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Visualization of Enzyme Activities in Earthworm Biopores by In Situ Soil Zymography

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Zymography

Part of the book series: Methods in Molecular Biology ((MIMB,volume 1626))

Abstract

Earthworms produce biopores with strongly increased microbial and enzyme activities and consequently they form microbial hotspots in soil. In extremely dynamic microhabitats and hotspots such as earthworm biopores, the in situ enzyme activities are a footprint of process rates and complex biotic interactions. The effect of earthworms on enzyme activities inside biopores, relative to earthworm-free soil, can be visualized by in situ soil zymography. Here, we describe the details of the approach and discuss its advantages and limitations. Direct zymography provides high spatial resolution for quantitative images of enzyme activities in biopores.

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Acknowledgments

We gratefully acknowledge the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) for supporting B.S.R. and Vietnamese government for supporting D.H. Authors thank Ali Feizi for linguistic help. The study was supported by the German Science Foundation (DFG) within project KU 1184/29-1.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Agricultural Soil Science, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany

    Bahar S. Razavi & Yakov Kuzyakov

  2. Department of Soil Sciences, Vietnam National University of Forestry, Hanoi, Vietnam

    Duyen Hoang & Yakov Kuzyakov

Authors
  1. Bahar S. Razavi
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  2. Duyen Hoang
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  3. Yakov Kuzyakov
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Bahar S. Razavi .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Environmental, Biology and Chemistry Research, Facultad de Ciencias y Tecnología, University of Carabobo, Valencia, Venezuela

    Jeff Wilkesman

  2. Centre for Environmental, Biology and Chemistry Research Facultad de Ciencias y Tecnología, University of Carabobo, Valencia, Venezuela

    Liliana Kurz

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Razavi, B.S., Hoang, D., Kuzyakov, Y. (2017). Visualization of Enzyme Activities in Earthworm Biopores by In Situ Soil Zymography. In: Wilkesman, J., Kurz, L. (eds) Zymography. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 1626. Humana Press, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-7111-4_22

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-7111-4_22

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  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4939-7109-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4939-7111-4

  • eBook Packages: Springer Protocols

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