Survival of Proteins in Marine Systems: Role of Macromolecular Organic Matter

小行星9711596 将结合应用地球化学和生物化学工具，审查大分子有机物质在海洋系统中蛋白氮长期稳定或螯合方面的作用。 这项研究的重点将是已经从天然矿物耗尽的海洋沉积物（百慕大红树林湖）、从秘鲁上升流区和圣巴巴拉盆地获得的海洋有机物丰富的沉积物、海洋沉积物捕集器材料中获得的样品，以及从实验室降解藻类中获得的样品，藻类的生长是为了使藻类富集13 C和15 N。 电泳技术和NMR将跟踪蛋白质在实验室孵育过程中掺入大分子池的命运。 将研究蛋白质在形成大分子有机物方面的作用，这种有机物在沉积物中长期抵抗降解。 为了解决这个问题，一种新的双重/选择性标记实验将被用来检查任何交叉耦合的碳和氮从两个平行的，但选择性标记的藻类池在降解过程中。 了解沉积物和沉积物捕集材料中难降解含氮有机物形成的机制和过程，将提高我们对海洋系统中氮循环的理解，并为改进全球氮循环预测模型提供概念框架。

9711596 Hatcher The role of macromolecular organic matter will be examined with respect to the long-term stabilization or sequestration of protein nitrogen in marine systems using the combined application of geochemical and biochemical tools. The study will focus upon samples already obtained from a natural mineral-matter depleted marine sediment (Mangrove Lake, Bermuda), oceanic organic-rich sediments from the Peru upwelling zone and the Santa Barbara Basin, oceanic sediment trap material, and on samples obtained from laboratory degradations of algae grown to enrich them in 13C and 15N. Electrophoretic techniques and NMR will follow the fate of protein in laboratory incubations during its incorporation into the macromolecular pool. Protein's role in forming macromolecular organic matter which resists degradation in sediments over the long term will be studied. To address this issue, a novel dual/selective labeling experiment will be used to examine any cross-coupling of carbon and nitrogen from each of two parallel but selectively labeled pools of algae during degradation. Understanding the mechanisms and processes involved in the formation of refractory nitrogen-containing organic material in sediments and sediment-trap material will improve our understanding of nitrogen cycling in marine systems and will also provide a conceptual framework for improved predictive models of global nitrogen cycling.