南海北部海域Synechococcus和Prochlorococcus生长率和被摄食消亡率——变化范围及其与环境因子的关系

2004年首次在南海北部海域使用选择性代谢抑制剂技术进行了Synechococcus和Prochlorococcus生长率和被摄食消亡率的研究.研究结果表明,ynechococcus高丰度值出现在次表层（15 m或20m）,位于温跃层之上,高生长率往往出现在丰度最大值水层上方;Prochlorococcus丰度在夏季出现次表层最大值,与温跃层深度基本一致,表层生长率高于真光层底部.Synechococcus真光层平均生长率为0.11～1.18 d^-1,被摄食消亡率为0.11～0.76 d^-1,分布格局均为从沿岸向外海方向升高.Prochlorococcus真光层平均生长率为0.23～0.49 d^-1,存在较明显的季节变化,夏季近岸略高于外海,而冬季的趋势正好相反;真光层平均被摄食消亡率为0.12～0.33 d^-1,冬夏两季均是近岸高于外海。温度、营养盐和光是影响Synechococcus生长率变化的重要因子.Synechococcus和Prochlorococcus丰度与群落生长率之间不存在相关关系,而与被摄食消亡率之间则存在显著的指数相关.根据Synechococcus和Prochlorococcus的生长率估算了它们的生产力及其对Pico-生产力的贡献.

Responses of Picoplankton to Nutrient Perturbation in the South China Sea, with Special Reference to the Coast-wards Distribution of Prochlorococcus

Responses of Prochlorococcus (Pro), Synechococcus (Syn), pico-eukaryotes (Euk) and heterotrophic bacteria (Bact) in pelagic marine ecosystems to external nutrient perturbations were examined using nitrogen- (N), phosphorus- (P), iron- (Fe), and cobalt- (Co) enriched incubations in the South China Sea in November 1997. Variations in abundance of the 4 groups of microorganism and cellular pigment content of the autotrophs during incubation were followed by flow-cytometric measurements for seven days. During the incubation, Syn and Euk showed a relatively higher demand on Fe and N, while Pro required higher levels of Co and P. The Fe was inadequate for all the organisms in the deep euphotic zone (75 m) of the study area. The experimental results also implied that biological interaction among the organisms played a role in the community structure shift during the incubation. It seemed that besides the effects of temperature, there are some other physical and chemical limitations as well as impacts from biological interactions on Pro distribution in coast waters.

IN SITU DAILY GROWTH RATE OF PROCHLOROCOCCUS AT THE CHLOROPHYLL MAXIMUM LAYER IN THE SOUTHERN SOUTH CHINA SEA:AN ESTIMATION FROM CELL CYCLE ANALYSIS

Prochlorococcus is the dominant population of the autotrophs in the oceanic area in theSouth China Sea; and contributes significantly to picoplanktonic (【2μm) carbon biomass. However, thereis no availabe data on its growth the and productivity so far. In the present study, the in situ populationgrowth rate of Prochlorococus at the chlorophyll maximum layer at 6 .3°N, 110°E in the South China

Ecological studies on Prochlorococcus in China seas

Prochlorococcus, a tiny oxygenic photosynthetic picoplankton with unique pigment composition, has been found to be ubiquitous and abundant in the world oceans, and has been recognized to be closely related to living resources and environmental issues. It has attracted the interest of marine biologists since its discovery, and field data on it over global oceans have accumulated rapidly in the past 10 years. In China, we have studied Prochlorococcus for 8 years, achieving a basic ecological understanding. The presence of Prochlorococcus in China seas, marginal seas of the west Pacific, was confirmed, and its distribution patterns were also brought to light. Prochlorococcus is very abundant in the South China Sea and the offshore regions of the East China Sea. It is seasonally present in the southeast part of the Yellow Sea and absent in the Bohai Sea. Temporal and spatial variations of the abundance of Prochlorococcus and their affecting factors, physiological and ecological characteristics of

Research advances on ecotype and sub-ecotype differentiation of Prochlorococcus and its environmental adaptability

Prochlorococcus,a group of marine cyanobacteria,is the most abundant and smallest oxygen-producing photosynthetic microorganism.It is mainly distributed in the euphotic zone of tropical and subtropical oceans and is a key participant in the marine biogeochemical cycle.Prochlorococcus has evolved continuously to adapt to the marine environment,and can be considered a recent evolutionary form of cyanobacteria,one of the most ancient life forms.The diverse ecotypes and subecotypes of Prochlorococcus increase its genomic diversity and environmental adaptability,allowing Prochlorococcus to become a dominant species in its environment.Here we review the ecotype classification and distribution,ecotype and subecotype differentiation,and environmental adaptability of Prochlorococcus.We also evaluate the role and significance of ecotype and sub-ecotype differentiation of Prochlorococcus,and discuss future research directions on this basis.

Prochlorococcus viruses—From biodiversity to biogeochemical cycles

As the dominant primary producer in oligotrophic oceans, the unicellular picocyanobacterium Prochlorococcus is the smallest and most abundant photosynthetic phytoplankton in the world and plays an important role in marine carbon cycling.Cyanophages that infect Prochlorococcus influence the growth, carbon fixation, diversity, evolution, and environmental adaptation of their hosts. Here, we review studies on the isolation, genomics, and phylogenetic diversity of Prochlorococcus viruses and their interactions with Prochlorococcus. We also review the potential effects of Prochlorococcus viruses on biogeochemical cycling in the ocean.

Analysis of the 3' ends of tRNA as the cause of insertion sites of foreign DNA in Prochlorococcus

The purpose of this study was to investigate the characteristics of transfer RNA(tRNA) responsible for the association between tRNA genes and genes of apparently foreign origin(genomic islands) in five high-light adapted Prochlorococcus strains.Both bidirectional best BLASTP(basic local alignment search tool for proteins) search and the conservation of gene order against each other were utilized to identify genomic islands,and 7 genomic islands were found to be immediately adjacent to tRNAs in Prochlorococcus marinus AS9601,11 in P.marinus MIT9515,8 in P.marinus MED4,6 in P.marinus MIT9301,and 6 in P.marinus MIT9312.Monte Carlo simulation showed that tRNA genes are hotspots for the integration of genomic islands in Prochlorococcus strains.The tRNA genes associated with genomic islands showed the following characteristics:(1) the association was biased towards a specific subset of all iso-accepting tRNA genes;(2) the codon usages of genes within genomic islands appear to be unrelated to the codons recognized by associated tRNAs;and,(3) the majority of the 3' ends of associated tRNAs lack CCA ends.These findings contradict previous hypotheses concerning the molecular basis for the frequent use of tRNA as the insertion site for foreign genetic materials.The analysis of a genomic island associated with a tRNA-Asn gene in P.marinus MIT9301 suggests that foreign genetic material is inserted into the host genomes by means of site-specific recombination,with the 3' end of the tRNA as the target,and during the process,a direct repeat of the 3' end sequence of a boundary tRNA(namely,a scar from the process of insertion) is formed elsewhere in the genomic island.Through the analysis of the sequences of these targets,it can be concluded that a region characterized by both high GC content and a palindromic structure is the preferred insertion site.

Dynamics of picoplankton in the Nansha Islands area of the South China Sea

Dynamics of major picoplankton groups, Synechococcus (Syn), Prochlorococcus (Pro), picoeukaryotes (Euk) and heterotrophic bacteria (Bact) was investigated by flow cytometry for the first time in the Nansha Islands area in the South China Sea. Averaged over the whole investigation area, depth-weighted integrated cell abundance (DWA) of Syn, Pro, Euk and Bact was 1.6 (0.4-5.7)×103, 5.4 (0.1-7.3)×104, 0.7 (0.2-2.2)×103, and 2.3 (1.4-3.2)×105 cells/mL respectively. Picoautotrophic cell abundance was low in the northwest part of the Nansha Islands where surface water temperature was low and the upper mixed layer was shallow. Concurrently, a surface maximum vertical distribution pattern was observed in this area. While in the southeast and east zones where temperatures were relatively higher and nitraclines were deeper, picoplankton is abundant and a subsurface maximum around 50-75 m is observed. Coupling of horizontal and vertical distribution patterns of picoplankton abundance and hydrological status was found, suggesting a strong influence of currents and water column structure on picoplankton distribution in the investigation area. Contrary to that in the shelf water in the East China Sea, the relationship between Pro and Bact in the Nansha Islands area in the South China Sea was not significantly negative but weakly positive. Moreover, a similar distribution pattern of Syn and Pro was observed. Possible reasons for these differences in the two marine regimes were discussed.

Standing stock and community structure of photosynthetic picoplankton in the northern South China Sea

The investigation on community structure of standing stock of photosynthetic picoplankton: Synechococcus (Syn), Prochlorococcus (Pro) and Picoeukaryotes (Euk) and their environmental regulation mechanisms in the northern South China Sea was carried out in the summer of 1999. The results showed that the average abundances of Syn, Pro and Euk in the study sea areas were (5.0±7.6)×104 cell/cm3 (51%), (4.6±4.2)×104 cell /cm3 (47%) and (1.8±1.1)×103 cell/cm3 (2%) respectively, and those of their carbon biomass were (12.5±18.9) ?滋g/dm3 (74%), (2.7±2.5) ?滋g/dm3 (16 %) and (1.7±1.0) ?滋g /dm3 (10%). The most of high values of Syn appeared in the estuaries, coastal zone and continental shelf in the sea area to the east of Leizhou Peninsula and Hainan Island where nutrients were rich, and those appeared in the Beibu Gulf were the second, while those appeared in continental slope and open sea were tens times lower than the above those. Its distribution in water column was mainly above the thermocline and its abundance below it sharply decreased. Two different populations of Pro were found, the surface population and deep one. The distribution pattern of the former was similar to that of Syn; while with marked difference from that of the former, the abundance and biomass of the latter markedly increased towards outer sea, continental slope and open sea where nutrients were poor; the high values in the water column mainly appeared at the bottom of euphotic zone and above the nitrocline, where it often vigorously grow. The distribution difference of Euk in the various sea areas is not as obvious as those of Syn and Pro, but it was high in coastal and shelf waters and low in continental slope and open sea. The high values in the water column were mostly appeared at the bottom of euphotic zone. This difference of distribution pattern for the three type of photosynthetic picoplankton depends on environmental effects and their ecophysiological differences.

Picoplankton distribution in different water masses of the East China Sea in autumn and winter

Abstract Picoplankton distribution was investigated in different water masses of the East China Sea in November, 2006 and February, 2007. The autumn and winter cruises crossed three major water masses： the coastal water mass （CWM）, the mixed water mass （MWM）, which forms on the continental shelf, and the Kuroshio water mass （KWM）. Picoplankton composition was resolved into four main groups by flow cytometry, namely Synechococcus, Prochlorococcus, picoeukaryotes, and heterotrophic bacteria. The average abundances of Synechococcus, picoeukaryotes, and heterotrophic bacteria were （0.63＋ 10.88）~ 103, （1.61＋1.16）x103, （3.39~1.27）x105 cells/mL in autumn and （6.45~8.60）x103, （3.23~2.63）x103, （3.76~1.37）x 105 cells/mL in winter, respectively. Prochlorococcus was not found in the CWM and seldom observed in surface samples in either season. However, Prochlorococcus was observed in the MWM and KWM （approximately 103 cells/mL） in both auttman and winter. Synechococcus distribution varied considerably among water masses, with the highest levels in KWM and lowest levels in CWM. The depth-averaged integrated abundance of Synechococcus was approximately 5-fold higher in KWM than in CWM, which may be due primarily to water temperature. In the MWM, Synechococcus was resolved as two subgroups; the presence of both subgroups was more common in autumn. Picoeukaryote abundance varied less among water masses than Synechococcus, and heterotrophic bacteria depth-averaged integrated abundance exhibited the smallest seasonal variations with respect to water mass. Correlation analysis showed that relationships between picoplankton abundances and environmental factors （temperature, nutrients, and chlorophyll a） differed among the three water masses, suggesting that the three water masses have different effects on picoplankton distribution （particularly Synechococcus）.

科学家公布首批海洋细菌基因组序列图

研究人员成功地破译了生活在海洋中的细菌的第一批基因,这些DNA能成为解释光合作用器官功能机理的关键,使我们扩大关于地球碳循环的概念。

Distribution Pattern of Photosynthetic Picoplankton and Heterotrophic Bacteria in the Northern South China Sea

The environmental regulation of plcoplankton distribution in the northern South China Sea was examined In winter and summer of 2004. The average abundance of Synechococcus, Prochlorococcus, and heterotrophlc bacteria was lower In winter （30, 21, and 780×10^3 cells/cm^3, respectively） than In summer （53, 85, and 1 090×10^3 cells/cm^3, respectively）, but the seasonal pattern was opposite for plcoeukaryotlc phytoplankton （4 500 and 3 200 cells/cm^3 In winter and summer, respectively）. Synechococcus, picoeukaryotes, and bacteria were most abundant in the nutrient-rich coastal zone and continental shelf, but Prochlorococcus was most abundant In the continental slope and open ocean. The vertical distribution of each photosynthetic group and heterotrophlc bacteria changed between the two seasons. Synechococcus populations with apparently different phycoerythrobilin content occurred at many stations In the summer. In addition, two different populations of Prochlorococcus were found： （i） small, weakly fluorescing cells in the surface layer; and （ii） larger, strongly fluorescent cells In the deep layer. The distribution pattern of photosynthetic plcoplankton and heterotrophlc bacteria depends on environmental effects and their ecophyslologlcal differences. The distribution of Synechococcus appeared to be related to nutrient availability, whereas the distribution of Prochlorococcus appeared to be limited by temperature. Synechococcus was the only plcophytoplankton with a consistent strong relationship with bacteria.

原绿球藻对环境胁迫的生理和分子响应机制

原绿球藻(Prochlorococcus)作为海洋丰度最高的浮游植物,对海洋生态系统的物质循环和能量流动起着重要的驱动作用。原绿球藻生长和光合作用活性容易受到环境胁迫的影响,进而影响整个海洋生态系统的稳定性。因此,研究原绿球藻应对环境胁迫的响应机制具有重要的生态意义。原绿球藻主要通过分化出不同的生态型来适应不同光照和营养盐的海洋环境,但仍然会很难快速适应各种突如其来的海洋环境变化。本文从原绿球藻应对环境胁迫的角度,探讨了其生理和分子响应机制的最新研究进展,包括光系统I循环电子传递在光照变化时发挥的重要作用,通过RNA快速响应而调控基因表达应对环境胁迫,以及在辅助异养细菌的保护下应对活性氧的胁迫等。本文也展望了原绿球藻对环境胁迫响应的生理和分子机制的未来研究方向,旨在为原绿球藻抗逆机制的深入研究提供参考。