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Analysis of Dissolved Organic Nutrients in the Interstitial Water of Natural Biofilms

  • Environmental Microbiology
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Abstract

In biofilms, the matrix of extracellular polymeric substances (EPSs) retains water in the interstitial region of the EPS. This interstitial water is the ambient environment for microorganisms in the biofilms. The nutrient condition in the interstitial water may affect microbial activity in the biofilms. In the present study, we measured the concentrations of dissolved organic nutrients, i.e., saccharides and proteins, contained in the interstitial water of biofilms formed on the stones. We also analyzed the molecular weight distribution, chemical species, and availability to bacteria of some saccharides in the interstitial water. Colorimetric assays showed that the concentrations of saccharides and proteins in the biofilm interstitial water were significantly higher (ca. 750 times) than those in the surrounding lake waters (p < 0.05). Chromatographic analyses demonstrated that the saccharides in the interstitial waters were mainly of low molecular-weight saccharides such as glucose and maltose, while proteins in the interstitial water were high molecular-weight proteins (over 7000 Da). Bacterial growth and production of EPS occurred simultaneously with the decrease in the low molecular-weight saccharide concentrations when a small portion of biofilm suspension was inoculated to the collected interstitial water, suggesting that the dissolved saccharides in the interstitial water support bacterial growth and formation of biofilms.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Mr. Shiro Kitahara and Ms. Mei Hanada, College of Life Science, Ritsumeikan University, for their help in the sampling of biofilms and analyzing of the data. The authors have no conflict of interest directly relevant to the content of this manuscript.

This work was partly supported by JSPS KAKENHI Grant Number 15 K12232.

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    Authors and Affiliations

    1. College of Life Sciences, Ritsumeikan University, 1-1-1 Noji Higashi, Kusatsu, Shiga, 525-8577, Japan

      Yuki Tsuchiya, Shima Eda & Hisao Morisaki

    2. Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Ritsumeikan University, 1-1-1 Noji Higashi, Kusatsu, Shiga, 525-8577, Japan

      Chiho Kiriyama & Hisao Morisaki

    3. Graduate School of Life Sciences, Ritsumeikan University, 1-1-1 Noji Higashi, Kusatsu, Shiga, 525-8577, Japan

      Tomoya Asada & Hisao Morisaki

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    1. Yuki Tsuchiya
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    Correspondence to Hisao Morisaki.

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    Yuki Tsuchiya and Shima Eda contributed equally to this work.

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    Tsuchiya, Y., Eda, S., Kiriyama, C. et al. Analysis of Dissolved Organic Nutrients in the Interstitial Water of Natural Biofilms. Microb Ecol 72, 85–95 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00248-016-0749-1

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