Release of Ecologically Relevant Metabolites by the Cyanobacterium, Synechococcus elongatus CCMP 1631
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ABSTRACT: Phytoplankton are known to release organic compounds that fuel secondary production by heterotrophic bacteria. Here we show that an abundant marine cyanobacterium, Synechococcus elongatus, contributes a variety of nitrogen-rich and sulfur-containing compounds to dissolved organic matter. A combination of targeted and untargeted metabolomics and genomic tools was used to characterize the intracellular and extracellular metabolites of S. elongatus. Aromatic compounds such as 4-hydroxybenzoic acid and phenylalanine, as well as nucleosides (e.g., thymidine, 5’-methylthioadenosine, xanthosine), the organosulfur compound 3-mercaptopropionate, and the plant auxin indole 3-acetic acid, were detected in the extracellular metabolites at multiple time points during the growth of S. elongatus. Further, the amino acid kynurenine was found to accumulate in the media even though it was not included in the predicted metabolome of S. elongatus. This suggests that not all metabolites produced by an organism can be predicted from its genome sequence. Some metabolites may be products of non-enzymatic reactions and are likely excreted into the environment as waste. The compounds described herein provide excellent targets for quantitative analysis in field settings to assess the source and lability of dissolved organic matter in situ.
INSTRUMENT(S): TSQ Vantage (Thermo Scientific), Thermo Scientific LTQ FT Ultra
SUBMITTER: Krista Longnecker
PROVIDER: MTBLS155 | MetaboLights | 2015-01-26
REPOSITORIES: MetaboLights
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