Naslov
Formation and Function of the Giant Gel Network in a Marine Ecosystem

Autori
Žutić, Vera ; Svetličić, Vesna ; Mišić, Tea ; Hozić Zimmermann, Amela

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Sažeci sa skupova, sažetak, znanstveni

Izvornik
ASLO Aquatic Sciences Meeting (ASLO 2009) : "A Cruise Through Nice Waters" : Meeting Abstracts / - , 2009

Skup
ASLO Aquatic Sciences Meeting

Mjesto i datum
Nica, Francuska, 25.01.2009. - 30.01.2009

Vrsta sudjelovanja
Predavanje

Vrsta recenzije
Međunarodna recenzija

Ključne riječi
Adriatic sea; atomic force microscopy; giant gel network

Sažetak
The enigmatic gel phase (mucilage) appears episodically in the northern Adriatic Sea. The phenomenon manifests itself in rapid production of enormous amounts of gelatinous matter in the water column and on the sea surface. Current views leave no doubt on phytoplankton as a proximal source of polymers constituting the gel network, but the mechanism leading to its rapid formation remains unknown. Using atomic force microscopy we address the extracellular polymer production of a marine diatom analyzed at the single cell level and supramolecular organization of native gel network as a link to the large scale phenomenon of gel formation in the Northern Adriatic. Our results support the hypothesis that extracellular polysaccharides produced by marine diatoms self-assemble to form a giant gel network, this process being independent on bacterial processing. Thereafter the giant gels function as efficient bioreactors to eliminate excess of photosynthesized material from the basin.

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Geologija, Kemija

POVEZANOST RADA