Microbial Cycling of Dissolved Organic Phosphorus in the Oligotrophic North Atlantic: The Nucleic Acid Connection

尽管主要关注氮作为限制性营养素， 海洋生态系统，有证据表明，在一些海洋 环境，特别是巨大的贫营养中央环流， 磷酸盐似乎是难熔的， 限制，虽然一小部分的磷酸盐池确实出现 快速翻转。 将检查溶解的核酸 作为这个快速循环部分的模型组件，因为 许多分解率和浓度的 可以测量得到的中间体。 这些参数将 通过荧光、同位素和 分光光度计技术，并将比较平行 主要磷酸盐池和通量的测量。这个项目 将检验微生物分解 溶解的核酸是：1）数量上重要的 途径，和2）一个模型途径的循环不稳定的 溶解有机磷酸盐在贫营养的北大西洋。 这项研究将进一步加深我们对 溶解的有机磷酸盐，一套化合物， 对海洋初级生产具有潜在的全球重要性。 此外，这项研究将有助于了解微生物 生物聚合物和单体分解的过程。 最后，由于 溶解的核酸是遗传物质， 溶解有机碳和氮的水库，这些 研究将增加我们对环境基因的了解 溶解有机碳和氮的循环 环境保护

Despite a major focus on nitrogen as the limiting nutrient in marine ecosystems, there is evidence that in some marine environments, especially the vast oligotrophic central gyres, that phosphate appears to be refractory and potentially limiting, although a fraction of the phosphate pool does appear to turn over rapidly. Dissolved nucleic acids will be examined as a model component of this rapidly-cycling fraction, because many of the breakdown rates and the concentrations of the resulting intermediates can be measured. These parameters will be measured by a combination of fluorometric, isotopic, and spectrophotometric techniques and will be compared to parallel measurement of the major phosphate pools and fluxes. This project will test the hypotheses that microbial breakdown of dissolved nucleic acids is both: 1) a quantitatively important pathway, and 2) a model pathway for the cycling of labile dissolved organic phosphate in the oligotrophic North Atlantic. This research will further our understanding of the cycling of dissolved organic phosphate, a suite of compounds with potentially global importance to marine primary production. Furthermore, this research will lead to insights into microbial processes of biopolymer and monomer breakdown. Finally, since dissolved nucleic acids are genetic material and also significant reservoirs of dissolved organic carbon and nitrogen, these studies will increase our knowledge of environmental gene transfer and of dissolved organic carbon and nitrogen cycling in the environment.