@article {4152, title = {Drivers of protistan community autotrophy and heterotrophy in chemically stratified Antarctic lakes}, journal = {Aquatic Microbial Ecology}, volume = {82}, year = {2019}, month = {01/2019}, pages = {225 - 239}, abstract = {

Single-celled, eukaryotic microorganisms, known as protists, are responsible for 2 important, yet opposing, metabolic activities within aquatic food webs. They are major primary producers and highly active predators in marine and fresh water systems. While genomics has accelerated in recent years for this taxonomically diverse group, our understanding of the metabolic capabilities of most protists remains limited. It is also poorly understood how protist trophic mode is affected by biotic and abiotic factors, and therefore it is difficult to predict how events such as global climate change will affect the balance between autotrophic and heterotrophic activities in protist communities. To address open questions regarding how protist metabolic versatility is influenced by their environment, we characterized the potential for carbon fixation versus organic carbon degradation using enzymatic assays (RubisCO and β-D-glucosaminidase, respectively) within the water columns of ice-covered lakes in McMurdo Dry Valleys (MDV), Antarctica. Steep physical and chemical gradients in the water columns, microorganism domination and minimal allochthonous inputs makes the MDV lakes uniquely suited to investigate environment-microbe interactions. Spatial trends in RubisCO and β-D-glucosaminidase activities were lake-specific and vertically stratified within the water columns. Moreover, bottom-up drivers controlling the activity of C-fixation vs. organic C-degradation among the MDV protist communities were distinct between the upper photic vs. the deep, aphotic zones. We conclude that differential controls over major C-cycling enzymes have important implications on the influence of environmental change on the carbon and nutrient cycles in the MDV lakes.

}, keywords = {LTER-MCM, Antarctic lakes, Aquatic protists, Autotrophy, Heterotrophy, McMurdo Dry Valleys, RubisCO, β-D-glucosaminidase}, issn = {0948-3055}, doi = {10.3354/ame01891}, url = {https://www.int-res.com/abstracts/ame/v82/n3/p225-239/}, author = {Li, Wei and Dolhi-Binder, J and Cariani, ZE and Rachael M. Morgan-Kiss} } @mastersthesis {4165, title = {Impact of simulated polar night on Antarctic mixotrophic and strict photoautotrophic phytoplankton}, volume = {M.S.}, year = {2019}, month = {2018}, school = {Miami University}, type = {masters}, address = {Oxford, OH}, abstract = {

Phytoplankton in polar regions experience long periods of continuous darkness annually during the polar night. Due to difficulties in performing field work during this period, it is largely unknown how phytoplankton endure this extreme transition from 24-hour daylight in the fall to several months of total darkness in the austral winter. The primary goal of this study was to compare physiological and photosynthetic responses of several Antarctic phytoplankton of variable trophic abilities (pure photosynthetic vs. mixotrophic) to simulated polar night conditions, including the transition seasons before and after winter. Two distinct responses were observed to extended darkness: (1) strict photoautotrophs (Chlamydomonas sp. ICE-MDV and Chlamydomonas sp. UWO241) exhibited functional downregulation their photosynthetic processes in the winter, followed by a lag phase of several days during mimicked spring, and (2) mixotrophs (Isochrysis sp. MDV and Geminigera cryophila) maintained functional photosynthetic apparatus, increased heterotrophy through the winter, and exhibited immediate growth upon return to light incubation. These differing responses to mimicked polar night conditions could represent two different strategies for surviving the long period of darkness in the phytoplankton\’s natural environment.

}, keywords = {LTER-MCM, algae, Antarctic phytoplankton, chlorophyll fluorescence analysis, McMurdo Dry Valleys, Photosynthesis, phytoplankton, polar microbiology, polar night}, url = {http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1547204599969081}, author = {Cariani, ZE and Rachael M. Morgan-Kiss} }