RUI: Using Direct Evidence to Determine the Energetic and Ecological Significance of Dissolved Organic Matter (DOM) for the Bryozoan Bugula Neritina

RUI：利用直接证据确定溶解有机物 (DOM) 对苔藓动物 Bugula Neritina 的能量和生态意义

• 批准号: 0130634
• 负责人: Dean Wendt
• 金额: $ 26.48万
• 依托单位: University of North Carolina Greensboro
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2002
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2002-01-01 至 2002-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0130634&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: RUI; Using; Direct; Evidence; Determine

All organisms ranging from the simplest bacterium to the most sophisticated multicellular animal need energy for metabolic maintenance, growth, and reproduction. It is thus not surprising that a wide variety of mechanisms have evolved for acquiring the energy needed to carry out these vital processes. One such system that has developed among aquatic organisms involves cellular transport and utilization of dissolved organic matter (DOM) directly from the surrounding medium. The work from this project will add much needed direct evidence on the ecological and energetic role of DOM for marine invertebrate animals. Most of the current studies examining use of DOM by marine invertebrates are limited to indirect evidence based on comparisons of metabolic expenditure and potential contribution of DOM calculated from uptake rates of dissolved compounds. Although this approach is useful in determining the theoretical contribution of DOM, it does not directly characterize the realized contribution to an animal's energy budget. A more direct approach based on comparisons of metabolic expenditure of animals in the presence versus absence of DOM is needed. The proposed work seeks to establish this for the bryozoan Bugula neritina through a series of laboratory and field experiments examining how the availability of DOM during larval swimming and metamorphosis effects ecological relevant parameters such as, larval swimming duration, metamorphic competence, size after metamorphosis, adult growth rate, and onset and amount of reproduction. In addition, direct evidence for incorporation of DOM into larval tissues and those of early post-metamorphic stages will be established through autoradiographic techniques. These data will provide insight into how and when the transported compounds are being used (e.g., for swimming, metamorphosis, early juvenile growth). Taken together, the proposed experiments will provide direct evidence on the realized contribution of DOM to the nutritional biology of invertebrates, adding significantly to our current understanding of the ecological and energetic importance of DOM.

从最简单的细菌到最复杂的多细胞动物，所有生物都需要能量来维持代谢、生长和繁殖。 因此，为了获得进行这些重要过程所需的能量，各种各样的机制已经进化出来，这并不奇怪。 在水生生物中发展的一个这样的系统涉及直接从周围介质中溶解的有机物（DOM）的细胞运输和利用。 该项目的工作将为DOM对海洋无脊椎动物的生态和能量作用提供急需的直接证据。目前大多数研究使用DOM的海洋无脊椎动物是有限的间接证据的基础上比较的代谢支出和潜在的贡献计算溶解化合物的吸收率的DOM。 虽然这种方法在确定DOM的理论贡献方面是有用的，但它并不直接表征对动物能量预算的实际贡献。 一个更直接的方法的基础上比较动物的代谢消耗的存在与不存在的DOM是必要的。 拟议的工作旨在建立这一苔藓虫Bugula neritina通过一系列的实验室和现场实验研究如何提供DOM在幼虫游泳和变态的影响生态相关参数，如，幼虫游泳持续时间，变态能力，大小后变态，成人的生长速度，和发病和繁殖量。 此外，DOM纳入幼虫组织和早期后变质阶段的直接证据将通过放射自显影技术建立。 这些数据将提供对如何以及何时使用所运输的化合物的深入了解（例如，用于游泳、变态、早期幼鱼生长）。 两者合计，拟议的实验将提供直接的证据，实现DOM的无脊椎动物的营养生物学的贡献，大大增加了我们目前的理解DOM的生态和精力的重要性。