RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Identification of microbial exopolymer producers in sandy and muddy intertidal sediments by compound-specific isotope analysis
JF bioRxiv
FD Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
SP 2022.12.02.516908
DO 10.1101/2022.12.02.516908
A1 Cédric Hubas
A1 Julie Gaubert-Boussarie
A1 An-Sofie D’Hondt
A1 Bruno Jesus
A1 Dominique Lamy
A1 Vona Meleder
A1 Antoine Prins
A1 Philippe Rosa
A1 Willem Stock
A1 Koen Sabbe
YR 2022
UL http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2022/12/03/2022.12.02.516908.abstract
AB Extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) refer to a wide variety of high molecular weight molecules secreted outside the cell membrane by biofilm microorganisms. In the present study, EPS from marine microphytobenthic biofilms were extracted and their isotope ratios were analysed. A comparison of these ratios with the carbon isotope ratios of fatty acid biomarkers allowed the identification of the main EPS producers of two contrasting types of intertidal marine sediments. Our study reveals that EPS production and degradation are supported by very different communities in muddy and sandy sediments and that EPS sources are more diverse in the sand. In mud, bound EPS are mainly derived from diatoms, while colloidal EPS are the result of degradation of bound exopolymers by certain specialised bacteria. In sand, bound EPS are rather of bacterial or cyanobacterial origin and diatoms contribute mainly to colloidal EPS. These differences are thought to be related to differences in the functioning of the epipelic and epipsammic communities and in particular to the use of EPS either for motility or for cell attachment purposes.Competing Interest StatementThe authors have declared no competing interest.