The significance of linoleic acid in food sources for detritivorous benthic invertebrates

Vonk, J. Arie; Kuijk, Bernd F. van; Beusekom, Mick van; Hunting, Ellard R.; Kraak, Michiel H.S.

doi:10.1038/srep35785

Cited by 19 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 46 publications

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“…As for field experiments, although some authors [ 19 ] found exposure to light to stimulate decomposition in the field, their "shadow" treatment was artificial, as they covered the channel with cloth. Similarly, Vonk et al [ 59 ] found that, whereas in microcosms, invertebrates showed a preference for artificial substrate with poly-unsaturated fatty acids added, this effect could not be detected in the field, probably because it was overruled by unknown sources of variation. Priming could be more important in summer, when the differences in light availability between open and closed reaches are largest and the long baseflow periods make biological effects more marked.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Priming of leaf litter decomposition by algae seems of minor importance in natural streams during autumn

2018

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Allochthonous detritus of terrestrial origin is one of the main energy sources in forested headwater streams, but its poor nutritional quality makes it difficult to use by heterotrophs. It has been suggested that algae growing on this detritus can enhance its nutritional quality and promote decomposition. So far, most evidence of this "priming effect” is derived from laboratory or mesocosm experiments, and its importance under natural conditions is unclear. We measured accrual of algae, phosphorus uptake capacity, and decomposition of poplar leaves in autumn in open- and closed-canopy reaches in 3 forest and 3 agricultural streams. Chlorophyll a abundance did not change significantly with stream type or with canopy cover, although in some agricultural streams it was higher in open than in closed canopy reaches. Canopy cover did not affect either phosphate uptake capacity or microbial decomposition. On the other hand, although there was no effect of canopy cover on invertebrate fragmentation rate, a significant interaction between canopy cover and stream suggests priming occurs at least in some streams. Overall, the results point to a weak or no priming effect of algae on litter decomposition in natural streams during autumn.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Priming of leaf litter decomposition by algae seems of minor importance in natural streams during autumn

2018

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“…Such an endogenous ability to produce physiologically important PUFA would represent an important ecological adaptation for the giant tubeworm R. pachyptila to environments with little input of these compounds via major primary producers such as photosynthetic microalgae (Liu et al 2017a). Similarly, the aquatic invertebrate communities largely composed of annelids, molluscs and arthropods dominate benthic ecosystems, and therefore possession of ωx desaturases appears as an advantageous trait to counteract the naturally poor availability of n-3 PUFA in such environments (Vonk et al 2016).…”

Section: Other Invertebrates (Rotifers Molluscs Annelids and Arthromentioning

confidence: 99%

Desaturases and elongases involved in polyunsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis in aquatic invertebrates: a comprehensive review

2018

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Invertebrates represent a large proportion of the biomass in aquatic ecosystems, particularly in the ocean. In recent years, invertebrates have been well-consolidated models in evolutionary developmental biology research and, consequently, genomic and transcriptomic sequence databases from a plethora of species across the animal kingdom have become available. This has provided an excellent source of evidence confirming that invertebrates operate endogenous mechanisms for PUFA production. The present paper reviews the current knowledge of gene complement and, where possible, the function of desaturases and elongases with pivotal roles in PUFA biosynthesis of aquatic invertebrates. More specifically, this review covers three major enzyme types, namely ωx desaturases, front-end desaturases and elongases, that have been characterised from species of sponges, cnidarians, molluscs, annelids, crustaceans, rotifers, echinoderms and non-vertebrate chordates (amphioxus and sea squirt). These studies have shown that invertebrates operate alternative and unusual pathways of PUFA biosynthesis involving gene families with complex phylogeny and functional diversity. Consequently, research in this area provides potentially valuable molecular tools in the form of genes that can be used in the biotechnological production of n-3 products.

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“…The high proportions of LIN, and even stearic acid (18:0) and oleic acid (18:1ω9), in periphyton and all feeding groups also indicated that detrital food sources were probably quite abundant, even as a component of periphyton, which can be comprised of >30% allochthonous material (Rasmussen, 2010). In addition, fungi, especially hyphomycetes, can enhance the nutritional quality of detritus and were probably important contributors to the high proportions of LIN, ALA, oleic TA B L E 4 Spearman correlations of the proportions of major fatty acid (FA) groups in periphyton and invertebrate feeding groups with urban-related environmental variables acid, and stearic acid (18-C FAs) in shredders and even in other FFGs (Arce-Funck, Bec, Perrière, Felten, & Danger, 2015;Taube, Ganzert, Grossart, Gleixner, & Premke, 2018;Vonk, van Kuijk, van Beusekom, Hunting, & Kraak, 2016). Quantification of major periphyton groups could provide additional insights in the future (e.g., Whorley & Wehr, 2016a), given that increased abundances of chlorophyte and cyanobacteria taxa associated with greater amounts of nutrients also could contribute to greater Σω6 FAs, LIN, and the ω3 ALA (Galloway & Winder, 2015;Guo et al, 2016a;Hill et al, 2011).…”

Section: Comparisons Of Fas Among Periphyton and Macroinvertebratesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Urbanisation alters fatty acids in stream food webs

et al. 2019

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Fatty acids are essential to macroinvertebrate growth and reproduction and can indicate food web structure and nutritional quality of basal resources. However, broad‐scale examinations of how catchment land cover and associated stressors affect the proportions of fatty acids (FAs) in stream food webs are few. Here, we: (1) examine relationships among proportions of FAs among benthic periphyton and macroinvertebrate collector/gatherers, shredders, and predators; and (2) test if relationships between periphytic and macroinvertebrate FAs were altered due to the intensity of urban development in catchments. Proportions of the ≥20‐C eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA 20:5ω3), arachidonic acid (ARA 20:4ω6), and docosahexaenoic acid (22:6ω3) indicated collector/gatherers had a diet richer in periphyton than in shredders, which had significantly lower proportions of these FAs. Collector/gatherers were in turn likely to be high‐quality sources of ω3 and ≥ 20‐C FAs for predators, which also had significantly greater EPA and ARA proportions than those in shredders. Linoleic (18:2ω6) and α‐linolenic acid (18:3ω3) comprised the greatest proportions of FAs in shredders, which suggested a diet dominated by leaf litter and associated hyphomycetes. As catchment urbanisation increased, proportions of total ω3 FAs and EPA in periphyton were significantly greater. This pattern also was seen through macroinvertebrate consumers and predators, given that proportions of these FAs in macroinvertebrates also were significantly correlated with factors associated with catchment urbanisation. The significant increase in total ω3 FAs and EPA proportions within shredders indicated that periphyton growth, and their FAs, increased on leaf litter, probably due to greater nutrient concentrations associated with catchment urbanisation. Proportions of total ω6 FAs in biota were not significantly correlated with factors associated with urban development, which could indicate that they were of sufficient abundance for consumers regardless of urban intensity or possible changes in their sources. Our study provides an informative first step that identified notable differences in proportions of FAs among macroinvertebrates in urban streams and an increase in proportions of total ω3 FAs and EPA in periphyton, consumers, and predators as catchment urbanisation increases. Identifying how FA relationships within food webs change in response to catchment alterations and stressors could inform land use and management decisions by linking environmental changes to measures important to ecosystem outcomes.

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The significance of linoleic acid in food sources for detritivorous benthic invertebrates

Cited by 19 publications

References 46 publications

Priming of leaf litter decomposition by algae seems of minor importance in natural streams during autumn

Priming of leaf litter decomposition by algae seems of minor importance in natural streams during autumn

Desaturases and elongases involved in polyunsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis in aquatic invertebrates: a comprehensive review

Urbanisation alters fatty acids in stream food webs

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