Methane-derived carbon flows through methane-oxidizing bacteria to higher trophic levels in aquatic systems

TY - JOUR

T1 - Methane-derived carbon flows through methane-oxidizing bacteria to higher trophic levels in aquatic systems

AU - Deines, P.

AU - Bodelier, P.L.E.

AU - Eller, G.

N1 - Reporting year: 2007 Metis note: 3970;CL; MWE; file:///C:/pdfs/Pdfs2007/Deines_ea_3970.pdf

PY - 2007

Y1 - 2007

N2 - Recent investigations have shown that biogenic methane can be a carbon source for macro invertebrates in freshwater food webs. Stable carbon isotopic signatures, used to infer an organism's food source, indicated that methane can play a major role in the nutrition of chironomid larvae. However, the pathway of methane-derived carbon into invertebrate biomass is still not confirmed. It has been proposed that chironomid larvae ingest methane-oxidizing bacteria (MOB), but this has not been experimentally demonstrated to date. Using 13C-labelled methane we could show for the first time that chironomid larvae assimilate methane-derived carbon through MOB. Chironomid larval biomass was significantly 13C-enriched after dwelling for 10 days in lake sediment enriched with labelled methane. Moreover, phospholipid fatty acids diagnostic for MOB were detected in larval tissue and were significantly 13C-enriched, which encompasses the 13C-uptake predicted for a methane-based nutrition. Additionally, chironomid larvae fed on sediment and water-column derived MOB biomass.

AB - Recent investigations have shown that biogenic methane can be a carbon source for macro invertebrates in freshwater food webs. Stable carbon isotopic signatures, used to infer an organism's food source, indicated that methane can play a major role in the nutrition of chironomid larvae. However, the pathway of methane-derived carbon into invertebrate biomass is still not confirmed. It has been proposed that chironomid larvae ingest methane-oxidizing bacteria (MOB), but this has not been experimentally demonstrated to date. Using 13C-labelled methane we could show for the first time that chironomid larvae assimilate methane-derived carbon through MOB. Chironomid larval biomass was significantly 13C-enriched after dwelling for 10 days in lake sediment enriched with labelled methane. Moreover, phospholipid fatty acids diagnostic for MOB were detected in larval tissue and were significantly 13C-enriched, which encompasses the 13C-uptake predicted for a methane-based nutrition. Additionally, chironomid larvae fed on sediment and water-column derived MOB biomass.

U2 - 10.1111/j.1462-2920.2006.01235.x

DO - 10.1111/j.1462-2920.2006.01235.x

M3 - Article

SN - 1462-2912

VL - 9

SP - 1126

EP - 1134

JO - Environmental Microbiology

JF - Environmental Microbiology

IS - 5

ER -