title: Multiple nutrient stresses at intersecting Pacific Ocean biomes detected by protein biomarkers.
abstract: Marine primary productivity is strongly influenced by the scarcity of required nutrients, yet our understanding of these nutrient limitations is informed by experimental observations with sparse geographical coverage and methodological limitations. We developed a quantitative proteomic method to directly assess nutrient stress in high-light ecotypes of the abundant cyanobacterium Prochlorococcus across a meridional transect in the central Pacific Ocean. Multiple peptide biomarkers detected widespread and overlapping regions of nutritional stress for nitrogen and phosphorus in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre and iron in the equatorial Pacific. Quantitative protein analyses demonstrated simultaneous stress for these nutrients at biome interfaces. This application of proteomic biomarkers to diagnose ocean metabolism demonstrated Prochlorococcus actively and simultaneously deploying multiple biochemical strategies for low-nutrient conditions in the oceans.
authors.affiliation: Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA. msaito@whoi.edu.
authors.forename: Mak A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Saito
authors.affiliation: Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA.
authors.forename: Matthew R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: McIlvin
authors.affiliation: Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA.
authors.forename: Dawn M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Moran
authors.affiliation: Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA.
authors.forename: Tyler J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Goepfert
authors.affiliation: College of Charleston, Charleston, SC, USA.
authors.forename: Giacomo R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: DiTullio
authors.affiliation: Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA.
authors.forename: Anton F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Post
authors.affiliation: Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA.
authors.forename: Carl H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Lamborg
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D003035:Cobalt / Q000378:metabolism; D007501:Iron / Q000378:metabolism; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000378:metabolism*; D010140:Pacific Ocean; D010758:Phosphorus / Q000378:metabolism*; D048929:Prochlorococcus / Q000378:metabolism*; D011506:Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D040901:Proteomics / Q000379:methods; D012623:Seawater / Q000382:microbiology*; D013312:Stress, Physiological
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D011506:Proteins; D010758:Phosphorus; D003035:Cobalt; D007501:Iron; D009584:Nitrogen