title: Estimates of leucine aminopeptidase activity in different marine and brackish environments.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Leucine aminopeptidase (LAP), an enzyme involved in the decomposition of natural peptides, was measured in different marine and brackish ecosystems, together with some environmental and microbiological parameters.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The fluorogenic compound L-leucine-7-amido-4-methyl coumarin was specifically used for the determination of this in situ activity. The enzyme data obtained from this comparative study highlighted the strong spatial and temporal variability of the distribution of LAP in aquatic ecosystems, which was sometimes related to the course of environmental variables such as salinity and organic carbon content.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  LAP assay has proved to be a rapid method providing useful information on the microbial metabolic processes involved in the mineralization of organic matter.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The determination of the potential rates of extracellular enzyme activity is of great ecological importance to extend knowledge on the role played by bacteria in aquatic biogeochemical cycles.
authors: Istituto Sperimentale Talassografico CNR, Messina, Italy. caruso@talas.ist.me.cnr.it
authors: G
authors: G
authors: Caruso
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Zaccone
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000201:enzymology*; D017753:Ecosystem; D007558:Italy; D007931:Leucyl Aminopeptidase / Q000378:metabolism*; D012621:Seasons; D012623:Seawater / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000382:microbiology; D013696:Temperature; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry*; D014871:Water Microbiology
chemical_list: D014867:Water; D007931:Leucyl Aminopeptidase