Publication Date:
2009-09-20
Description:
Phosphonates, compounds with a carbon-phosphorus bond, are a key component of the marine dissolved organic phosphorus pool 1. These compounds serve as a phosphorus source for primary producers, including the nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria Trichodesmium 2. Phosphonates can therefore support marine primary production, as well as climate-driven increases in marine nitrogen fixation 3, carbon sequestration 4 and possibly methane production, through the breakdown of methylphosphonate 5. Despite their importance, the source of phosphonates to the open ocean has remained uncertain. Here, we use solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy to screen for the presence of phosphonates in cultured strains of Trichodesmium erythraeum. We show that phosphonates comprise an average of 10% of the cellular particulate phosphorus pool in this species. We therefore suggest that these cyanobacteria produce phosphonates, and might be a significant source of these compounds in the ocean, particularly in nutrient-poor regions, where Trichodesmium blooms occur. Given that Trichodesmium also thrives in a warm, carbon-dioxide-rich environment 3, phosphonate production may increase in the future. This, in turn, might select for a microbial community that can use phosphonate, and could have implications for nitrogen fixation, carbon sequestration and greenhouse-gas production. © 2009 Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights reserved.
Print ISSN:
1752-0894
Electronic ISSN:
1752-0908
Topics:
Geosciences
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