Identification of microbial exopolymer producers in sandy and muddy intertidal sediments by compound-specific isotope analysis

Identification of microbial exopolymer producers in sandy and muddy intertidal sediments by compound-specific isotope analysis/ Identification des producteurs microbiens d'exopolymères dans les sédiments intertidaux sableux et vaseux par analyse isotopique spécifique des composés

Reference

Hubas, Cédric ; Gaubert-Boussarie, Julie ; D’Hondt, An-Sofie ; Jesus, Bruno; Lamy, Dominique ; Meleder, Vona ; Prins, Antoine ; Rosa, Philippe ; Stock, Willem ; Sabbe, Koen. Identification of microbial exopolymer producers in sandy and muddy intertidal sediments by compound-specific isotope analysis. Peer Community Journal, Volume 3 (2023), article no. e104. doi : 10.24072/pcjournal.336. https://peercommunityjournal.org/articles/10.24072/pcjournal.336/

In coastal sediments, microorganisms living in biofilms and forming adherent colonies produce macromolecules known as "extracellular polymeric substances" (EPS). Although the significance of these molecules in the functioning of microbial communities has been extensively documented for many years, significant gaps remain in the precise identification of EPS and their origin due to their nature as a heterogeneous mixture of molecules. In our study, we adopted an innovative approach by comparing the isotopic ratios of carbon and nitrogen in EPS to those of fatty acid biomarkers. This methodology allowed us to highlight a notable difference in the influence of epipelic and epipsammic diatoms on the chemical composition of EPS, with significant implications for the growth of bacteria specialized in utilizing these substances.

This article is freely available on the bioRxiv preprint server (https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.12.02.516908). It has been peer-reviewed and recommended by Ute Risse-Buhl and Nils Rädecker based on the comments of two anonymous reviewers through the Peer Community In Ecology peer review service (https://doi.org/10.24072/pci.ecology.100519). The raw data (https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7351530) and analysis scripts (https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7387066 & https://github.com/Hubas-prog/EPS_FA_CSIA) are available online. The final version of the article has been published in the open-access Diamond Peer Community Journal (https://doi.org/10.24072/pcjournal.336), established and funded by the non-profit and non-commercial organization "Peer Community In" (PCI), which publishes PCI-recommended articles freely accessible to authors and readers without any charges.

BOREA Contact: Cédric Hubas, MNHN Professor, cedric.hubas@mnhn.fr