| Title | Microbial biofilms colonizing plastic substrates in the Ross Sea (Antarctica) |
| Abstract | Very few studies have investigated marine microbial colonization in Polar Regions, but environmental changing scenarios stress the importance of these investigations to protect life in such extremely vulnerable ecosystems. In two different coastal sites of the Ross Sea (Road and Tethys Bays, Antarctica) exposed to different stressors, the microbial biofilm colonizing the surface of plastic (polyvynil chloride, PVC, and polyethylene, PE) panels left submerged in two experiments at dif-ferent timescales ("short-term": 3 months and "long-term": 9 and 12 months) was studied. The abundance and metabolic enzymatic activities [leucine aminopeptidase (LAP), beta-glucosidase (GLU) and alkaline phosphatase (AP)] of the prokaryotes and the microalgal abundance and species composition were analyzed, in parallel with the main environmental parameters. Prokaryotic community showed higher abundance and metabolic activities on PVC than on PE, as opposed to microalgae. A peak in the microfouling prokaryotic abundance and metabolic functions was fre-quently recorded after 3 months of immersion, corresponding to the late austral summer period. LAP and AP were the most active enzymes suggesting that microbial metabolic profiles were modulated by labile organic substrates. Our results suggested that the composition and function of microbial biofilm could be considered as sentinels of natural or anthropic-related disturbances. |
| Source | Journal of marine science and engineering 10 (11), pp. 1–28 |
| Keywords | marine colonizationplastispherepolyvinyl chloridepolyethyleneprokaryotesmicroalgaeabundancemetabolismmicrobial responsestressors |
| Journal | Journal of marine science and engineering |
| Editor | Molecular Diversity Preservation International, Basel, |
| Year | 2022 |
| Type | Articolo in rivista |
| DOI | 10.3390/ jmse10111714 |
| Authors | Caroppo C.[1], Azzaro M.[2], Dell'Acqua O.[3], Azzaro F.[2], Maimone G.[2], Rappazzo A.C.[2,4], Raffa F.[5], Caruso G.[2] |
| Text | 472802 2022 10.3390/ jmse10111714 marine colonization plastisphere polyvinyl chloride polyethylene prokaryotes microalgae abundance metabolism microbial response stressors Microbial biofilms colonizing plastic substrates in the Ross Sea Antarctica Caroppo C. 1 , Azzaro M. 2 , Dell Acqua O. 3 , Azzaro F. 2 , Maimone G. 2 , Rappazzo A.C. 2,4 , Raffa F. 5 , Caruso G. 2 1 Water Research Institute, National Research Council CNR IRSA , Taranto 2 Institute of Polar Sciences, National Research Council CNR ISP , Messina 3 Department of Earth, Environment and Life Sciences, University of Genoa DISTAV , Genoa 4 Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics, University of Venice Ca Foscari, Venice 5Institute of Geosciences and Georesources, National Research Council CNR IGG , Pisa Very few studies have investigated marine microbial colonization in Polar Regions, but environmental changing scenarios stress the importance of these investigations to protect life in such extremely vulnerable ecosystems. In two different coastal sites of the Ross Sea Road and Tethys Bays, Antarctica exposed to different stressors, the microbial biofilm colonizing the surface of plastic polyvynil chloride, PVC, and polyethylene, PE panels left submerged in two experiments at dif ferent timescales short term 3 months and long term 9 and 12 months was studied. The abundance and metabolic enzymatic activities leucine aminopeptidase LAP , beta glucosidase GLU and alkaline phosphatase AP of the prokaryotes and the microalgal abundance and species composition were analyzed, in parallel with the main environmental parameters. Prokaryotic community showed higher abundance and metabolic activities on PVC than on PE, as opposed to microalgae. A peak in the microfouling prokaryotic abundance and metabolic functions was fre quently recorded after 3 months of immersion, corresponding to the late austral summer period. LAP and AP were the most active enzymes suggesting that microbial metabolic profiles were modulated by labile organic substrates. Our results suggested that the composition and function of microbial biofilm could be considered as sentinels of natural or anthropic related disturbances. 10 Published version https //www.mdpi.com/2077 1312/10/11/1714 10/11/2022 jmse 10 01714 pdf del manoscritto Microbial Biofilms Colonizing Plastic Substrates in the Ross Sea Antarctica jmse 10 01714.pdf Articolo in rivista Molecular Diversity Preservation International 2077 1312 Journal of marine science and engineering Journal of marine science and engineering alessandrocirorappazzo RAPPAZZO ALESSANDRO CIRO gabriella.caruso CARUSO GABRIELLA filippo.azzaro AZZARO FILIPPO carmela.caroppo CAROPPO CARMELA maurizio.azzaro AZZARO MAURIZIO francesco.raffa RAFFA FRANCESCO giovanna.maimone MAIMONE GIOVANNA DTA.AD002.343.001 Colonizzazione microbica di ambienti bentonici in Antartide risposte di abbondanze, diversita e attivita microbiche ed insediamento larvale a disturbi naturali o antropici e ricerca di metaboliti secondari Programma Nazionale di Ricerca in Antarti |
