Preprints
https://doi.org/10.5194/soild-2-1135-2015
https://doi.org/10.5194/soild-2-1135-2015
30 Oct 2015
 | 30 Oct 2015
Status: this discussion paper is a preprint. It has been under review for the journal SOIL (SOIL). The manuscript was not accepted for further review after discussion.

Compound-specific 15N stable isotope probing of N assimilation by the soil microbial biomass: a new methodological paradigm in soil N cycling

A. F. Charteris, T. D. J. Knowles, K. Michaelides, and R. P. Evershed

Abstract. A compound-specific nitrogen-15 stable isotope probing (15N-SIP) technique is described which allows investigation of the fate of inorganic- or organic-N amendments to soils. The technique uses gas chromatography-combustion-isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC-C-IRMS) to determine the δ15N values of individual amino acids (AAs; determined as N-acetyl, O-isopropyl derivatives) as proxies of biomass protein production. The δ15N values are used together with AA concentrations to quantify N assimilation of 15N-labelled substrates by the soil microbial biomass. The utility of the approach is demonstrated through incubation experiments using inorganic 15N-labelled substrates ammonium (15NH4+) and nitrate (15NO3-) and an organic 15N-labelled substrate, glutamic acid (15N-Glu). Assimilation of all the applied substrates was undetectable based on bulk soil properties, i.e. % total N (% TN), bulk soil N isotope composition and AA concentrations, all of which remained relatively constant throughout the incubation experiments. In contrast, compound-specific AA δ15N values were highly sensitive to N assimilation, providing qualitative and quantitative insights into the cycling and fate of the applied 15N-labelled substrates. The utility of this 15N-AA-SIP technique is considered in relation to other currently available methods for investigating the microbially-mediated assimilation of nitrogenous substrates into the soil organic N pool. This approach will be generally applicable to the study of N cycling in any soil, or indeed, in any complex ecosystem.

A. F. Charteris et al.

 
Status: closed
Status: closed
AC: Author comment | RC: Referee comment | SC: Short comment | EC: Editor comment
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Status: closed
Status: closed
AC: Author comment | RC: Referee comment | SC: Short comment | EC: Editor comment
Printer-friendly Version - Printer-friendly version Supplement - Supplement

A. F. Charteris et al.

A. F. Charteris et al.

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