Open AccessTemporal succession of putative glycolate‐utilizing bacterioplankton tracks changes in dissolved organic matter in a high‐elevation lake
Author(s) -
Paver Sara F.,
Nelson Craig E.,
Kent Angela D.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
fems microbiology ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.377
H-Index - 155
eISSN - 1574-6941
pISSN - 0168-6496
DOI - 10.1111/1574-6941.12012
Subject(s) - bacterioplankton , dissolved organic carbon , phytoplankton , biology , plankton , organic matter , ecology , ecological succession , nitrate , environmental chemistry , nutrient , chemistry
Shifts in the composition of dissolved organic matter ( DOM ) may be a principal factor effecting changes in bacterial community composition. E merald L ake, a high‐elevation lake with DOM dominated by terrestrial sources in the spring with increasing phytoplankton‐derived inputs throughout the ice‐free season, provided a natural experiment with which to investigate the importance of resource‐mediated drivers. Glycolate‐utilizing bacteria, a subset of the bacterial community able to use algal exudates, were characterized using DNA analysis of glycolate oxidase subunit D ( glcD ) genes from E merald L ake samples collected approximately biweekly from ice‐cover ( J une) through fall turnover ( S eptember). glcD genes were not detected in early‐season samples when the lake was ice‐covered and phytoplankton‐derived resources were scarce. Following this period, glcD gene composition exhibited significant changes through time, which were strongly correlated with the combination of fluorescence index, an indicator of the proportion of lake vs. terrestrially derived DOM , and dissolved inorganic nitrate + nitrite. These results suggest that seasonal shifts in DOM source and environmental variables that affect the composition of algal‐derived dissolved resources drive changes in the relative abundance and composition of putative glycolate‐utilizing bacteria. These findings strengthen the evidence for shifts in DOM structuring bacterial communities.