Open AccessOccurrence of 3‐hydroxyalkanoic acids in sediments from the Guaymas basin (Gulf of California)
Author(s) -
Guezennec J,
Rocchiccioli F,
MaccaronGomez B,
Khelifa N,
Dussauze J,
Rimbault A
Publication year - 1998
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/j.1574-6941.1998.tb00518.x
Subject(s) - sediment , hydrolysis , environmental chemistry , extreme environment , microbial population biology , gas chromatography , biology , trace amounts , hydrothermal circulation , bacteria , geology , chromatography , chemistry , biochemistry , paleontology , medicine , alternative medicine , pathology
The Guaymas basin (Gulf of California) provides a particularly interesting extreme environment. Temperatures ranged from 3°C to 11°C at the organic‐rich sediment surface and increased with depth, ranging from 59.7°C to 150°C from 20 cm to 30 cm. After either acidic or alkaline hydrolysis of rock and sediment samples collected near active hydrothermal mounds, 3‐hydroxyalkanoic acids have been detected by gas chromatography and gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry with 3‐hydroxyoctanoic and 3‐hydroxydecanoic acids predominating. These acids appear to be of microbial origin, arising from the endogenous storage polymers poly(3‐hydroxyalkanoates). With respect to the microbial community structure as previously determined from lipid biomarkers, these 3‐hydroxyalkanoic acids seem to be associated with either anaerobic bacteria and/or type II methanotrophs. Conversely these polymers were not associated with Beggiota mats present on the surface of the sediments. The presence of 3‐hydroxy‐3‐methylbutanoic acid in trace amounts as well as of 2‐hydroxyoctanoic acid is reported. The occurrence of these hydroxyalkanoic acids raises interesting questions about their origin.