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Ramirez MD, Besser AC, Newsome SD, McMahon KW. Meta‐analysis of primary producer amino acid δ
15
N values and their influence on trophic position estimation. Methods Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.13678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Matthew D. Ramirez
- Graduate School of Oceanography University of Rhode Island Narragansett RI USA
| | - Alexi C. Besser
- Department of Biology University of New Mexico Albuquerque NM USA
| | - Seth D. Newsome
- Department of Biology University of New Mexico Albuquerque NM USA
| | - Kelton W. McMahon
- Graduate School of Oceanography University of Rhode Island Narragansett RI USA
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Kendall IP, Woodward P, Clark JP, Styring AK, Hanna JV, Evershed RP. Compound-specific δ 15N values express differences in amino acid metabolism in plants of varying lignin content. PHYTOCHEMISTRY 2019; 161:130-138. [PMID: 30826700 DOI: 10.1016/j.phytochem.2019.01.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2018] [Revised: 11/27/2018] [Accepted: 01/15/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Amino acid δ15N values of foliage of various plant taxa, grown at the experimental farm stations of North Wyke, UK and Bad Lauchstädt, Germany were determined by GC-C-IRMS. The difference between δ15N values of glutamate (Glx) and phenylalanine (Phe) were found to differ significantly between woody and herbaceous plants, with mean Δ15NGlx-Phe (i.e. δ15NPhe - δ15NGlx) values of -9.3 ± 1.6‰ and -5.8 ± 2.1‰, respectively. These differences in values are hypothesised to be due to the involvement of Phe in the phenylpropanoid pathway, by which lignin and other phenolic secondary metabolites are produced, leading to isotopic fractionation and enrichment of the remaining Phe pool available for protein biosynthesis. This results in the more negative Δ15NGlx-Phe values observed in woody plants relative to herbaceous plants, as the former are assumed to produce more lignin. To test this assumption, plant leaf tissue lignin concentrations were estimated by solid state 13C cross-polarisation, magic-angle-spinning (CPMAS) NMR spectroscopy for a subset of plants, which showed that tree foliage has a higher concentration of lignin (12.6 wt%) than herbaceous foliage (6.3 wt%). The correlation of lignin concentration with Δ15NGlx-Phe values demonstrates that the difference in these values with plant type is indeed due to differential production of lignin. The ability to estimate the lignin content of plants from amino acid δ15N values will, to give one example, allow refinement of estimates of herbivore diet in present and past ecosystems, enabling more accurate environmental niche modelling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iain P Kendall
- Organic Geochemistry Unit, School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TS, UK
| | - Peter Woodward
- Organic Geochemistry Unit, School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TS, UK
| | - Joshua P Clark
- Department of Physics, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK
| | - Amy K Styring
- Organic Geochemistry Unit, School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TS, UK; Present Address: Institut für Archäologische Wissenschaften, Goethe-Universität Frankfurt Am Main, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - John V Hanna
- Department of Physics, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK
| | - Richard P Evershed
- Organic Geochemistry Unit, School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TS, UK.
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Zhu RG, Xiao HY, Zhang Z, Lai Y. Compound-specific δ 15N composition of free amino acids in moss as indicators of atmospheric nitrogen sources. Sci Rep 2018; 8:14347. [PMID: 30254224 PMCID: PMC6156404 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-32531-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2018] [Accepted: 09/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Haplocladium microphyllum moss samples were collected in Nanchang, China. Free amino acid (FAA) concentrations and N isotope compositions (δ15NFAA) in the samples were determined and compared with the bulk N concentrations and δ15Nbulk values. The aim was to determine whether δ15NFAA values in moss (which are very variable) indicate the sources of atmospheric N. The δ15NFAA values among individual FAA varied widely (from -19.3‰ to +16.1‰), possibly because of the different sources of N and isotope fractionation in amino acids metabolic pathways. Total 15N-enrichment for the individual FAAs was equal to total 15N-depletion relative to δ15Nbulk. The concentration-weighted mean δ15N value for total FAAs (TFAA) (δ15NTFAA) was -3.1‰ ± 3.2‰, which was similar to δ15Nbulk (-4.0‰ ± 2.9‰). We concluded that a N isotope balance occurred during amino acid metabolism and that little isotope disparity occurred between the concentration-weighted TFAA and bulk N. We concluded that δ15NTFAA ≈ δ15Nbulk ≈ δ15Nsource. The mean δ15Nalanine (-4.1‰), δ15Nglutamate (-4.2‰), and δ15Nlysine (-4.0‰) were similar to the mean δ15Nbulk, which we attributed to little isotope fractionation occurring during their in situ the metabolic pathways. This suggests that δ15Nalanine, δ15Nglutamate, and δ15Nlysine in moss can be used to indicate the sources of atmospheric N deposition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ren-Guo Zhu
- Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory of the Causes and Control of Atmospheric Pollution, East China University of Technology, Nanchang, 330013, China
- College of Water Resources and Environmental Engineering, East China University of Technology, Nanchang, 330013, China
| | - Hua-Yun Xiao
- Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory of the Causes and Control of Atmospheric Pollution, East China University of Technology, Nanchang, 330013, China.
- College of Water Resources and Environmental Engineering, East China University of Technology, Nanchang, 330013, China.
| | - Zhongyi Zhang
- Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory of the Causes and Control of Atmospheric Pollution, East China University of Technology, Nanchang, 330013, China
- College of Water Resources and Environmental Engineering, East China University of Technology, Nanchang, 330013, China
| | - Yuanyuan Lai
- Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory of the Causes and Control of Atmospheric Pollution, East China University of Technology, Nanchang, 330013, China
- College of Earth Sciences, East China University of Technology, Nanchang, 330013, China
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Costa ES, Grilo CF, Wolff GA, Thompson A, Figueira RCL, Neto RR. Evaluation of metals and hydrocarbons in sediments from a tropical tidal flat estuary of Southern Brazil. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2015; 92:259-268. [PMID: 25530014 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2014.11.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2014] [Revised: 11/18/2014] [Accepted: 11/20/2014] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Although the Passagem Channel estuary, Espírito Santo State, Brazil, is located in an urbanized and industrialized region, it has a large mangrove system. Here we examined natural and anthropogenic inputs that may influence trace metal (Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Sc, Pb and Zn) and hydrocarbon (n-alkane and terpane) deposition in three sediment cores collected in the tidal flat zone of the estuary. The cores were also analyzed for carbonate, grain size and stable isotopic composition (δ(13)Corg. and δ(15)Ntotal). Metal enrichment and its association to petroleum hydrocarbons in the surficial sediments of one of the cores, indicate crude oil and derivative inputs, possibly from small vessels and road run-off from local heavy automobile traffic. At the landward sites, the major contributions for metals and hydrocarbons are from natural sources, but in one case, Cu may have been enriched by domestic effluent inputs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eduardo S Costa
- Departamento de Oceanografia e Ecologia, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Brazil.
| | - Caroline F Grilo
- Departamento de Oceanografia e Ecologia, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Brazil.
| | - George A Wolff
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, United Kingdom.
| | - Anu Thompson
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, United Kingdom.
| | | | - Renato Rodrigues Neto
- Departamento de Oceanografia e Ecologia, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Brazil.
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Styring AK, Fraser RA, Bogaard A, Evershed RP. Cereal grain, rachis and pulse seed amino acid δ15N values as indicators of plant nitrogen metabolism. PHYTOCHEMISTRY 2014; 97:20-9. [PMID: 23790569 DOI: 10.1016/j.phytochem.2013.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2012] [Revised: 05/16/2013] [Accepted: 05/20/2013] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Natural abundance δ(15)N values of plant tissue amino acids (AAs) reflect the cycling of N into and within plants, providing an opportunity to better understand environmental and anthropogenic effects on plant metabolism. In this study, the AA δ(15)N values of barley (Hordeum vulgare) and bread wheat (Triticum aestivum) grains and rachis and broad bean (Vicia faba) and pea (Pisum sativum) seeds, grown at the experimental farm stations of Rothamsted, UK and Bad Lauchstädt, Germany, were determined by GC-C-IRMS. It was found that the δ(15)N values of cereal grain and rachis AAs could be largely attributed to metabolic pathways involved in their biosynthesis and catabolism. The relative (15)N-enrichment of phenylalanine can be attributed to its involvement in the phenylpropanoid pathway and glutamate has a δ(15)N value which is an average of the other AAs due to its central role in AA-N cycling. The relative AA δ(15)N values of broad bean and pea seeds were very different from one another, providing evidence for differences in the metabolic routing of AAs to the developing seeds in these leguminous plants. This study has shown that AA δ(15)N values relate to known AA biosynthetic pathways in plants and thus have the potential to aid understanding of how various external factors, such as source of assimilated N, influence metabolic cycling of N within plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy K Styring
- Organic Geochemistry Unit, Biogeochemistry Research Centre, School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Rebecca A Fraser
- School of Archaeology, University of Oxford, 36 Beaumont Street, Oxford, UK
| | - Amy Bogaard
- School of Archaeology, University of Oxford, 36 Beaumont Street, Oxford, UK
| | - Richard P Evershed
- Organic Geochemistry Unit, Biogeochemistry Research Centre, School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
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Styring AK, Kuhl A, Knowles TDJ, Fraser RA, Bogaard A, Evershed RP. Practical considerations in the determination of compound-specific amino acid δ15N values in animal and plant tissues by gas chromatography-combustion-isotope ratio mass spectrometry, following derivatisation to their N-acetylisopropyl esters. RAPID COMMUNICATIONS IN MASS SPECTROMETRY : RCM 2012; 26:2328-2334. [PMID: 22956325 DOI: 10.1002/rcm.6322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Stable nitrogen isotope (δ(15)N) values of bone collagen are routinely used to inform interpretations of diet and trophic positions within contemporary and ancient ecosystems, yet the underlying physiological and biochemical factors which contribute to the bulk collagen δ(15)N value remain little understood. Determination of individual amino acid (AA) δ(15)N values in animal and plant proteins can help to elucidate the cycling of nitrogen and inform predictions of palaeodiet and ecology. METHODS In this study we present a methodology for the measurement of amino acid δ(15)N values using gas chromatography-combustion-isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC-C-IRMS). Amino acid standards of known δ(15)N values were derivatised to their N-acetylisopropyl (NAIP) esters and purified through Dowex ion-exchange resin to determine any isotopic fractionation associated with derivatisation and ion-exchange chromatography. The effect of starch on AA δ(15)N values was also determined by hydrolysing bone collagen with and without the presence of starch. RESULTS The amino acids derivatised to their NAIP esters give values within ±0.8‰ of their δ(15)N values measured separately by elemental analyser (EA)-IRMS, with a precision of better than 0.8‰. The δ(15)N values of AAs after Dowex ion-exchange chromatography were within ±0.9‰ of their values prior to ion-exchange chromatography. The AA δ(15)N values of bone collagen hydrolysed with and without starch were within ±0.8‰. CONCLUSIONS Hydrolysis of lipid-extracted plant material followed by purification of AAs using Dowex ion-exchange resin and derivatisation to their NAIP esters is a suitable protocol for the accurate determination of individual plant and animal AA δ(15)N values by GC-C-IRMS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy K Styring
- Organic Geochemistry Unit, Biogeochemistry Research Centre, School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
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Larsen T, Wooller MJ, Fogel ML, O'Brien DM. Can amino acid carbon isotope ratios distinguish primary producers in a mangrove ecosystem? RAPID COMMUNICATIONS IN MASS SPECTROMETRY : RCM 2012; 26:1541-1548. [PMID: 22638971 DOI: 10.1002/rcm.6259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE The relative contribution of carbon from terrestrial vs. marine primary producers to mangrove-based food webs can be challenging to resolve with bulk carbon isotope ratios (δ(13)C). In this study we explore whether patterns of δ(13)C values among amino acids (AAs) can provide an additional tool for resolving terrestrial and marine origins of carbon. METHODS Amino acid carbon isotope ratios (δ(13)C(AA)) were measured for several terrestrial and marine primary producers in a mangrove ecosystem at Spanish Lookout Caye (SLC), Belize, using gas chromatography-combustion-isotope ratio mass spectrometry. The δ(13)C values of essential amino acids (δ(13)C(EAA)) were measured to determine whether they could be used to differentiate terrestrial and marine producers using linear discriminant analysis. RESULTS Marine and terrestrial producers had distinct patterns of δ(13)C(EAA) values in addition to their differences in bulk δ(13)C values. Microbial mat samples and consumers (Crassostrea rhizophorae, Aratus pisonii, Littoraria sp., Lutjanus griseus) were most similar to marine producers. Patterns of δ(13)C(EAA) values for terrestrial producers were very similar to those described for other terrestrial plants. CONCLUSIONS The findings suggest that δ(13)C(EAA) values may provide another tool for estimating the contribution of terrestrial and marine sources to detrital foodwebs. Preliminary analyses of consumers indicate significant use of aquatic resources, consistent with other studies of mangrove foodwebs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Larsen
- Leibniz-Laboratory for Radiometric Dating and Stable Isotope Research, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, 24118 Kiel, Germany
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Bowling DR, Pataki DE, Randerson JT. Carbon isotopes in terrestrial ecosystem pools and CO2 fluxes. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2008; 178:24-40. [PMID: 18179603 DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-8137.2007.02342.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 180] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Stable carbon isotopes are used extensively to examine physiological, ecological, and biogeochemical processes related to ecosystem, regional, and global carbon cycles and provide information at a variety of temporal and spatial scales. Much is known about the processes that regulate the carbon isotopic composition (delta(13)C) of leaf, plant, and ecosystem carbon pools and of photosynthetic and respiratory carbon dioxide (CO(2)) fluxes. In this review, systematic patterns and mechanisms underlying variation in delta(13)C of plant and ecosystem carbon pools and fluxes are described. We examine the hypothesis that the delta(13)C of leaf biomass can be used as a reference point for other carbon pools and fluxes, which differ from the leaf in delta(13)C in a systematic fashion. Plant organs are typically enriched in (13)C relative to leaves, and most ecosystem pools and respiratory fluxes are enriched relative to sun leaves of dominant plants, with the notable exception of root respiration. Analysis of the chemical and isotopic composition of leaves and leaf respiration suggests that growth respiration has the potential to contribute substantially to the observed offset between the delta(13)C values of ecosystem respiration and the bulk leaf. We discuss the implications of systematic variations in delta(13)C of ecosystem pools and CO(2) fluxes for studies of carbon cycling within ecosystems, as well as for studies that use the delta(13)C of atmospheric CO(2) to diagnose changes in the terrestrial biosphere over annual to millennial time scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- David R Bowling
- Department of Biology, 257 South, 1400 East, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112-0820, USA
| | - Diane E Pataki
- Department of Earth System Science and
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
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O'Brien DM, Boggs CL, Fogel ML. The Amino Acids Used in Reproduction by Butterflies: A Comparative Study of Dietary Sources Using Compound‐Specific Stable Isotope Analysis. Physiol Biochem Zool 2005; 78:819-27. [PMID: 16096984 DOI: 10.1086/431191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/20/2004] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
It is a nutritional challenge for nectar-feeding insects to meet the amino acid requirements of oviposition. Here we investigate whether egg amino acids derive from larval diet or are synthesized from nectar sugar in four species of butterfly: Colias eurytheme, Speyeria mormonia, Euphydryas chalcedona, and Heliconius charitonia. These species exhibit a range of life history and differ in degree of shared phylogeny. We use 13C differences among plants to identify dietary sources of amino acid carbon, and we measure amino acid 13C using compound-specific stable isotope analysis. Egg essential amino acids derived solely from the larval diet, with no evidence for metabolic carbon remodeling. Carbon in nonessential amino acids from eggs derived primarily from nectar sugars, with consistent variation in amino acid turnover. There was no relationship between the nonessential amino acids of eggs and host plants, demonstrating extensive metabolic remodeling. Differences between species in carbon turnover were reflected at the molecular level, particularly by glutamate and aspartate. Essential amino acid 13C varied in a highly consistent pattern among larval host plants, reflecting a common isotopic "fingerprint" associated with plant biosynthesis. These data demonstrate conservative patterns of amino acid metabolism among Lepidoptera and the power of molecular stable isotope analyses for evaluating nutrient metabolism in situ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diane M O'Brien
- Institute of Arctic Biology, P.O. Box 757000, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, AK, 99775-7000, USA.
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Bol R, Ostle N, Chenu C, Petzke KJ, Werner R, Balesdent J. Long term changes in the distribution and delta(15)N values of individual soil amino acids in the absence of plant and fertiliser inputs. ISOTOPES IN ENVIRONMENTAL AND HEALTH STUDIES 2004; 40:243-256. [PMID: 15621743 DOI: 10.1080/10256010412331305607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
The long-term 'biodegradation' on soil amino acids was examined in the control plots of '42 parcelles' experiment, established in 1928 at INRA, Versailles (France). None of the plots is cultivated, but is kept free of weeds, and mixed to a depth of 25 cm twice yearly. Topsoil (0-10 cm depth) samples collected in 1929, 1963 and 1997 were subjected to acid hydrolysis (6 N HCl) for comparison. The distribution and delta(15)N natural abundance of 20 individual amino acids in the soils were determined, using ion chromatography (IC) and gas chromatography-combustion-isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC-C-IRMS). The total N and amino acid-N (AA-N), respectively, decreased by 54 % and 73 % in the period from 1929 to 1997. The average N loss was comparable for 1929-1963 (period 1) and 1963-1997 (period 2), but AA-N loss was three times faster in the former period. This significant reduction in total AA-N content was mirrored in the individual amino acids, which decreased by 74 % +/- 1 % (ranging 58-89 %) between 1929 and 1997. The bulk delta(15)N values generally increased from 1929 to 1997, mainly associated with comparable or even higher increase of delta(15)N of the non-AA-N in the soil. The residence time (t(1/2), time in which half of N was lost from a specific soil pool) was ca. 65 +/- 5 years for the bulk soil, and comparable for periods 1 and 2. However, between periods 1 and 2 it decreased from 128 to 41 years in the non-AA pool, but increased from 59 to 92 years in the AA-N pool. Proline and amino acids that appear early in soil microbial metabolic pathways (e.g. glutamic acid, alanine, aspartic acid and valine) had relatively high delta(15)N values. Phenylalanine, threonine, glycine and leucine had relatively depleted delta(15)N values. The average delta(15)N value of the individual amino acids (IAAs) increased by 1delta unit from 1929 to 1997, associated with a similar rise from 1929 to 1963, and no change thereafter till 1997. However, the delta(15)N values of phenylalanine decreased by more than 7delta(15)N units between 1929 and 1997. The delta(15)N shift of IAAs from 1929 to 1963 and from 1929 to 1997 was not influenced by the relative amount of N remaining compared with the 1929 soil concentrations. The only exception was phenylalanine which showed decreasing delta(15)N associated with its decreasing concentration in the soil. We conclude therefore that in the absence of plant and fertiliser inputs, no change in the delta(15)N value of individual soil amino acids occurs, hence the original delta(15)N values are preserved and diagnostic information on past soil N (cycling) is retained. The exception was phenylalanine, its delta(15)N decreased with decreasing concentration from 1929 to 1997, hence it acted as a 'potential' marker for the land use changes (i.e. arable cropping to a fallow). The long term biological processing and reworking of residual amino acids resulted in a (partial) stabilisation in the soil, evidenced by reduced N loss and increased residence time of amino acid N during the period 1963-1997.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roland Bol
- Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research, Okehampton, Devon, Great Britain.
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