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Genetic material in the marine environment: Implication for bacterial DNA
Author(s) -
Paul John H.,
Carlson David J.
Publication year - 1984
Publication title -
limnology and oceanography
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.7
H-Index - 197
eISSN - 1939-5590
pISSN - 0024-3590
DOI - 10.4319/lo.1984.29.5.1091
Subject(s) - bacterioplankton , brackish water , fractionation , phytoplankton , estuary , fraction (chemistry) , dna , plankton , picoplankton , biology , environmental chemistry , chemistry , ecology , chromatography , salinity , biochemistry , nutrient
Particulate DNA content (DNA p ) in water samples from freshwater, estuarine, and marine environments was measured with the DNA‐specific fluorochrome Hoechst 33258. A good correlation ( r = 0.94) was found between DNA content and bacterial number for all samples. Size fractionation with 12‐, 3‐, and 1‐ µ m Nuclepore filters indicated that the 0.2‐–‐ µ m fraction contained 40–54% of the total DNA p of fresh/brackish and 71–91% of that of oceanic waters. This fraction also contained most of the bacterioplankton, while the phytoplankton (as indicated by Chl a ) was found primarily in the 12–110‐ µ m fraction. The results suggest that most of the DNA p in the marine environment is associated with bacterioplankton and not with phytoplankton.