Responses of lake bacterioplankton activities and composition to the herbicide diuron

The direct effects of pesticides on aquatic bacteria are poorly known. We experimentally investigated the direct effects of diuron (herbicide) on the composition and activities of lake bacterioplankton, using Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (DGGE), cloning/sequencing, and flow cytometry with...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Aquatic toxicology 2009-08, Vol.94 (2), p.103-113
Main Authors: Tadonléké, Rémy D., LeBerre, Brigitte, Perreau, François, Humbert, Jean-François
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal and plant ecology
Animal, plant and microbial ecology
Applied ecology
aquatic organisms
bacteria
Bacteria - drug effects
Bacteria - growth & development
Bacteria - metabolism
Bacterial community composition
Bacterial viability
Bacterioplankton
Biodiversity
Biodiversity and Ecology
Biological and medical sciences
community structure
Diuron
Diuron - toxicity
Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution
Environmental Monitoring
Environmental Sciences
Esterases - metabolism
Flavobacteriaceae
Fresh Water - microbiology
Fresh water ecosystems
Freshwater
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
General aspects
Herbicides - toxicity
Lakes
Leucine - metabolism
microbial activity
microbial growth
plankton
Plankton - drug effects
Plankton - growth & development
Plankton - metabolism
RNA, Ribosomal, 16S - genetics
Synecology
Temperature
viability
water pollution
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Summary:The direct effects of pesticides on aquatic bacteria are poorly known. We experimentally investigated the direct effects of diuron (herbicide) on the composition and activities of lake bacterioplankton, using Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (DGGE), cloning/sequencing, and flow cytometry with dyes that allow detection of dead cells, cells with depolarized membranes and cells with esterase activity (for physiological state). Generally, diuron had negative impacts on bacterial viability and abundance. Bacterial production strongly correlated with ammonium in controls, but not in diuron-treated samples. Moreover the increase in nitrate concentration with the proportion of dead bacteria was significantly higher in controls, providing evidence not previously shown for natural communities, that diuron may alter the mineralization of organic matter and nitrification. A picocyanobacteria and members of the family Flavobacteriaceae, known to degrade complex polymeric organic matter in aquatic systems were negatively affected by diuron. Except that, the DGGE banding patterns in controls and in polluted samples were generally similar, suggesting no perceptible susceptibility of major bacterial groups, and contrasting with previous reports that diuron has a strong impact on bacterial community composition. Our data suggest that diuron may affect functioning of aquatic systems through negative impacts on some bacterial phylotypes and bacterial cycling of nitrogen.
ISSN:0166-445X
1879-1514
DOI:10.1016/j.aquatox.2009.06.005