An Unusual Chlorophyll a Derivative in Tropical Phytoplankton: Artifact or Real?

在热带北部发现了叶绿素的衍生物 近几年，北太平洋。 这一点意义重大，因为 衍生物的浓度等于或高于 叶绿素a 该衍生物也具有类似的光学特性 因此，这一发现可能会改变我们对叶绿素的解释， 生物量标志物 这种支持将使Vernet博士能够分离， 鉴定并开始初步鉴定该叶绿素a 通过使用技术的组合衍生。 其中包括：高 高效液相色谱法、吸收光谱和荧光光谱， 和高分辨率质谱法。 辅助色素相关 将通过色谱法估计叶绿素衍生物， 体内荧光光谱。 此外， 将测定富含这种叶绿素衍生物的浮游生物部分 使用体内荧光激发光谱和14C标记的 叶绿素 这些方法的结合应建立 海洋浮游植物中这种改变的叶绿素的真实性及其 叶绿素a的活性。 悬浮在海洋表层的微型植物 负责大部分海洋生物的生产， 植物含有吸收阳光的色素，就像陆地上的植物一样。 同行们都这样做。 像叶绿素a这样的色素长期以来一直被用来 通过对海洋浮游植物的直接化学分析， 存在于特定水体中的叶绿素。 韦尔内医生会 研究在热带雨林中发现的一种不寻常的色素 在化学上与叶绿素a相似的水。 因为叶绿素 a广泛用于估算生物学中的植物生物量 海洋学，这种最近发现的色素的潜在影响 对我们解释海洋表面生物学的影响是巨大的。 通过 化学和生物学研究与公认的专家 在这个领域，W。Gieskes），Vernet博士将确定这是否 不寻常的色素也可用作植物生物量的指示剂。 博士 韦尔内是非常有资格进行这项研究，并显着受益 对我们理解海水中的植物色素的重要性。

A derivative of chlorophyll has been detected in tropical North Atlantic and North Pacific in recent years. This is significant because the derivative was found in concentrations equal or higher to chlorophyll a. The derivative also has similar optical characteristics and thus this finding may alter our interpretation of chlorophyll as a biomass marker. This support will enable Dr. Vernet to isolate, identify and begin a preliminary characterization of this chlorophyll a derivative by using a combination of techniques. These include; high performance liquid chromatography, absorption and fluorescence spectra, and high resolution mass spectrometry. Accessory pigments associated with the chlorophyll derivative will be estimated by chromatography and in vivo fluorescence spectra. Also, the photosynthetic activity of the plankton fraction rich in this chlorophyll derivative will be determined using in vivo fluorescence excitation spectra and 14C labeled chlorophyll. The combination of these methods should establish the authenticity of this altered chlorophyll in marine phytoplankton and its activity with respect to chlorophyll a. Microscopic plants suspended in the surface layer of the ocean are responsible for most of the ocean's biological production, and these plants contain pigments for absorbing sunlight just as their terrestrial counterparts do. Pigments such as chlorophyll a have long been used to quantify marine phytoplankton through direct chemical analysis of the chlorophyll present in a given body of water. Dr. Vernet will investigate an unusual pigment that has been discovered in tropical water that is chemically similar to chlorophyll a. Because chlorophyll a is used extensively to estimate plant biomass in biological oceanography, the potential impact of this recently discovered pigment on our interpretation of surface ocean biology is substantial. Through chemical and biological studies in association with a recognized expert in the field, (Dr. W. Gieskes), Dr. Vernet will determine if this unusual pigment can also be used as an indicator of plant biomass. Dr. Vernet is very qualified to carry out this study and significant benefit to our understanding of plant pigments in ocean water will result.