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Stable carbon isotope fractionation by marine phytoplankton during photosynthesis
Author(s) -
DESCOLASGROS C.,
FONTUNGNE M.
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
plant, cell and environment
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.646
H-Index - 200
eISSN - 1365-3040
pISSN - 0140-7791
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-3040.1990.tb01305.x
Subject(s) - pyruvate carboxylase , phytoplankton , fractionation , rubisco , isotopes of carbon , photosynthesis , phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase , seawater , phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase , chemistry , carboxylation , environmental chemistry , ribulose , botany , biology , biochemistry , nutrient , ecology , total organic carbon , enzyme , chromatography , catalysis , organic chemistry
. In the marine environment, the range of values of carbon isotope fractionation between particulate tissue of phytoplankton and inorganic carbon can be more than 20‰ (− 35‰ < δ 13 C < − 14‰). This review considers the influence of seawater temperature, lipid content of phytoplanktonic cells, kinetic fractionation, and carbon pathway on δ 13 C values observed at sea. In order to study the contribution of carboxylases (RUBISCO and the β‐carboxylases phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase, phosphoenoplpyruvate carboxykinase and pyruvate carboxylase) to variations of particulate δ 13 C values at sea, we present results obtained simultenously on carboxylase activities and δ 13 C in various environmental conditions. The lowest δ 13 C values are clearly associated with predominance of ribulose‐1.5‐bisphosphate carboxylase activity, but it was more difficult to explain the high δ 13 C values. Different hypotheses are discussed.