海洋におけるアミノ酸・タンパク質の起源とその動態に関する研究

概要

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The results of chemical characterization of amino acid-containing particulate and dissolved organic matter in oceanic waters are briefly described. In both particulate and dissolved phases, there are high molecular mass proteins, while the majority of amino acid-containing organic matter comprises low molecular mass peptides. Two dissolved proteins were identified as porin P and ompA-like protein derived from bacteria and one particulate protein was heat shock protein 70 from photosynthetic organisms. They survive and accumulate from N-termini to, perhaps, C-termini without much alteration. Questions are raised as to why specific biomacromolecules survive and accumulate without alteration, and why partially degraded low molecular mass peptides also survive and accumulate in marine organic pool. Since marine organic pool is one of the three major organic reservoirs on earth's surface, changes in dynamics and subsequent ebb and flow of the marine organic pool may affect the global bioelement cycles over a certain time-scale. Clarification of the mechanistic processes by which the marine organic pool is maintained is one of the key areas of research in organic geochemistry.
日本有機地球化学会の論文
2005-12-26