ng at nitrogen dm-3 h-1 and litre. These dynamics pointed to strong fluxes of organic bound nitrogen in marine micro-heterotrophs.
Similar content being viewed by others
Literature cited
Bolze, A. and C. T. Soeder: Konzentrationsänderungen der extrazellulären organischen Subtanz bei Synchronkulturen von Scenedesmus acutus var. alternans HORTOB. Arch. Hydrobiol. 82, 142–154 (1978)
Brockmann, U. H., K. Eberlein, G. Hentzschel, H. Schöne, D. Siebers, K. Wandschneider and A. Weber: Parallel plastic tank experiments with cultures of marine diatoms. Helgol. wiss. Meeresunters. 30, 201–217 (1977)
Chisholm, S. W., F. M. M. Morel and W. S. Slocum: The phasing and distribution of cell division cycles in marine diatoms. In: Primary productivity in the sea, pp 281–299. Ed. by P. G. Falkowski. London: Plenum Press 1980
Crawford, C. C., J. E. Hobbie and K. L. Webb: Utilisation of dissolved free amino acids by estuarine microorganisms. Ecology 55, 551–563 (1974)
Döhler, G. and H.-J. Rosslenbroich: Diurnal variation in photosynthetic CO2 fixation of marine phytoplankton population. Z. Pflanzenphysiol. 94, 417–425 (1979)
Fogg, G. E.: Primary productivity. In: Chemical oceanography, Vol. II, pp 385–453. Ed. by J. Riley and G. Skirrow. New York: Academic Press 1975
Fogg, G. E.: Excretion of organic matter by phytoplankton. Limnol. Oceanogr. 22, 576–577 (1977)
Gimmler, H., W. Ullrich, J. Domanski-Kaden and W. Urbach: Excretion of glycolate during synchronous culture of Ankistrodesmus braunii in the presence of disalicylidenepropanediamine or hydroxypyridinemethansulfonate. Plant Cell Physiol. 10, 103–112 (1969)
Hammer, K. D., G. Kattner and K. Eberlain: Development of organic substances at the central station during FLEX '76. II. Dissolved free amino acids. Proc. ICES/JONSIS Workshop on JONSDAP '76 (Liège, Belgium, April 29–May 2, 1980), ICES CM 1980/C No. 3: 71–83, 1980
Hammer, K. D. and K. Eberlein: Parallel experiments with Thalassiosira rotula in outdoor plastic tanks: development of dissolved free amino acids during an algae bloom. Mar. Chem. 10, 533–544 (1981)
Hammer, K. D., U. H. Brockmann and G. Kattner: Release of dissolved free amino acid during a bloom of Thalassiosira rotula. Kieler Meeresforsch. Sonderh. 5, 101–109 (1981)
Hammer, K. D., K. Eberlein, G. Kattner and U. H. Brockmann: Fluctuations of dissolved amino acids: a comparison between natural and enclosed phytoplankton populations. In: North Sea dynamics, pp 559–572. Ed. by J. Sündermann and W. Lenz. Berlin: Springer 1983
Harrison, W. G. and J. M. Davis: Nitrogen cycling in a marine planktonic food chain: nitrogen fluxes through the principal components and the effect of adding copper. Mar. Biol. 43, 299–306 (1977)
Harrison, W. G., R. W. Eppley and E. H. Renger: Phytoplankton nitrogen metabolism, nitrogen budgets, and observations on copper toxicity: controlled ecosystem pollution experiment. Bull. mar. Sci. 27, 44–47 (1977)
Hitchcock, G. L.: Diel variation in chlorophyll a, carbohydrate and protein content of the marine diatom Skeletonema costatum. Mar. Biol. 57, 271–278 (1980)
Hobbie, J. E. and K. L. Webb: Amino acid flux in an estuary. Science, N.Y. 159, 1453–1464 (1968)
Hollibaugh, J. T.: Nitrogen regeneration during the degradation of several amino acids by plankton communities collected near Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Mar. Biol. 45, 191–201 (1978)
Hollibaugh, J. T.: Amino acid fluxes in marine plankton communities contained in CEPEX bags. In: Fjord oceanography, pp 439–445. Ed by H. J. Freeland, D. M. Farmer and C. D. Levings. New York: Plenum 1980
McCarthy, J. J.: Nitrogen. In: The physiological ecology of phytoplankton, pp 191–233. Ed. by I. Morris. London: Blackwell Sci. Publ. 1980
Naylor, S.: Phytoplankton exudation and culture shock. M. Sc. thesis, Southampton 1979
Parsons, T. R., M. Takahashi and B. Hargrave: Biological oceanographic processes, pp 83–84. New York: Pergamon Press 1977
Sepers, A. B. J.: The utilisation of dissolved organic compounds in aquatic environments. Hydrobiologica 52, 39–54 (1977)
Sharp, J. H.: Excretion of organic matter by marine phytoplankton. Limnol. Oceanogr. 22, 381–399 (1977)
Sournia, A.: Circadian periodicities in natural populations of marine phytoplankton. Adv. mar. Biol. 12, 325–389 (1974)
Strickland, J. G. H. and T. R. Parsons: A practical handbook of sea water analysis. Fish. Res. Bd Can., Bull. 167, 185–206 (1968)
Thayer, G. W.: Identity and regulation of nutrients limiting phytoplankton production in the shallow estuaries near Beaufort, N. C. Oecologia (Berl.) 14, 75–92 (1974)
Thomas, J. P.: Release of dissolved organic matter from natural populations of marine phytoplankton. Mar. Biol. 11, 311–323 (1971)
Wheeler, P. A., B. B. North, M. Littler and G. C. Stephens: Uptake of glycine by natural phytoplankton communities. Limnol. Oceanogr. 22, 900–910 (1977)
Williams, P. J. LeB. and G. S. Yentsch: An examination of photosynthetic production, excretion of photosynthetic products, and heterotrophic utilisation of organic compounds with reference to result from a coastal subtropical sea. Mar. Biol. 35, 31–40 (1976)
Williams, P. J. LeB.: Incorporation of microheterotrophic processes into classical paradigm of the planktonic food web. Kieler Meeresforsch. Sonderh. 5, 1–28 (1981)
Williamson, C. E.: Phased cell division in natural and laboratory populations of marine planktonic diatoms. J. exp. mar. Biol. Ecol. 43, 271–279 (1980)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Communicated by O. Kinne, Hamburg
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Hammer, K.D., Brockmann, U.H. Rhythmic release of dissolved free amino acids from partly synchronized Thalassiosira rotula under nearly natural conditions. Mar. Biol. 74, 305–312 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00403456
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00403456