title: Influence of age of aggregates and prokaryotic abundance on glucose and leucine uptake by heterotrophic marine prokaryotes.
abstract: The kinetics of glucose and leucine uptake in attached and free-living prokaryotes in two types of microcosms with different nutrient qualities were compared. Microcosm type M1, derived from unaltered seawater, and microcosm type M2, from phytoplankton cultures, clearly expressed different kinetic parameters (Vmax/cell and K' m). In aggregates with low cell densities (M1 microcosm), the attached prokaryotes benefited from attachment as reflected in the higher potential uptake rates, while in aggregates with high cell densities (M2 microcosm) differences in the potential uptake rates of attached and free-living prokaryotes were not evident. The aging process and the chemical changes in aggregates of M2 microcosms were followed for 15-20 days. The results showed that as the aggregates aged and prokaryotic abundance increased, attached prokaryotes decreased their potential uptake rate and their K' m for substrate. This suggests an adaptive response by attached prokaryotes when aggregates undergo quantitative and qualitative impoverishment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of the Basque Country, Bilbao, Spain.
authors.forename: Iñigo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Azúa
authors.forename: Marian
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Unanue
authors.forename: Begoña
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ayo
authors.forename: Itxaso
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Artolozaga
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Iriberri
mesh_terms: D002449:Cell Aggregation / Q000502:physiology; D017377:Diatoms / Q000378:metabolism; D005947:Glucose / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D007700:Kinetics; D007930:Leucine / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D010839:Phytoplankton / Q000378:metabolism; D011387:Prokaryotic Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D014871:Water Microbiology
chemical_list: D007930:Leucine; D005947:Glucose