Abstract
The relationship between oxygen consumption (R) and respiratory electron-transport-system (ETS) activity was investigated in batch cultures of 5 species of marine bacteria, Vibrio adaptatus, V. anguillarum, a partially identified Vibrio sp. SA774, Serratia marinorubra, and Pseudomonas perfectomarinus. Although cellular levels of R and ETS varied widely among the species tested, the R:ETS ratios for growing or senescent populations were relatively constant among the species; these ratios were 5.02 in growth and 0.426 in senescence, with coefficients of variation of 29 and 20%, respectively. The lower senescent-phase R:ETS ratio was due to a depression of the respiration rates following growth termination. The regression log (R per cell) = 0.832 log (ETS per cell) + 0.727 for the growing populations was similar to that determined for marine zooplankton. The slight dependency of the R:ETS ratio on organism dry weight found for zooplankton was supported by our data. Planktonic respiration rates estimated from measured ETS-depth profiles in the eastern tropical North Pacific Ocean using the senescent-phase R:ETS ratio were similar to published oxygen consumption rates in the deep sea.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
Literature cited
Ahmed, S.I. and R.A. Kenner: A study of in vitro electron transport activity in marine phytoplankton as a function of temperature. J. Phycol. 13, 116–121 (1977)
Arons, A.B. and H. Stommel: On the abyssal circulation of the world ocean. III. An advection-lateral mixing model of the distribution of a tracer property in an ocean basin. Deep-Sea Res. 14, 441–457 (1967)
Atkinson, D.E. and G.M. Walton: Adenosine triphosphate conservation in metabolic regulation. Rat liver citrate cleavage enzyme. J. biol. Chem. 242, 3239–3241 (1967)
Burris, R.H.: Constant pressure manometry. In: Manometric and biochemical techniques, pp 100–110. Ed. by W.W. Umbreit et al. Minneapolis: Burgess 1972
Chapman, A.G. and D.E. Atkinson: Adenosine nucleotide concentrations and turnover rates. Their correlation with biological activity in bacteria and yeast. Adv. microb. Ecol. 15, 253–306 (1977)
— L. Fall and D.E. Atkinson: Adenylate energy charge in Escherichia coli during growth and starvation. J. Bact. 108, 1072–1086 (1971)
Christensen, J.P. and T.T. Packard: Respiratory electron transport activities in phytoplankton and bacteria: comparison of methods. Limnol. Oceanogr. 24, 576–583 (1979)
Ciffton, C.E.: A comparison of metabolic activities of Aerobacter aerogenes, Eberthella typia, and Escherichia coli. J. Bact. 33, 145–162 (1937)
Craig, H.: The deep metabolism oxygen consumption in abyssal ocean water. J. geophys. Res. 76, 5078–5086 (1971)
Devol, A.H.: Biological oxidations in oxic and anoxic marine environments: rates and processes, 208 pp. Ph.D. thesis, Seattle, University of Washington 1975
— and T.T. Packard: Seasonal changes in respiratory enzyme activity and productivity in Lake Washington microplankton. Limnol. Oceanogr. 23, 104–111 (1978)
Gunsalus, I.C. and R.V. Stanier: The bacteria. A treatise on structure and function, Vol. 1. 513 pp. New York: Academic Press 1960
Hobbie, J.E., O. Holm-Hansen, T.T. Packard, L.R. Pomeroy, R.W. Sheldon, J.P. Thomas and W.J. Wiebe: A study of the distribution and activity of microorganisms in ocean water. Limnol. Oceanogr. 17, 544–555 (1972)
Ikeda, T.: Relationship between respiration rate and body size in plankton animals as a function of the temperature of habitat. Bull. Fac. Fish. Hokkaido Univ. 21, 91–112 (1970)
Karl, D.M.: Distribution, abundance, and metabolic states of microorganisms in the water column and sediments of the Black Sea. Limnol. Oceanogr. 23, 936–949 (1978)
— and O. Holm-Hansen: Methodology and measurement of adenylate energy charge ratios in environmental samples. Mar. Biol. 48, 185–197 (1978)
Kenner, R.A. and S.I. Ahmed: Measurements of electron transport activities in marine plankton. Mar. Biol. 33, 119–127 (1975a)
——: Correlation between oxygen utilization and electron transport activity in marine phytoplankton. Mar. Biol. 33, 129–133 (1975b)
King, F.D., A.H. Devol and T.T. Packard: Plankton metabolic activity in the eastern tropical North Pacific. Deep-Sea Res. 25, 689–704 (1978)
— and T.T. Packard: The effect of hydrostatic pressure on respiratory electron transport system activity in marine zooplankton. Deep-Sea Res. 22, 99–105 (1975a)
——: Respiration and the activity of the respiratory electron transport system in marine zooplankton. Limnol. Oceanogr. 20, 849–854 (1975b)
Lambert, R.B., Jr.: Small-scale dissolved oxygen variations and the dynamics of Gulf Stream eddies. Deep-Sea Res. 21, 529–546 (1974)
Lowry, O.H., N.S. Rosebrough, A.L. Farr and R.J. Randall: Protein measurement with the folin phenol reagent. J. biol. Chem. 193, 265–275 (1951)
Munk, W.H.: Abyssal recipes. Deep-Sea Res. 13, 707–730 (1966)
Nelson, N.: A photometric adaptation of the Somogyi method for the determination of glucose. J. biol. Chem. 153, 375–380 (1944)
Owens, T.G. and F.D. King: The measurement of respiratory electron-transport-system activity in marine zooplankton. Mar. Biol. 30, 27–36 (1975)
Packard, T.T.: The measurement of respiratory electron transport activity in marine phytoplankton. J. mar. Res. 29, 235–244 (1971)
—, A.H. Devol and F.D. King: The effect of temperature on the respiratory electron transport system in marine plankton. Deep-Sea Res. 22, 237–249 (1975)
—, M.L. Healy and F.A. Richards: Vertical distribution of the activity of the respiratory electron transport system in marine plankton. Limnol. Oceanogr. 16, 60–70 (1971)
Pomeroy, L.R. and R.E. Johannes: Total plankton respiration. Deep-Sea Res. 13, 971–973 (1966)
——: Occurrence and respiration of ultraplankton in the upper 500 m of the ocean. Deep-Sea Res. 15, 381–391 (1968)
Redfield, A.C., B.H. Ketchum and F.A. Richards: The influence of organisms on the composition of seawater. In: The sea, Vol. 2. pp 26–77. Ed. by M.N. Hill, E.D. Goldberg, C.O'D. Iselin and W.H. Munk. London: Wiley-Interscience 1963
Richards, F.A. and A.H. Devol: Organic matter in anoxic environments. In: Proceedings of an International Symposium on Hydrochemistry and Biogeochemistry, pp 481–489. Ed. by E. Ingerson. Washington, D.C.: Clarke Co. 1973
Riley, G.A.: Oxygen, phosphate and nitrate in the Atlantic Ocean. Bull. Bingham oceanogr. Coll. 13, 1–126 (1951)
Strickland, J.D.H., and T.R. Parsons: A practical handbook of seawater analysis, 2nd ed. Bull. Fish. Res. Bd Can. 167, 1–310 (1972)
Sturges, W.: Observations of deep water renewal in the Caribbean Sea. J. geophys. Res. 75, 7602–7610 (1970)
Tsunogai, S.: An estimate of the rate of decomposition of organic matter in the deep water of the Pacific Ocean. In: Biological oceanography of the northern North Pacific, pp 517–533. Ed. by A.Y. Takenouti. Tokyo: Idemitsu Shoten 1972
Wiebe, W.J. and K. Bancroft: Use of the adenylate energy charge ratio to measure growth state of natural microbial communities. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci., U.S.A. 72, 2112–2115 (1975)
Williams, P.J.LeB., T. Berman and O. Holm-Hansen: Amino acid uptake and respiration by marine heterotrophs. Mar. Biol. 35, 41–47 (1976)
Wirsen, C.O. and H.W. Jannasch: Microbial transformation of some 14-C labeled substrates in coastal water and sediment. Microb. Ecol. 1, 25–37 (1974)
——: Activity of marine psychrophilic bacteria at elevated hydrostatic pressures and low temperatures. Mar. Biol. 31, 201–208 (1975)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Communicated by N.D. Holland, La Jolla
Contribution No. M79-61 from the University of Washington's Department of Oceanography, and No. 79032 from the Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Christensen, J.P., Owens, T.G., Devol, A.H. et al. Respiration and physiological state in marine bacteria. Mar. Biol. 55, 267–276 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00393779
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00393779