2009 Fiscal Year Final Research Report
Studies on the formation of basic ground of tideland ecosystem from the viewpoints of sediment protease activities.
| Project/Area Number |
19510012
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Research Field |
Environmental dynamic analysis
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| Research Institution | Prefectural University of Hiroshima |
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Principal Investigator |
NAKAMURA Kenichi Prefectural University of Hiroshima, 生命環境学部, 教授 (50094694)
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| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
OKUNO Makoto 東京大, 大学院・総合文化研究科, 准教授 (40143325)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2007 – 2009
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| Keywords | 河口干潟 / プロテアーゼ / 有機物質負荷 / 窒素代謝循環 / 干潟生態系 / 電気泳動法 |
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| Research Abstract |
In tideland sediments, microorganisms secrete extracellular enzymes, which support waste purification and nutrient supplementation to plants and phytoplankton. Among the secreted enzymes, proteases are known to play essential roles in nitrogen cycling in coastal ecosystems. In this study, the protease activities of sediments were assayed at 22 sites in the Kamo River Estuary Tideland. The contour map of the activities showed spots of high activity located in two habitat areas for Uca lactea and Sargassum fulvellum. Moreover, statistical analysis indicated that the protease activity was correlated with the concentrations of organic carbon and nitrogen in the tideland sediments. Actually, loading of sediments with serum albumin as a protein substrate induced marked enhancement of protease activities without increasing of ATP biomass. Electrophoretic analysis clearly revealed the presence of protease bands induced by protein loading. These results suggest that protein loading stimulates the secretion of proteases by certain microorganisms.
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