Simultaneous Rates of Ribonucleic Acid and Deoxyribonucleic Acid Syntheses for Estimating Growth and Cell Division of Aquatic Microbial Communities

Overview

Journal Appl Environ Microbiol

Specialties Environmental Health
Microbiology

Date 1981 Nov 1

PMID 16345882

Citations 18

Authors

D M Karl

Affiliations

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Abstract

A method for measuring rates of ribonucleic acid (RNA) and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) syntheses using a single radioactive precursor has been devised and tested using bacterial cultures and natural assemblages of marine and freshwater microorganisms. The procedure is based upon the uptake and incorporation of exogenous [H]adenine into cellular adenosine triphosphate and deoxyadenosine triphosphate pools which serve as the immediate precursors for the adenine incorporated into RNA and DNA, respectively. It is proposed that the DNA/RNA rate ratio is correlated with the specific growth rate of microorganisms and can be used as an index for estimating and comparing the productivities of microbial assemblages in nature. This technique can also be used to detect discontinuous growth and cell division processes which frequently occur in surface plankton populations. The DNA/RNA rate ratios measured in a variety of aquatic ecosystems ranged from 3.3 to 31.8% without significant correlation to total microbial biomass.

Citing Articles

Bacterial productivity in the water column and sediments of the Georgia (USA) coastal zone: Estimates via direct counting and parallel measurement of thymidine incorporation.

Newell S, Fallon R Microb Ecol. 2013; 8(1):33-46.

PMID: 24225696 DOI: 10.1007/BF02011459.

Spatial structure and activity of sedimentary microbial communities underlying a Beggiatoa spp. mat in a Gulf of Mexico hydrocarbon seep.

Lloyd K, Albert D, Biddle J, Chanton J, Pizarro O, Teske A PLoS One. 2010; 5(1):e8738.

PMID: 20090951 PMC: 2806916. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0008738.

Catabolism of tritiated thymidine by aquatic microbial communities and incorporation of tritium into RNA and protein.

Brittain A, Karl D Appl Environ Microbiol. 1990; 56(5):1245-54.

PMID: 16348180 PMC: 184391. DOI: 10.1128/aem.56.5.1245-1254.1990.

Microbial growth rates and biomass production in a marine sediment: evidence for a very active but mostly nongrowing community.

Novitsky J Appl Environ Microbiol. 1987; 53(10):2368-72.

PMID: 16347457 PMC: 204114. DOI: 10.1128/aem.53.10.2368-2372.1987.

Determining [H]Thymidine Incorporation into Bacterioplankton DNA: Improvement of the Method by DNase Treatment.

Servais P, Martinez J, Billen G, Vives-Rego J Appl Environ Microbiol. 1987; 53(8):1977-9.

PMID: 16347424 PMC: 204039. DOI: 10.1128/aem.53.8.1977-1979.1987.

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