Food chain analysis by nitrogen isotopic composition of amino acids

• CHIKARAISHI Yoshito

  Institute of Biogeosciences, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC)

• OGAWA Nanako O.

  Institute of Biogeosciences, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC)

• TAKANO Yoshinori

  Institute of Biogeosciences, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC)

• TSUCHIYA Masashi

  Institute of Biogeosciences, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC)

• OHKOUCHI Naohiko

  Institute of Biogeosciences, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC)

Bibliographic Information

Other Title

• アミノ酸の窒素同位体比を用いた水棲生物の栄養段階の解析
• アミノサン ノ チッソ ドウイタイヒ オ モチイタ スイセイ セイブツ ノ エイヨウ ダンカイ ノ カイセキ

Abstract

Nitrogen isotopic composition (δ¹⁵N) of individual amino acids has recently been employed as a potential powerful method for estimating the trophic level of organisms in food webs. In metabolic processes, one group of amino acids has little change in their nitrogen isotopic composition (e.g., 0.4‰ for phenylalanine), although another group has a large isotopic fractionation (e.g., 8.0‰ for glutamic acid). This fractionation could be associated with the cleavage of carbon-nitrogen bond in the metabolic processes (e.g., transamination) of amino acids. Therefore, a comparison between δ¹⁵N values of these two types of amino acids would provide the trophic level of organisms. In fact, we can estimate the trophic levels of aquatic organisms with a small error (1σ = 0.12), employing the equation: [Trophic level] = (δ¹⁵N_{glutamic acid}-δ¹⁵N_{phenylalanine}-3.4)/7.6+1. Thus, a key advantage of this method is that the trophic level can be obtained based on the δ¹⁵N values of two amino acids from a single organism; consequently, unlike the bulk method, it is not necessary to characterize the δ¹⁵N values of primary producers. Here, we review the principle of this amino acid method and its application to natural organisms in marine and freshwater environments.

Journal

• Chikyukagaku

  Chikyukagaku 44 (4), 233-241, 2010

  The Geochemical Society of Japan

Keywords

• stable isotope
• ecology
• food web
• trophic level
• nitrogen
• amino acid

Details

• CRID: 1390282680718683264
• NII Article ID: 110009327698
• NII Book ID: AN00141280
• DOI: 10.14934/chikyukagaku.44.233
• ISSN: 21885923
• ISSN: 03864073
• NDL BIB ID: 10976440
• Web Site: https://ndlsearch.ndl.go.jp/books/R000000004-I10976440
• Text Lang: ja
• Data Source:
  • JaLC
  • NDL
  • CiNii Articles
  • KAKEN
• Abstract License Flag: Disallowed