Environmental factors controlling the distributions of Botryococcus braunii (A, B and L) biomarkers in a subtropical freshwater wetland

Sci Rep. 2018 Jun 5;8(1):8626. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-26900-9.

Abstract

Here we report the molecular biomarker co-occurrence of three different races of Botryococcus braunii (B. braunii) in the freshwater wetland ecosystem of the Florida Everglades, USA. Thespecific biomarkers include C32-C34 botryococcenes for race B, C27-C32 n-alkadienes and n-alkatrienes for race A, and lycopadiene for race L. The n-alkadienes and n-alkatrienes were present up to 3.1 and 69.5 µg/g dry weight (dw), while lycopadiene was detected in lower amounts up to 3.0 and 1.5 µg/g dw in periphyton and floc samples, respectively. Nutrient concentrations (P and N) did not significantly correlate with the abundances of these compounds. In contrast, n-alkadienes and n-alkatrienes were present in wider diversity and higher abundance in the floc from slough (deeper water and longer hydroperiod) than ridge (shallower water and shorter hydroperiod) locations. n-Alkadienes, n-alkatrienes, and lycopadiene, showed lower δ13C values from -40.0 to -35.5‰, suggesting that the source organisms B. braunii at least partially utilize recycled CO2 (13C depleted) produced from OM respiration rather than atmospheric CO2 (13C enriched) as the major carbon sources.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Biological Factors / analysis*
  • Biomarkers / analysis*
  • Chlorophyta / chemistry*
  • Chlorophyta / growth & development*
  • Florida
  • Fresh Water / microbiology*
  • Wetlands*

Substances

  • Biological Factors
  • Biomarkers