Microbial RNA and DNA synthesis in marine sediments

Abstract

A technique for measuring rates of RNA and DNA synthesis in sedimentary microbial communities has been adapted from methods developed for marine and freshwater microplankton research. The procedure measures the uptake, incorporation and turnover of exogenous [2, 3H]-adenine by benthic microbial populations. With minor modification, it is applicable to a wide range of sediment types. Measurement of nucleic acid synthesis rates are reported from selected benthic marine environments, including coral reef sediments (Kaneohe Bay, Oahu, Hawaii), intertidal beach sands (Oahu and southern California) and California borderland basin sediment (San Pedro Basin), and comparisons are made to selected water-column microbial communities. Biomass-specific rates of nucleic acid synthesis in sediment microbial communities were comparable to those observed in water-column assemblages (i.e., 0.02 to 2.0 pmol deoxyadenine incorporated into DNA [ng ATP]-1 h-1 and 0.2 to 8.9 pmol adenine incorporated into RNA [ng ATP]-1 h-1). DNA synthesis rates were used to calculate carbon production estimates ranging from 2 μg C cm-3 h-1 in San Pedro Basin sediment (880 m water depth) to 807 μg C cm-3 h-1 in coral reef sediment from the Kaneohe Bay. Microbial community specific growth rate, μ(d-1), estimated from DNA synthesis rates in surface sediments ranged from 0.1 in San Pedro Basin to 4.2 in Scripps Beach (La Jolla, California) intertidal sand.