Aquatic Sciences Meeting, Albuquerque 2001

SS21 Ultraviolet Radiation and the Aquatic Biota (Disciplinary Connections)

Date: Wednesday, February 14, 2001, Time: 3:00:00 PM

Location: Galisteo

Whitehead, K, L, University of Washington, Seattle, USA, kenia@ocean.washington.edu

Karentz, D, , University of San Francisco, San Fransisco, USA, karentzd@usfca.edu

Hedges, J, I, University of Washington, Seattle, USA, jihedges@u.washington.edu

TROPHIC TRANSFER OF MYCOSPORINE-LIKE AMINO ACIDS (MAAs) IN AN ANTARCTIC ECOSYSTEM USING LIQUID CHROMATOGRAPHY AND MASS SPECTROMETRY.

Transfer of mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs) from a natural phytoplankton assemblage to the herbivorous pteropod, Limacina helicina and from L. helicina to the predatory pteropod, Clione antarctica, was investigated in a coastal Antarctic system to evaluate the bioaccumulation and dietary alteration of MAAs. This study utilizes a novel approach in MAA analysis by incorporating mass spectrometry (LC/MS and LC/MS/MS) to provide the molecular weight and unique fragmentation pattern for each MAA. HPLC and LC/MS analyses of samples collected in the vicinity of McMurdo Station, Antarctica revealed the presence of two MAAs in the phytoplankton assemblage (shinorine and porphyra-334) and 5 MAAs in each of the pteropods (mycosporine-glycine, shinorine, prophyra-334, palythenic acid and palythine). Dietarily derived MAAs were bioaccumulated in the pteropods with a concentration factor 2.2 and 2.4 for the first and second trophic transfers, respectively. MAA diversity also increased after the first trophic transfer from phytoplankton to L. helicina. A theoretical reaction scheme will be presented for the production of mycosporine-glycine, palythenic acid and palythine from phytoplankton derived shinorine and porphyra-334 via microbial and chemically mediated reactions.

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Aquatic Sciences Meeting, Albuquerque 2001

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