1
•We used Arabidopsis thaliana mutants that vary in lignin, cellulose, or N content or in lignin chemical composition. •Mutants have either low lignin content, low cellulose content, or different lignin chemical composition: a low ratio of syringyl to guaiacyl (S:G) units, a high S:G ratio, 5‐ hydroxyguaiacyl units, or a high proportion of cinnamyl‐ aldehydes compared to wild type. •Wild type (Columbia) Arabidopsis were grown with low‐N fertilizer (3 mM KNO 3 ‐N) or high‐N fertilizer (15 mM KNO 3 ‐N) to produce stem tissue with either high or low N content. Use of analytical chemistry to examine controls over decomposition Jenny M. Talbot 1 *, James Nowick 2 , and Kathleen Treseder 1 1 Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and 2 Chemistry, University of California, *[email protected] Decomposition releases CO 2 to the atmosphere at a rate that is 10 times the current rate due to anthropogenic emissions. •We must understand the mechanisms of litter decomposition in order to improve predictions of carbon sequestration under global change. Plant chemistry should influence rates of litter decomposition by controlling the activity of decomposer microbes. •Lignin is a recalcitrant aromatic compound that surrounds more labile cellulose and protein in plant cell walls. •The amount and chemical structure of lignin is hypothesized to influence the decay rate of litter by controlling microbial access to labile litter components. Objective: To determine the mechanism of initial litter chemistry effects on decomposition rate by mapping the structure and chemical composition of plant cell walls in decomposing litter. BACKGROUND STUDY SYSTEM 1. Low cellulose litter will decompose slower than wild type litter due to less labile C substrate available for decomposer microbes. 2. Low lignin litter will decompose faster than wild type litter due to less protection of cellulose and protein. 3. Litter will decompose in the order low S:G < wild type < high S:G < 5‐hydroxyguaiacyl units < cinnamyl‐aldehyde lignin content due to less condensed lignin structure. 4. Litter with high N content will decompose faster than litter with low N content by alleviating the N limitation of decomposer microbes. HYPOTHESES • Quantitative analysis of changes in the chemical composition of litter material during decomposition. •Development of a procedure to quantify the degradation of chemical structures in litter using quantitative 2D NMR. • Ability to identify the mechanistic link between initial litter chemistry traits and decomposition rate. •One chapter in a dissertation and an associated publication in a peer‐reviewed journal. ANTICIPATED PRODUCT WT WT Low cellulose Low lignin Low S:G High S:G 5‐hydroxy CAH Low N High N Plant Type % Mass loss A •Cellulose and nitrogen content of plant tissue appear to control rates of decomposition in the boreal zone by acting as a substrate for decomposers. •Lignin chemical composition is a stronger control over litter decay rates than lignin content alone. •In terms of lignin chemistry, the amount of syringyl units and cinnamyl‐aldehyde units in lignin are the best predictors of litter decay rates. •Analysis of cell wall structure in decomposed litter is required to determine the mechanisms driving these patterns. DISCUSSION Fig 3. Litterbags decomposing in the field site in Alaska in July 2008. B A Hypothesis 1: Supported. The low cellulose mutant decomposed slower than the wild type Arabidopsis (P =0.008). Hypothesis 3: Partially supported. There was a significant effect of lignin chemistry on decomposition (P = 0.007). Stems decomposed in the order: low S:G ratio > wild type > 5‐hydroxyguaiacyl > high cinnamyl‐aldehydes > high S:G ratio. Hypothesis 4: Supported. Plants with high N content decomposed faster than plants with low N content (P = 0.002). Fig 4. Mass loss of stem tissue decomposed in an Alaskan boreal forest from July 2008‐2009. Bars represent standard errors, n = 1‐6. Letters represent Tukey groupings (P < 0.05). Hypothesis 2: Not supported. The low lignin mutant decomposed at a rate similar to the wild type. • Over 4000 Arabidopsis plants were grown from January‐June 2008. •Stem tissue from each plant type was harvested and placed in 10 cm x 10 cm litterbags made of 1‐mm mesh. •Three to six litterbags were made of each plant type for a total of 30 litterbags. •Stems were decomposed from July 2008 ‐ July 2009 in the boreal forest of interior Alaska. • Decomposition rate of each plant type was calculated as total mass loss. METHODS •We will test the mechanisms underlying hypotheses 1‐4 by analyzing the structure and composition of whole cell walls of decomposed tissue for each plant type. •Whole cell walls will be dissolved using the ionic solvent is DMSO‐d 6 /1‐ methylimidazole‐d 6 . • 1‐methylimidazole‐d 6 will be synthesized by methylating imidazole‐d 4 with iodomethane‐d 3 . •We will quantify the cell wall structure and the loss of litter chemical components during decomposition of each plant type using 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy. FUTURE WORK Fig 1. Arabidopsis growing in the UCI greenhouse April ‐ July 2008. Low N High N Fig 2. Wild type Arabidopsis grown under high‐N or low‐N fertilizer. 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 Lignin content (mg g DM ‐1 ) Cellulose content (mg g DM ‐1 ) Wild type Low cellulose Low lignin Wild type Low cellulose Low lignin A A B A A B Plant type Plant type 5‐hydroxy guaiacyl Guaiacyl (G) Syringyl (S) Cinnamyl‐ aldehyde O OH HO OCH3 OH OH HO OCH3 OH OH OCH3 H3CO OH OH OCH3 B AB B B AB A A

Use of analytical chemistry to examine controls over decompositionenvironment.uci.edu/sites/default/files/EI Poster_2008-01... · 2012-10-25 · 1Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

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Page 1: Use of analytical chemistry to examine controls over decompositionenvironment.uci.edu/sites/default/files/EI Poster_2008-01... · 2012-10-25 · 1Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

•WeusedArabidopsisthalianamutantsthatvaryinlignin,cellulose,orNcontentorinligninchemicalcomposition.

•Mutantshaveeitherlowlignincontent,lowcellulosecontent,ordifferentligninchemicalcomposition:alowratioofsyringyltoguaiacyl(S:G)units,ahighS:Gratio,5‐hydroxyguaiacylunits,orahighproportionofcinnamyl‐aldehydescomparedtowildtype.

•Wildtype(Columbia)Arabidopsisweregrownwithlow‐Nfertilizer(3mMKNO3‐N)orhigh‐Nfertilizer(15mMKNO3‐N)toproducestemtissuewitheitherhighorlowNcontent.

Useofanalyticalchemistrytoexaminecontrolsoverdecomposition

JennyM.Talbot1*,JamesNowick2,andKathleenTreseder11EcologyandEvolutionaryBiologyand2Chemistry,UniversityofCalifornia,*[email protected]

•DecompositionreleasesCO2totheatmosphereataratethatis10timesthecurrentrateduetoanthropogenicemissions.•Wemustunderstandthemechanismsoflitterdecompositioninordertoimprovepredictionsofcarbonsequestrationunderglobalchange.

•Plantchemistryshouldinfluenceratesoflitterdecompositionbycontrollingtheactivityofdecomposermicrobes.•Ligninisarecalcitrantaromaticcompoundthatsurroundsmorelabilecelluloseandproteininplantcellwalls.•Theamountandchemicalstructureofligninishypothesizedtoinfluencethedecayrateoflitterbycontrollingmicrobialaccesstolabilelittercomponents.

Objective: Todeterminethemechanismofinitiallitterchemistryeffectsondecompositionratebymappingthestructureandchemicalcompositionofplantcellwallsindecomposinglitter.

BACKGROUND

STUDYSYSTEM

1. LowcelluloselitterwilldecomposeslowerthanwildtypelitterduetolesslabileCsubstrateavailablefordecomposermicrobes.

2. Lowligninlitterwilldecomposefasterthanwildtypelitterduetolessprotectionofcelluloseandprotein.

3. LitterwilldecomposeintheorderlowS:G<wildtype<highS:G<5‐hydroxyguaiacylunits<cinnamyl‐aldehydelignincontentduetolesscondensedligninstructure.

4. LitterwithhighNcontentwilldecomposefasterthanlitterwithlowNcontentbyalleviatingtheNlimitationofdecomposermicrobes.

HYPOTHESES

•Quantitativeanalysisofchangesinthechemicalcompositionoflittermaterialduringdecomposition.•Developmentofaproceduretoquantifythedegradationofchemicalstructuresinlitterusingquantitative2DNMR.•Abilitytoidentifythemechanisticlinkbetweeninitiallitterchemistrytraitsanddecompositionrate.•Onechapterinadissertationandanassociatedpublicationinapeer‐reviewedjournal.

ANTICIPATEDPRODUCTWT

WT Lowcellulose Lowlignin

LowS:G

HighS:G

5‐hydroxy

CAH

LowN HighN

PlantType

%M

assloss

A

•Celluloseandnitrogencontentofplanttissueappeartocontrolratesofdecompositionintheborealzonebyactingasasubstratefordecomposers.•Ligninchemicalcompositionisastrongercontroloverlitterdecayratesthanlignincontentalone.•Intermsofligninchemistry,theamountofsyringylunitsandcinnamyl‐aldehydeunitsinligninarethebestpredictorsoflitterdecayrates.•Analysisofcellwallstructureindecomposedlitterisrequiredtodeterminethemechanismsdrivingthesepatterns.

DISCUSSION

Fig3.LitterbagsdecomposinginthefieldsiteinAlaskainJuly2008.

BA

Hypothesis1:Supported.ThelowcellulosemutantdecomposedslowerthanthewildtypeArabidopsis(P=0.008).

Hypothesis3:Partiallysupported.Therewasasignificanteffectofligninchemistryondecomposition(P=0.007).Stemsdecomposedintheorder:lowS:Gratio>wildtype>5‐hydroxyguaiacyl>highcinnamyl‐aldehydes>highS:Gratio.

Hypothesis4:Supported.PlantswithhighNcontentdecomposedfasterthanplantswithlowNcontent(P=0.002).

Fig4.MasslossofstemtissuedecomposedinanAlaskanborealforestfromJuly2008‐2009.Barsrepresentstandarderrors,n=1‐6.LettersrepresentTukeygroupings(P<0.05).

Hypothesis2:Notsupported.Thelowligninmutantdecomposedataratesimilartothewildtype.

•Over4000ArabidopsisplantsweregrownfromJanuary‐June2008.•Stemtissuefromeachplanttypewasharvestedandplacedin10cmx10cmlitterbagsmadeof1‐mmmesh.•Threetosixlitterbagsweremadeofeachplanttypeforatotalof30litterbags.•StemsweredecomposedfromJuly2008‐July2009intheborealforestofinteriorAlaska.•Decompositionrateofeachplanttypewascalculatedastotalmassloss.

METHODS

•Wewilltestthemechanismsunderlyinghypotheses1‐4byanalyzingthestructureandcompositionofwholecellwallsofdecomposedtissueforeachplanttype.•WholecellwallswillbedissolvedusingtheionicsolventisDMSO‐d6/1‐methylimidazole‐d6.•1‐methylimidazole‐d6willbesynthesizedbymethylatingimidazole‐d4withiodomethane‐d3.•Wewillquantifythecellwallstructureandthelossoflitterchemicalcomponentsduringdecompositionofeachplanttypeusing1Dand2DNMRspectroscopy.

FUTUREWORK

Fig1.ArabidopsisgrowingintheUCIgreenhouseApril‐July2008.

LowN

HighN

Fig2.WildtypeArabidopsisgrownunderhigh‐Norlow‐Nfertilizer.

050100150200250300350400450

050100150200250300350400450

Lignincon

tent

(mggDM

‐1)

Cellulosecon

tent

(mggDM

‐1)

Wildtype Lowcellulose

Lowlignin Wildtype Lowcellulose

Lowlignin

AA

B

AA

B

Planttype Planttype

5‐hydroxyguaiacyl

Guaiacyl(G) Syringyl(S) Cinnamyl‐aldehyde

O

OH

HO OCH3

OH

OH

HO OCH3

OH

OH

OCH3H3CO

OH

OH

OCH3

BAB

B BAB A A