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At least 523 records · Page 29Linked to original sources
PubMed2000

Differential C isotope discrimination by fungi during decomposition of C(3)- and C(4)-derived sucrose.

Stable isotope analysis is a major tool used in ecosystem studies to establish pathways and rates of C exchange between various ecosystem components. Little is known about isotopic effects of many such components, especially microbes. Here we report on the discovery of an unexpected pattern of C isotopic discrimination by basidiomycete fungi with far-reaching consequences for our understanding of isotopic processing in ecosystems where these microbes mediate material transfers across trophic levels. We measured fractionation effects on three ecologically relevant basidiomycete species under controlled laboratory conditions. Sucrose derived from C(3) and C(4) plants is fractionated differentially by these microbes in a taxon-specific manner. The differentiation between mycorrhizal and saprotrophic fungi observed in the field by others is not explained by intrinsic discrimination patterns. Fractionation occurs during sugar uptake and is sensitive to the nonrandom distribution of stable isotopes in the sucrose molecule. The balance between respiratory physiology and fermentative physiology modulates the degree of fractionation. These discoveries disprove the assumption that fungal C processing does not significantly alter the distribution of stable C isotopes and provide the basis for a reevaluation of ecosystem models based on isotopic evidence that involve C transfer across microbial interfaces. We provide a mechanism to account for the observed differential discrimination effects.

Carbon Isotopes↗
PubMed2000

Evidence of substantial carbon isotope fractionation among substrate, inorganic carbon, and biomass during aerobic mineralization of 1, 2-dichloroethane by Xanthobacter autotrophicus.

Carbon isotope fractionation during aerobic mineralization of 1, 2-dichloroethane (1,2-DCA) by Xanthobacter autotrophicus GJ10 was investigated. A strong enrichment of (13)C in residual 1,2-DCA was observed, with a mean fractionation factor alpha +/- standard deviation of 0.968 +/- 0.0013 to 0.973 +/- 0.0015. In addition, a large carbon isotope fractionation between biomass and inorganic carbon occurred. A mechanistic model that links the fractionation factor alpha to the rate constants of the first catabolic enzyme was developed. Based on the model, it was concluded that the strong enrichment of (13)C in 1,2-DCA arises because the first irreversible step of the initial enzymatic transformation of 1,2-DCA consists of an S(N)2 nucleophilic substitution. S(N)2 reactions are accompanied by a large kinetic isotope effect. The substantial carbon isotope fractionation between biomass and inorganic carbon could be explained by the kinetic isotope effect associated with the initial 1,2-DCA transformation and by the metabolic pathway of 1,2-DCA degradation. Carbon isotope fractionation during 1,2-DCA mineralization leads to 1,2-DCA, inorganic carbon, and biomass with characteristic carbon isotope compositions, which may be used to trace the process in contaminated environments.

Aerobiosis↗
PubMed2006

Carbon isotope fractionation during anaerobic degradation of methyl tert-butyl ether under sulfate-reducing and methanogenic conditions.

Methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE), an octane enhancer and a fuel oxygenate in reformulated gasoline, has received increasing public attention after it was detected as a major contaminant of water resources. Although several techniques have been developed to remediate MTBE-contaminated sites, the fate of MTBE is mainly dependent upon natural degradation processes. Compound-specific stable isotope analysis has been proposed as a tool to distinguish the loss of MTBE due to biodegradation from other physical processes. Although MTBE is highly recalcitrant, anaerobic degradation has been demonstrated under different anoxic conditions and may be an important process. To accurately assess in situ MTBE degradation through carbon isotope analysis, carbon isotope fractionation during MTBE degradation by different cultures under different electron-accepting conditions needs to be investigated. In this study, carbon isotope fractionation during MTBE degradation under sulfate-reducing and methanogenic conditions was studied in anaerobic cultures enriched from two different sediments. Significant enrichment of 13C in residual MTBE during anaerobic biotransformation was observed under both sulfate-reducing and methanogenic conditions. The isotopic enrichment factors (epsilon) estimated for each enrichment were almost identical (-13.4 per thousand to -14.6 per thousand; r2 = 0.89 to 0.99). A epsilon value of -14.4 per thousand+/- 0.7 per thousand was obtained from regression analysis (r2 = 0.97, n = 55, 95% confidence interval), when all data from our MTBE-transforming anaerobic cultures were combined. The similar magnitude of carbon isotope fractionation in all enrichments regardless of culture or electron-accepting condition suggests that the terminal electron-accepting process may not significantly affect carbon isotope fractionation during anaerobic MTBE degradation.

Anaerobiosis↗
PubMed2002

Estimation of neonatal body composition: isotope dilution versus total-body electrical conductivity.

The objective of the study is to evaluate neonatal body composition determined by the isotope dilution method compared with the total-body electrical conductivity (TOBEC) method. An oral dose of 18O- and 2H-labeled water was given to 40 healthy term newborns, and 26 infants successfully completed the protocol. The isotope concentrations in urine samples were measured by gas-isotope ratio mass spectrometry. Fat and percent body fat (%F) estimated by isotope dilution were correlated with fat and %F estimated. Total body water measured by isotope dilution of 18O and 2H was 2.44 +/- 0.36 and 2.49 +/- 0.35 kg, respectively (p < 0.001). Fat and %F estimated by 18O, 2H, and TOBEC were 0.48 +/- 0.20 kg and 13.7 +/- 5.1%, 0.48 +/- 0.19 kg and 13.7 +/- 4.6%, and 0.38 +/- 0.21 kg and 10.9 +/- 5.0%, respectively. Neither fat nor %F estimates by isotope dilution showed good correlation with the TOBEC estimates (r = 0.22-0.57). Because of the wide variation of water content in individuals, the isotope dilution method may not be the optimal way of assessing body composition, and specifically body fat, in newborns.

Adipose Tissue↗
PubMed2005

A noninvasive isotopic approach to estimate the bone lead contribution to blood in children: implications for assessing the efficacy of lead abatement.

Lead hazard control measures to reduce children's exposure to household lead sources often result in only limited reductions in blood lead levels. This may be due to incomplete remediation of lead sources and/or to the remobilization of lead stores from bone, which may act as an endogenous lead source that buffers reductions in blood lead levels. Here we present a noninvasive isotopic approach to estimate the magnitude of the bone lead contribution to blood in children following household lead remediation. In this approach, lead isotopic ratios of a child's blood and 5-day fecal samples are determined before and after a household intervention aimed at reducing the child's lead intake. The bone lead contribution to blood is estimated from a system of mass balance equations of lead concentrations and isotopic compositions in blood at the different times of sample collection. The utility of this method is illustrated with three cases of children with blood lead levels in the range of 18-29 microg/dL. In all three cases, the release of lead from bone supported a substantial fraction of the measured blood lead level postintervention, up to 96% in one case. In general, the lead isotopic compositions of feces matched or were within the range of the lead isotopic compositions of the household dusts with lead loadings exceeding U.S. Environmental Protection Agency action levels. This isotopic agreement underscores the utility of lead isotopic measurements of feces to identify household sources of lead exposure. Results from this limited number of cases support the hypothesis that the release of bone lead into blood may substantially buffer the decrease in blood lead levels expected from the reduction in lead intake.

Bone and Bones↗
PubMed1996

Use of endogenous, stable lead isotopes to determine release of lead from the skeleton.

The stable lead isotope methodology can be used to study the release of lead from bone into the circulation because of its potential to distinguish circulatory lead from "older" and isotopically different skeletal lead that may have been accumulated years or decades earlier. Here we report the initial results from a larger ongoing study that evaluates the skeleton as a source of lead to the circulation in environmentally exposed human subjects. Lead concentrations and stable lead isotopic compositions were measured in blood and trabecular bone samples obtained from five patients who underwent total hip or knee joint replacement. All subjects contained low blood (1-6 micrograms/dl) and bone (0.6-7 micrograms/g dry weight) lead concentrations typical of environmentally exposed individuals. There were relatively large differences in the lead isotopic compositions between the paired blood and bone samples from each subject. These isotopic differences are attributed to differences in the lead isotopic compositions of past versus current lead exposures and to the long elimination half-life of lead in the skeleton compared to lead in the circulation. Based on these data, we determined that the skeleton contributed 40-70% of the lead in the blood of these subjects. This initial study demonstrates the utility of the stable lead isotope methodology for investigating the release of lead from the skeleton. It also shows that the skeleton can be an important endogenous source of lead exposure in environmentally exposed humans.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Fractionation of stable sulfur isotopes during microbiological processes in Slavyansk lakes].

The isotopic content of sulphur in sulphates increases with depth in waters containing hydrogen sulphide of the meromictic lakes Repnoe and Veisovo as a result of microbiological reduction of sulphates. At the same time, hydrogen sulphide enrichments 19 to 25% of the light isotope 32S in the lake Veisovo, and 24 to 32% in the lake Repnoe. The fractionation of sulphur isotopes, manifested in the enrichment of sulphides with lighter isotopes, and that of sulphates with heavier isotopes, was found also in the bottom deposits of the lake Repnoe. The isotope and microbiological data suggest that, in the zone of mass growth of the phototrophic sulphur bacteria in the lake Repnoe, there are two processes of fractionation: (a) due to the bacterial reduction of sulphates; and (b) due to anaerobic oxidation of hydrogen sulphide, resulting in the enrichment of hydrogen sulphide with the light isotope 32S by 5 to 7 promille.

Bacteria↗
PubMed2005

Stable isotope ratios as a tool in microbial forensics--part 3. Effect of culturing on agar-containing growth media.

Stable isotope ratios of hydrogen and oxygen in microbes have been shown to be functions of the corresponding isotope ratios of the water with which the culture medium was prepared, and thus to contain a potential geographic signal. Water can evaporate from agar (solid) media during culturing, changing its isotope ratios. Here we describe the effect of drying on the isotope ratios of water extracted from agar media and the H and O stable isotope ratios ratios of Bacillus subtilis spores cultured on agar. The delta2H vs delta18O relationship of water in Petri dish agar was surprisingly constant during evaporation regardless of the ambient relative humidity, making it possible to calculate the approximate isotope ratios of the original water, even in significantly evaporated agar. The H stable isotope ratios of spores cultured on agar remained relatively unchanged as the agar dried, but the O ratio became significantly enriched.

Agar↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Distribution of carbon isotopes ((13)C/(12)C) in cells and temporal organization of cellular processes].

Recent studies on fractionation of carbon isotopes in biological systems are reviewed. It follows that direct experimental proofs have been obtained that 1) basic fractionation of carbon isotopes in the cell is related to isotope effect in pyruvate decarboxylation; 2) fractionation of carbon isotopes in the above reaction in vivo proceeds with exhausting substrate pool. The latter provides natural relationship between metabolites isotope distribution and sequence of their synthesis in the cell cycle, or with the temporal organization of cellular metabolism. The non-steady and periodic pattern of pyruvate decarboxylation due to the exhausting substrate pool well agrees with the existing notions on reciprocal oscillations in the cell glycolytic chain. Experimental data are presented corroborating indirectly the existence of oscillations in bacterial cells. Earlier proposed model of the mechanism of carbon isotope fractionation based on the above principles can be used for analysing changes in isotopic characteristics of the organisms and interpreting their relations with metabolic processes.

Carbon Isotopes↗
PubMed1984

Synthesis of nucleotides with specific radiolabels in ribose. Primary 14C and secondary 3H kinetic isotope effects on acid-catalyzed glycosidic bond hydrolysis of AMP, dAMP, and inosine.

Adenosine 5'-phosphate was synthesized with 3H or 14C label specifically located as [1'-3H]AMP, [1'-14C] AMP, [5'-3H]AMP, and [5'-14C]AMP. The synthesis was accomplished from adenine and glucose or adenine and ribose using enzymes from the pentose pathway and/or from the purine salvage pathways. Structural analysis of the compounds confirmed the locations of the radiolabels. The methods provide a general scheme for the efficient synthesis of adenine nucleotides of high purity with 3H or 14C at any stable position on the ribose ring. Synthesis of [5'-14C]dAMP and [1'-3H] dAMP from the corresponding ribonucleotides was accomplished with ribonucleotide reductase. Labeled inosine was prepared by enzymatic dephosphorylation and deamination of labeled AMP. These compounds have been used to measure the secondary kinetic isotope effects on the acid-catalyzed hydrolysis of the N-glycosidic bond of AMP, dAMP, and inosine and the corresponding primary kinetic isotope effects with AMP. Acid hydrolysis in 0.1 or 0.2 N HCl at 50 degrees C gave 1H/3H secondary kinetic isotope effects of 1.23 +/- 0.01, 1.26 +/- 0.01, and 1.230 +/- 0.003 for AMP, dAMP, and inosine, respectively. The primary kinetic isotope effect for 12C/14C was 1.049 +/- 0.010 for AMP. The apparent rate constants for hydrolysis under these conditions were similar for inosine and AMP and were in the range 10(-6)-10(-5)s-1. Acid hydrolysis of dAMP is approximately 1000-fold faster than AMP but gives a similar 1H/3H kinetic isotope effect. The results of secondary isotope effects indicate that the transition states for the acid-catalyzed hydrolysis of the N-glycosidic bonds of inosine, AMP, and dAMP have similar bonding to 1'-3H in the transition state and have considerable carboxonium character. Results with [1'-14C]AMP demonstrate that a significant primary isotope effect can be measured in the acid solvolysis of the N-glycosidic bond of AMP.

Adenosine Monophosphate↗
PubMed2005

Regional differences in collagen stable isotope and tissue trace element profiles in populations of long-tailed duck breeding in the Canadian Arctic.

Adult long-tailed ducks (Clangula hyemalis) were collected from nine locations across their breeding grounds in northern Canada and measurements of stable isotopes of carbon (delta(13)C), nitrogen (delta(15)N) and sulfur (delta(34)S) in bone collagen were used to investigate if relative use of freshwater habitats such as the Great Lakes (with expected depleted stable isotope profiles) compared with coastal marine environments (with expected enriched stable isotope foodweb profiles) could explain tissue trace element profiles. Contrary to expectation, all three stable isotopes did not covary in our sample, suggesting that mechanisms other than simple freshwater vs. marine isotopic gradients were involved among populations. All three stable isotopes varied significantly with collection location and both delta(15)N and delta(13)C values varied significantly between sexes suggesting that males exploit either a different food base or occur in different geographic areas than females for at least part of the year. The delta(34)S data, in particular, suggested that many of the birds breeding in the western Canadian Arctic probably overwinter in the Great Lakes along with many of the birds breeding in Hudson Bay. Males at the majority of collection locations had higher concentrations of hepatic Hg (1.1-8 microg/g dw), Cu (25-40 mug/g dw), Se (7.3-27 mug/g dw) and renal Cd (33-129 microg/g dw) than females. Concentrations of Hg, Cu and Cd were well below toxicological threshold levels found in the literature. However, hepatic Se concentrations in 64% of the females exceeded 10 mug/g dw and concentrations in 8% of the birds measured exceeded 33 microg/g dw suggesting levels of potential concern.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

Phosphoprotein isotope-coded solid-phase tag approach for enrichment and quantitative analysis of phosphopeptides from complex mixtures.

Many cellular processes are regulated by reversible protein phosphorylation, and the ability to broadly identify and quantify phosphoproteins from proteomes would provide a basis for gaining a better understanding of these dynamic cellular processes. However, such a sensitive, efficient, and global method capable of addressing the phosphoproteome has yet to be developed. Here we describe an improved stable-isotope labeling method using a phosphoprotein isotope-coded solid-phase tag (PhIST) for isolating and measuring the relative abundances of phosphorylated peptides from complex peptide mixtures resulting from the enzymatic digestion of extracted proteins. The PhIST approach is an extension of the previously reported phosphoprotein isotope-coded affinity tag (PhIAT) approach developed by our laboratory, where phosphoseryl and phosphothreonyl residues were derivatized by hydroxide ion-mediated beta-elimination followed by the Michael addition of 1,2-ethanedithiol (EDT). Instead of using the biotin affinity tag, peptides containing the EDT moiety were captured and labeled in one step using isotope-coded solid-phase reagents containing either light (12C6, 14N) or heavy (13C6, 15N) stable isotopes. The captured peptides labeled with the isotope-coded tags were released from the solid-phase support by UV photocleavage and analyzed by capillary liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The efficiency and sensitivity of the PhIST labeling approach for identification of phosphopeptides from mixtures were determined using casein proteins. Its utility for proteomic applications was demonstrated by the labeling of soluble phosphoproteins from a human breast cancer cell line.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2001

Hydrolysis of phosphotriesters: determination of transition states in parallel reactions by heavy-atom isotope effects.

The remote label method was used to measure primary and secondary (18)O isotope effects in the alkaline hydrolysis of O,O-diethylphosphorylcholine iodide (DEPC) and the primary (18)O effect in the alkaline hydrolysis of O,O-diethyl-m-nitrobenzyl phosphate (DEmNBP). Both the leaving group of interest (choline or m-nitrobenzyl alcohol) and ethanol can be ejected during hydrolysis due to the similarity of their pK values. The heavy-atom isotope effects were measured by isotope ratio mass spectrometry. Parallel reaction and incomplete labeling corrections were made for both systems. DEPC has a primary (18)O isotope effect of 1.041 +/- 0.003 and a secondary (18)O isotope effect of 1.033 +/- 0.002. The primary (18)O isotope effect for DEmNBP was 1.052 +/- 0.003. These large effects suggest a highly associative transition state in which the nucleophile approaches very close to the phosphorus atom to eject the leaving group. The large values are also indicative of a large compression, or general movement, on the reaction coordinate.

Choline↗
PubMed2003

Stable-isotope fingerprints of biological agents as forensic tools.

Naturally occurring stable isotopes of light elements in chemical and biological agents may possess unique "stable-isotope fingerprints" depending on their sources and manufacturing processes. To test this hypothesis, two strains of bacteria (Bacillus globigii and Erwinia agglomerans) were grown under controlled laboratory conditions. We observed that cultured bacteria cells faithfully inherited the isotopic composition (hydrogen, carbon, and nitrogen) of media waters and substrates in predictable manners in terms of bacterial metabolism and that even bacterial cells of the same strain, which grew in media water and substrates of different isotopic compositions, have readily distinguishable isotopic signatures. These "stable-isotopic fingerprints" of chemical and biological agents can be used as forensic tools in the event of biochemical terrorist attacks.

Bacillus↗
PubMed2000

Isotopic composition of inorganic carbon as an indicator of benzoate degradation by pseudomonas putida: temperature, growth rate and pH effects.

Degradation experiments of benzoate by Pseudomonas putida resulted in enzymatic carbon isotope fractionations. However, isotopic temperature effects between experiments at 20 and 30 degrees C were minor. Averages of the last three values of the CO(2) isotopic composition (delta(13)C(CO2(g))) were more negative than the initial benzoate delta(13)C value (-26.2 per thousand Vienna Pee Dee Belenite (VPDB)) by 3.8, 3.4 and 3.2 per thousand at 20, 25 and 30 degrees C, respectively. Although the maximum isotopic temperature difference found was only 0.6 per thousand, more extreme temperature variations may cause larger isotope effects. In order to understand the isotope effects on the total inorganic carbon (TIC), a better measure is to calculate the proportions of the inorganic carbon species (CO(2)(g), CO(2)(aq) and HCO(3)(-)) and to determine their cumulative delta(13)C(TIC). In all three experiments delta(13)C(TIC) was more positive than the initial isotopic composition of the benzoate at a pH of 7. This suggests an uptake of (12)C in the biomass in order to match the carbon balance of these closed system experiments.

Benzoates↗
PubMed1985

Trace determination and isotopic analysis of the elements in life sciences by mass spectrometry.

The main ionization methods in a mass spectrometer for isotope ratio determinations of the elements are discussed in this review. These methods are thermal ionization, spark source, electron impact, inductively coupled plasma and field desorption. As concerns thermal ionization, electron impact and field desorption, a survey of the possibilities of isotope analyses in the periodic table of the elements is given. Besides kinetic studies, trace element determination by isotope dilution technique is the main application for isotope ratio measurements of the elements. The definitive method, isotope dilution mass spectrometry, is discussed as a potential tool for achieving accurate and precise trace analyses. Using field desorption mass spectrometry, one example of calcium kinetics in man and one example of thallium trace determination in an animal tissue are given. Other metal trace analyses with the isotope dilution technique are presented for biological and medical samples using positive thermal ionization mass spectrometry. Negative thermal ions are formed for the mass spectrometric analysis of non-metals and non-metal compounds in food samples, e.g. for iodine and nitrate in milk powder. Preliminary results with the isotope dilution technique are presented for a new quadrupole thermal ionization mass spectrometer which is a low-cost instrument and can be easily handled.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Mass spectrometry and natural variations of iron isotopes.

Although the processes that govern iron isotope variations in nature are just beginning to be understood, multiple studies attest of the virtue of this system to solve important problems in geosciences and biology. In this article, we review recent advances in the geochemistry, cosmochemistry, and biochemistry of iron isotopes. In Section 2, we briefly address the question of the nucleosynthesis of Fe isotopes. In Section 3, we describe the different methods for purifying Fe and analyzing its isotopic composition. The methods of SIMS, RIMS, and TIMS are presented but more weight is given to measurements by MC-ICPMS. In Section 4, the isotope anomalies measured in extraterrestrial material are briefly discussed. In Section 5, we show how high temperature processes like evaporation, condensation, diffusion, reduction, and phase partitioning can affect Fe isotopic composition. In Section 6, the various low temperature processes causing Fe isotopic fractionation are presented. These involve aqueous and biologic systems.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2006

Stable-hydrogen isotope heterogeneity in keratinous materials: mass spectrometry and migratory wildlife tissue subsampling strategies.

Stable-hydrogen isotope measurements (deltaD) of biological tissues have gained widespread acceptance in wildlife and forensic studies, especially in tracking geographical movements of birds and other species. Continuous-flow isotope-ratio mass spectrometry enables high-throughput deltaD analyses to be conducted on tissue samples as small as 0.15 mg, compared with conventional offline analyses that require 7-10 mg. This reduction in sample size has raised concerns regarding intra-sample hydrogen isotopic variance due to potential biological heterogeneities that could exceed interpretations of geospatial origin. To help resolve this, feathers were obtained from captive birds to examine isotopic variance expected due to sample size, location, and heterogeneity factors, and from selected wild birds to examine isotopic variance due to these and to additional dietary or location changes during feather growth. Captive bird feathers were sub-sampled along the vane on either side of a single feather at masses of 0.25, 0.35, 0.45, 0.6, 1.0 and 2.0 mg, and along the rachis. The results showed consistency of feather deltaD measurements across a wide range of sample masses. Within-feather deltaD isotopic variance for captive and some wild birds was as low as +/-3 per thousand for vane material, which corresponds to a geospatial resolution of about 1 degree of latitude in central North America. Intra-sample variance for the rachis was +/-5 per thousand, with lower deltaD values for both wild and captive birds. However, given the extraordinary intra-feather deltaD variance observed in some wild species, we recommend researchers first carefully assess the degree of intra- and inter-sample hydrogen isotopic variation in the selected tissue growth period for the species of interest before geospatial interpretations of origin are attempted.

Animal Migration↗