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Nitrogenase Activity and nifH Expression in a Marine Intertidal Microbial Mat

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Abstract

N2 fixation, diazotrophic community composition, and organisms actively expressing genes for N2 fixation were examined over at 3−year period (1997–1999) for intertidal microbial mats on a sand flat located in the Rachel Carson National Estuarine Research Reserve (RCNERR) (Beaufort, NC, USA). Specifically, diel variations of N2 fixation in the mats from the RCNERR were examined. Three distinct diel patterns of nitrogenase activity (NA) were observed. NA responses to short-term inhibitions of photosynthesis corresponded to one of the three patterns. High rates of NA were observed during peak O2 production periods for diel experiments during summer months. Different types of NA diel variations correspond to different stages of mat development. Chloramphenicol treatments indicated that the mechanism of protein synthesis supporting NA changed throughout the day. Analysis of mat DNA and RNA gave further evidence suggesting that in addition to cyanobacteria, other functional groups were responsible for the NA observed in the RCNERR mats. The role of microbial diversity in the N2 fixation dynamics of these mats is discussed.

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Acknowledgments

We acknowledge Tom Nanni and John Fear for technical assistance. This work was supported by NSF LEXEN 980895 and NSF Microbial Observatories 0132528.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Marine Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 3431 Arendell Street, Morehead City, NC, 28557, USA

    T.F. Steppe & H.W. Paerl

  2. Center of Marine Biotechnology, UMBI, 701 E Pratt Street, Baltimore, MD, 21202, USA

    T.F. Steppe

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  1. T.F. Steppe
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  2. H.W. Paerl
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Correspondence to T.F. Steppe.

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Steppe, T., Paerl, H. Nitrogenase Activity and nifH Expression in a Marine Intertidal Microbial Mat. Microb Ecol 49, 315–324 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00248-004-0245-x

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