The dynamics of protein decomposition in lakes of different trophic status--reflections on the assessment of the real proteolytic activity in situ.
Abstract The aim of this paper is to discuss the methodology of our investigation of the dynamics of protein degradation and the total in situ proteolytic activity in meso/eutrophic, eutrophic, and hypereutrophic freshwater environments. Analysis of the kinetics and rates of enzymatic release of amino acids in water samples preserved with sodium azide allows determination of the concentrations of labile proteins (C(LAB)), and their half-life time (T(1/2)). Moreover, it gives more realistic information on resultant activity in situ (V(T(1/2))) of ecto- and extracellular proteases that are responsible for the biological degradation of these compounds. Although the results provided by the proposed method are generally well correlated with those obtained by classical procedures, they better characterize the dynamics of protein degradation processes, especially in eutrophic or hypereutrophic lakes. In these environments, processes of protein decomposition occur mainly on the particles and depend primarily on a metabolic activity of seston-attached bacteria. The method was tested in three lakes. The different degree of eutrophication of these lakes was clearly demonstrated by the measured real proteolytic pattern and confirmed by conventional trophic state determinants.
Siuda
Waldemar
W
Microbial Ecology Department, Institute of Microbiology, Warsaw University, Miecznikowa 1, PL-02-096 Warsaw, Poland. w.siuda@biol.uw.edu.pl
Kiersztyn
Bartosz
B
Chróst
Ryszard J
RJ
D000596:Amino Acids / Q000378:metabolism; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D005068:Eutrophication; D005618:Fresh Water / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000382:microbiology; D006207:Half-Life; D006868:Hydrolysis; D009842:Oligopeptides / Q000378:metabolism; D011506:Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*
D000596:Amino Acids; D009842:Oligopeptides; D011506:Proteins