jlinzmaier
Premium Member
As the title says, do corals really have the ability to pull AA's from the water column??
Jeremy
Jeremy
Can corals really pull AA's directly from the water column??
- Thread starter jlinzmaier
- Start date
HighlandReefer
Team RC
Net uptake of dissolved free amino acids by four scleractinian corals
http://www.springerlink.com/content/r2154u42657334h4/
Abstract: High pressure liquid chromatography was employed to provide the first definitive proof of the net uptake of dissolved free amino acids (DFFA) at nanomolar levels by four scleractinian corals (Montastrea annularis, Madracis mirabilis, Agaricia fragilìs, and Favia fragum). During 2 h incubations all species exhibited simultaneous net uptake of eight amino acids. For M. annularis and F. fragum uptake of some dissolved amino acids occurred at concentrations lower than those found in reef waters. Microbial activity or adsorption of DFAA to exposed coral skeletons during these experiments did not appear to be important. Although it seems unlikely that DFAA uptake can provide a significant energy source for corals under ambient condìtions, it may be important in the acquisition and retention of nitrogen by these animals.
Uptake of dissolved free amino acids by the scleractinian coral Stylophora pistillata
http://jeb.biologists.org/cgi/reprint/211/6/860.pdf
In summary, our results show that DFAA can represent an
important source of nitrogen for corals at in situ concentrations
(200"“500·nmol·l"“1), with uptake rates as high as those measured for
DIN at the same concentrations. DFAA uptake by Stylophora
pistillata shows no discrimination, allowing the uptake of any
available amino acid through the animal membranes, depending on
the DFAA concentration in the surrounding water. A "˜light-enhanced
amino acid assimilation' process (Al-Moghrabi et al., 1993) has been
confirmed, suggesting DFAA uptake is a diurnal event.
http://www.springerlink.com/content/r2154u42657334h4/
Abstract: High pressure liquid chromatography was employed to provide the first definitive proof of the net uptake of dissolved free amino acids (DFFA) at nanomolar levels by four scleractinian corals (Montastrea annularis, Madracis mirabilis, Agaricia fragilìs, and Favia fragum). During 2 h incubations all species exhibited simultaneous net uptake of eight amino acids. For M. annularis and F. fragum uptake of some dissolved amino acids occurred at concentrations lower than those found in reef waters. Microbial activity or adsorption of DFAA to exposed coral skeletons during these experiments did not appear to be important. Although it seems unlikely that DFAA uptake can provide a significant energy source for corals under ambient condìtions, it may be important in the acquisition and retention of nitrogen by these animals.
Uptake of dissolved free amino acids by the scleractinian coral Stylophora pistillata
http://jeb.biologists.org/cgi/reprint/211/6/860.pdf
In summary, our results show that DFAA can represent an
important source of nitrogen for corals at in situ concentrations
(200"“500·nmol·l"“1), with uptake rates as high as those measured for
DIN at the same concentrations. DFAA uptake by Stylophora
pistillata shows no discrimination, allowing the uptake of any
available amino acid through the animal membranes, depending on
the DFAA concentration in the surrounding water. A "˜light-enhanced
amino acid assimilation' process (Al-Moghrabi et al., 1993) has been
confirmed, suggesting DFAA uptake is a diurnal event.
jlinzmaier
Premium Member
Wow!! Thanks Cliff. Can't get a more definitive answer than that!!
Jeremy
Jeremy
HighlandReefer
Team RC
Your welcome. 
crawfish in tx
New member
cliff
cliff
was that yes or no?:strange:
cliff
was that yes or no?:strange:
HighlandReefer
Team RC
Yes, coral do use amino acids from the water column. Corals produce amino acids also. Amino acids are added with fish food sources. The concentration of amino acids are not very high in the natural ocean.
The questions which need answers:
1) Is adding amino acids to a reef tank necessary? There are too many tanks that do not add them and are successful.
2) What is the effect of adding too many amino acids? Too much dissolved organic matter can be detrimental to coral.
3) Scientifically speaking, does adding amino acids to a tank produce better results then not adding them considering the existing amount present in a normal system. There are a lot of variables here and I have not seen any definitive answers. Just speculation.
The questions which need answers:
1) Is adding amino acids to a reef tank necessary? There are too many tanks that do not add them and are successful.
2) What is the effect of adding too many amino acids? Too much dissolved organic matter can be detrimental to coral.
3) Scientifically speaking, does adding amino acids to a tank produce better results then not adding them considering the existing amount present in a normal system. There are a lot of variables here and I have not seen any definitive answers. Just speculation.
jlinzmaier
Premium Member
You are right on with those questions Cliff. Unfortunately, as hobbyists, we are unable to easily measure amino acid levels nor are we able to determine which aminos are deficient and which aminos are in excess. Many reefers claim to have desireable results when dosing AA's and I think that if a person decideds to start/try dosing AA's, the best test kit is close monitoring of the inhabitants reactions. Sometimes visual appearance is better than seeing numerical test results anyway. It seems simple enough to start dosing at low levels and observe the reaction of tank inhabitants. If there is a negative reaction then stop. If there's improved coloration or increased growth (and you want those results) then further dosing experimentation sounds like a fun thing to tinker with (reefers seem to like to continaully tinker with something!!).
I agree with the point that high levels of DOC's can have negative results on corals. Improper AA dosing or too much feeding (in addition to many other factors) can lead to excessive levels of DOC's. A lack of continual attention to the tank inhabitants can lead to trouble, but I don't think the fear of excessive DOC's should deter anyone from giving AA dosing a try. The key is the continual attention to signs of excessive DOC's.
Jeremy
I agree with the point that high levels of DOC's can have negative results on corals. Improper AA dosing or too much feeding (in addition to many other factors) can lead to excessive levels of DOC's. A lack of continual attention to the tank inhabitants can lead to trouble, but I don't think the fear of excessive DOC's should deter anyone from giving AA dosing a try. The key is the continual attention to signs of excessive DOC's.
Jeremy
jlinzmaier
Premium Member
Cliff.
My impression of how a tank would react to excessive DOC's would be symptoms like excess algae growth, limited coral growth, excess zoox growth, excess growth of unwanted organisms like cyano, diatoms, etc...
Am I on the right track with this?? Are there any other obvious S/S of excessive DOC's within a system??
Thanks.
Jeremy
My impression of how a tank would react to excessive DOC's would be symptoms like excess algae growth, limited coral growth, excess zoox growth, excess growth of unwanted organisms like cyano, diatoms, etc...
Am I on the right track with this?? Are there any other obvious S/S of excessive DOC's within a system??
Thanks.
Jeremy
HighlandReefer
Team RC
Dissolved organic substances in the marine environment are a very complicated subject. These substances in excess can encourage algal, cyano, dinoflagellates and other nuisance pest growth. Yet in proper amounts are important to the health and well being of coral and other marine organism's. This article does a good job discussing some of the complicated issues:
Excess carbon in aquatic organisms and ecosystems: Physiological, ecological, and
evolutionary implications
Dag O. Hessen1
University of Oslo, Department of Biology, CEES, P.O. Box 1066 Blindern, 0316 Oslo, Norway
http://www.aslo.org/lo/toc/vol_53/issue_4/1685.pdf
From this article the introduction:
"Abstract
Cells and organisms, both autotrophs and heterotrophs, commonly face imbalanced access to and uptake of
elements relative to their requirements. C is often in excess relative to key nutrient elements like N or P in
photoautotrophs. Likewise, one of the lessons from ecological stoichiometry is that the growth of consumers,
especially herbivores and detritivores, is commonly limited by N or P such that they also experience C in excess in
relative terms. ‘‘Excess’’ implies wastage, yet this definition, which is consistent with purely stoichiometric
arguments, is by no means straightforward. In fact, many organisms put this apparently surplus C to good use for
fitness-promoting purposes like storage, structure, and defense or mutualistic goals like symbiosis. Nevertheless,
genuine excesses do occur, in which case the remaining ‘‘leftover C’’ must be disposed of, either in organic or
inorganic form via increased metabolic activity and respiration. These fluxes of C in various forms have major
effects on the C balance of organisms, as well as governing the energy flux and C pathways at the ecosystem level.
We here discuss evolutionary and ecological implications of ‘‘excess C’’ both at the organism and ecosystem level."
Excess carbon in aquatic organisms and ecosystems: Physiological, ecological, and
evolutionary implications
Dag O. Hessen1
University of Oslo, Department of Biology, CEES, P.O. Box 1066 Blindern, 0316 Oslo, Norway
http://www.aslo.org/lo/toc/vol_53/issue_4/1685.pdf
From this article the introduction:
"Abstract
Cells and organisms, both autotrophs and heterotrophs, commonly face imbalanced access to and uptake of
elements relative to their requirements. C is often in excess relative to key nutrient elements like N or P in
photoautotrophs. Likewise, one of the lessons from ecological stoichiometry is that the growth of consumers,
especially herbivores and detritivores, is commonly limited by N or P such that they also experience C in excess in
relative terms. ‘‘Excess’’ implies wastage, yet this definition, which is consistent with purely stoichiometric
arguments, is by no means straightforward. In fact, many organisms put this apparently surplus C to good use for
fitness-promoting purposes like storage, structure, and defense or mutualistic goals like symbiosis. Nevertheless,
genuine excesses do occur, in which case the remaining ‘‘leftover C’’ must be disposed of, either in organic or
inorganic form via increased metabolic activity and respiration. These fluxes of C in various forms have major
effects on the C balance of organisms, as well as governing the energy flux and C pathways at the ecosystem level.
We here discuss evolutionary and ecological implications of ‘‘excess C’’ both at the organism and ecosystem level."
jlinzmaier
Premium Member
Thanks Cliff!
Jeremy
Jeremy
HighlandReefer
Team RC
Your welcome.
Mike O'Brien
New member
My thoughts are that they are not needed in most cases. Where they may be most beneficial is with really low nutrients. N may become limiting then and adding AA's can help that. I don't think I'd consider adding them while Nitrate is detectable.
I also feel that the more biodiversity you have in the tank, the more Amino's will be produced. Tanks like mine that are BB and don't have all that extra sand bed fauna may benefit more from the addition of AA's.
I also feel that the more biodiversity you have in the tank, the more Amino's will be produced. Tanks like mine that are BB and don't have all that extra sand bed fauna may benefit more from the addition of AA's.
HighlandReefer
Team RC
Hmmm, aspartic acid may be an interesting amino acid to try. I was unaware about the possible link between some of the amino acids and calcium movement through the membranes. I just read this article:
ORGANIC MATRIX SYNTHESIS IN THE SCLERACTINIAN CORAL STYLOPHORA
PISTILLATA: ROLE IN BIOMINERALIZATION AND POTENTIAL TARGET OF THE
ORGANOTIN TRIBUTYLTIN
http://jeb.biologists.org/cgi/reprint/201/13/2001.pdf
From this article:
"The kinetics of organic matrix biosynthesis and
incorporation into scleractinian coral skeleton was
studied using microcolonies of Stylophora pistillata.
[14C]Aspartic acid was used to label the organic matrix
since this acidic amino acid can represent up to 50 mol%
of organic matrix proteins. External aspartate was
rapidly incorporated into tissue protein without any
detectable lag phase, suggesting either a small
intracellular pool of aspartic acid or a pool with a fast
turn-over rate. The incorporation of 14C-labelled
macromolecules into the skeleton was linear over time,
after an initial delay of 20 min. Rates of calcification,
measured by the incorporation of 45Ca into the skeleton,
and of organic matrix biosynthesis and incorporation into
the skeleton were constant. Inhibition of calcification by
the Ca2+ channel inhibitor verapamil reduced the
incorporation of organic matrix proteins into the
skeleton. Similarly, organic matrix incorporation into the
skeleton, but not protein synthesis for incorporation into
the tissue compartment, was dependent on the state of
polymerization of both actin and tubulin, as shown by the
sensitivity of this process to cytochalasin B and colchicin.
These drugs may inhibit exocytosis of organic matrix
proteins into the subcalicoblastic space. Finally, inhibition
of protein synthesis by emetin or cycloheximide and
inhibition of N-glycosylation by tunicamycin reduced
both the incorporation of macromolecules into the
skeleton and the rate of calcification. This suggests that
organic matrix biosynthesis and its migration towards the
site of calcification may be a prerequisite step in the
calcification process. On the basis of these results, we
investigated the effects of tributyltin (TBT), a component
of antifouling painting known to interfere with
biomineralization processes. Our results have shown that
this xenobiotic significantly inhibits protein synthesis and
the subsequent incorporation of protein into coral
skeleton. This effect was correlated with a reduction in the
rate of calcification. Protein synthesis was shown to be the
parameter most sensitive to TBT (IC50=0.2 mmol l-1),
followed by aspartic acid uptake by coral tissue
(IC50=0.6 mmol l-1), skeletogenesis (IC50=3 mmol l-1) and
Ca2+ uptake by coral tissue (IC50=20 mmol l-1). These
results suggest that the mode of action of TBT on
calcification may be the inhibition of organic matrix
biosynthesis."
ORGANIC MATRIX SYNTHESIS IN THE SCLERACTINIAN CORAL STYLOPHORA
PISTILLATA: ROLE IN BIOMINERALIZATION AND POTENTIAL TARGET OF THE
ORGANOTIN TRIBUTYLTIN
http://jeb.biologists.org/cgi/reprint/201/13/2001.pdf
From this article:
"The kinetics of organic matrix biosynthesis and
incorporation into scleractinian coral skeleton was
studied using microcolonies of Stylophora pistillata.
[14C]Aspartic acid was used to label the organic matrix
since this acidic amino acid can represent up to 50 mol%
of organic matrix proteins. External aspartate was
rapidly incorporated into tissue protein without any
detectable lag phase, suggesting either a small
intracellular pool of aspartic acid or a pool with a fast
turn-over rate. The incorporation of 14C-labelled
macromolecules into the skeleton was linear over time,
after an initial delay of 20 min. Rates of calcification,
measured by the incorporation of 45Ca into the skeleton,
and of organic matrix biosynthesis and incorporation into
the skeleton were constant. Inhibition of calcification by
the Ca2+ channel inhibitor verapamil reduced the
incorporation of organic matrix proteins into the
skeleton. Similarly, organic matrix incorporation into the
skeleton, but not protein synthesis for incorporation into
the tissue compartment, was dependent on the state of
polymerization of both actin and tubulin, as shown by the
sensitivity of this process to cytochalasin B and colchicin.
These drugs may inhibit exocytosis of organic matrix
proteins into the subcalicoblastic space. Finally, inhibition
of protein synthesis by emetin or cycloheximide and
inhibition of N-glycosylation by tunicamycin reduced
both the incorporation of macromolecules into the
skeleton and the rate of calcification. This suggests that
organic matrix biosynthesis and its migration towards the
site of calcification may be a prerequisite step in the
calcification process. On the basis of these results, we
investigated the effects of tributyltin (TBT), a component
of antifouling painting known to interfere with
biomineralization processes. Our results have shown that
this xenobiotic significantly inhibits protein synthesis and
the subsequent incorporation of protein into coral
skeleton. This effect was correlated with a reduction in the
rate of calcification. Protein synthesis was shown to be the
parameter most sensitive to TBT (IC50=0.2 mmol l-1),
followed by aspartic acid uptake by coral tissue
(IC50=0.6 mmol l-1), skeletogenesis (IC50=3 mmol l-1) and
Ca2+ uptake by coral tissue (IC50=20 mmol l-1). These
results suggest that the mode of action of TBT on
calcification may be the inhibition of organic matrix
biosynthesis."
