Project description:Sea-ice algae provide an important source of primary production in polar regions, yet we have limited understanding of their responses to the seasonal cycling of temperature and salinity. Using a targeted liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry-based metabolomics approach, we found that axenic cultures of the Antarctic sea-ice diatom, Nitzschia lecointei, displayed large differences in their metabolomes when grown in a matrix of conditions that included temperatures of –1 and 4°C, and salinities of 32 and 41, despite relatively small changes in growth rate. Temperature exerted a greater effect than salinity on cellular metabolite pool sizes, though the N- or S-containing compatible solutes, 2,3-dihydroxypropane-1-sulfonate (DHPS), glycine betaine (GBT), dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP), and proline responded strongly to both temperature and salinity, suggesting complexity in their control. We saw the largest (> 4 fold) response to salinity for proline. DHPS, a rarely studied but potential compatible solute, reached the highest intracellular compatible solute concentrations of ~ 85 mM. When comparing the culture findings to natural Arctic sea-ice diatom communities, we found extensive overlap in metabolite profiles, highlighting the relevance of culture-based studies to probe environmental questions. Large changes in sea-ice diatom metabolomes and compatible solutes over a seasonal cycle could be significant components of biogeochemical cycling within sea ice.

2020-03-24 | ST001393 | MetabolomicsWorkbench

ice metagenome

Project description:Cryoconite sediments Targeted Locus (Loci)

| PRJNA236206 | ENA

ice metagenome

Project description:Barrow sea ice metagenomes

| PRJNA451037 | ENA

snow and ice metagenome

Project description:snow and ice metagenome Targeted loci environmental

| PRJNA657180 | ENA