Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

The Path To Preservation: Using Proteomics To Decipher The Fate Of Diatom Proteins During Microbial Degradation, Brook L. Nunn, Ying S. Ting, Lars Malmström, Yihsuan S. Tsai, Angela Aquier, David R. Goodlett, H. Rodger Harvey

OES Faculty Publications

We drew upon recent advances in tandem mass spectrometry-based proteomic analyses in order to examine the proteins that remain after a diatom bloom enters the stationary phase, precipitates out of the photic zone, and is subjected to microbial degradation over a 23-d period within a controlled laboratory environment. Proteins were identified from tandem mass spectra searched against three different protein databases in order to track proteins from Thalassiosira pseudonana and any potential bacterial contributions. A rapid loss of diatom protein was observed over the incubation period; 75% of the proteins initially identified were not detected after 72 h of exposure …