Transparent Exopolymer Particles (TEP) in lake pelagic environment : relationship with phytoplankton and role in microbial food webs

Ce travail est une contribution à la connaissance de l’importance des particules de nature polysaccharidique, les TEP (Transparent Exopolymer Particles) ou particules d’Exopolymères Transparentes, en milieu pélagique lacustre.Les différentes études présentées dans ce mémoire se sont essentiellement focalisées sur la distribution de ces particules et leur relation avec le phytoplancton et les autres microorganismes du réseau trophique aquatique en milieu naturel (le lac Pavin, oligo-mésotrophe et le réservoir hypereutrophe de Grangent) et en conditions semi contrôlées(enclos limniques installés sur le lac de Créteil). Les résultats de l’étude printanière au lac Pavin indiquent que la majorité des TEP sont colonisées par les bactéries et que l’intensité de colonisation est fortement liée à la température et diminue avec l’augmentation en taille des particules. La distribution des nanoflagellés hétérotrophes (HNF) est fortement liée à la densité des TEP mais pas à l’intensité de colonisation de ces particules. L’abondance et la surface cumulée de TEP sont significativement plus élevées dans le lac oligo-mésotrophe que dans le réservoir hypereutrophe de Grangent. Les abondances et les concentrations élevées de particules dans le lac Pavin coïncident avec la présence de diatomées de grande taille au printemps et en automne et avec les chlorophycées à la fin de l’été.Dans le réservoir de Grangent les valeurs maximales de TEP coïncident avec le développement de la cyanobactérie Microcystis aeruginosa. Si les TEP augmentent avec la productivité de l’écosystème, la production de ces particules par unité de chlorophylle a dépend de la composition algale et tend à diminuer avec l’augmentation du niveau trophique du milieu. Les résultats issus de la biomanipulation en enclos limniques indiquent que la structure du réseau trophique aquatique (par la présence ou l’absence de poissons planctonophages) influence fortement la distribution,la dynamique et le spectre de taille des TEP. Dans le traitement poisson, l’abondance des TEP, la chlorophylle a et la biomasse des chlorophycées sont fortement corrélées. De par son broutage sur le phytoplancton, le zooplancton a un effet négatif sur les TEP dans le traitement sans poissons mais il contribue sans doute à la formation de TEP e tinfluence le spectre de taille de ces dernières dans ce traitement. Ce travail souligne l’importance des particules de nature polysaccharidique en milieu pélagique lacustre qui doivent être considérées comme une part importante du carbone organique qui transite des producteurs primaires vers les décomposeurs et vers le sédiment.This work adds to the knowledge of the significance of polysaccharidic detrital particles or TEP (= Transparent Exopolymer Particles) in freshwater pelagic environments. Studies in this thesis have mainly focused on the distribution of TEP and their relationships with phytoplankton and other microorganisms in natural environments (the oligo-mesotrophic Lake Pavin and the hypereutrophic reservoir of Grangent) and in limnetic enclosures (lake of Créteil). The intensity of bacterial colonization during spring in Lake Pavin was strongly related to temperature and decreased with particle size. The abundance of heterotrophic nanoflagellates (HNF) in this lake was more significantly related to the density of the particles than to the density of total bacteria and the intensity of bacterial colonization of TEP, suggesting that TEP is a more important factor for HNF development than attached and free bacteria. The abundance and the total surface area of the particles were significantly higher in the hypereutrophic Lake Grangent than in the mesotrophic Lake Pavin. Maximum TEP density in Lake Pavin was recorded during the spring diatom bloom, while TEP concentration peaked in late summer when the phytoplankton community was largely dominated by small-size chlorophytes with an abundant polysaccharide cell coating. In the hypereutrophic Lake Grangent,maximum values of TEP appeared during the summer development of the cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa. Per cell production of TEP, expressed by the ratio between TEP concentration and chlorophyll a concentration, was significantly higher in the less productive lake and the analysis of the size spectra of the particles indicated a greater proportion of small particles in this lake. TEP therefore appear as more significant for microbial development and aggregates formation in the less productive environment. Results from limnetic enclosures (either dominated by planktivorous fish or fishless) indicated that food-web structure strongly influences the distribution and size spectra of TEP. TEP abundances were related to chlorophyll a concentrations and the biomass of chlorophytes in the fish treatment. As expected by the trophic cascades theory, zooplankton had an indirect negative effect on TEP abundance. Our results suggest, however, that metazoan probably influence the formation and the size spectra of the particles in the fishless treatment. TEP must be regarded as a major part of the organic carbon which is transferred from the primary producers to the microbial food web and the sediments in freshwater ecosystems

Les Particules d'Exopolymères Transparentes (Transparent Exopolymer Particles, TEP) en milieu pélagique lacustre : relation avec le phytoplancton et rôle dans les réseaux trophiques microbiens

This work adds to the knowledge of the significance of polysaccharidic detrital particles or TEP (= Transparent Exopolymer Particles) in freshwater pelagic environments. Studies in this thesis have mainly focused on the distribution of TEP and their relationships with phytoplankton and other microorganisms in natural environments (the oligo-mesotrophic Lake Pavin and the hypereutrophic reservoir of Grangent) and in limnetic enclosures (lake of Créteil). The intensity of bacterial colonization during spring in Lake Pavin was strongly related to temperature and decreased with particle size. The abundance of heterotrophic nanoflagellates (HNF) in this lake was more significantly related to the density of the particles than to the density of total bacteria and the intensity of bacterial colonization of TEP, suggesting that TEP is a more important factor for HNF development than attached and free bacteria. The abundance and the total surface area of the particles were significantly higher in the hypereutrophic Lake Grangent than in the mesotrophic Lake Pavin. Maximum TEP density in Lake Pavin was recorded during the spring diatom bloom, while TEP concentration peaked in late summer when the phytoplankton community was largely dominated by small-size chlorophytes with an abundant polysaccharide cell coating. In the hypereutrophic Lake Grangent,maximum values of TEP appeared during the summer development of the cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa. Per cell production of TEP, expressed by the ratio between TEP concentration and chlorophyll a concentration, was significantly higher in the less productive lake and the analysis of the size spectra of the particles indicated a greater proportion of small particles in this lake. TEP therefore appear as more significant for microbial development and aggregates formation in the less productive environment. Results from limnetic enclosures (either dominated by planktivorous fish or fishless) indicated that food-web structure strongly influences the distribution and size spectra of TEP. TEP abundances were related to chlorophyll a concentrations and the biomass of chlorophytes in the fish treatment. As expected by the trophic cascades theory, zooplankton had an indirect negative effect on TEP abundance. Our results suggest, however, that metazoan probably influence the formation and the size spectra of the particles in the fishless treatment. TEP must be regarded as a major part of the organic carbon which is transferred from the primary producers to the microbial food web and the sediments in freshwater ecosystems.Ce travail est une contribution à la connaissance de l’importance des particules de nature polysaccharidique, les TEP (Transparent Exopolymer Particles) ou particules d’Exopolymères Transparentes, en milieu pélagique lacustre.Les différentes études présentées dans ce mémoire se sont essentiellement focalisées sur la distribution de ces particules et leur relation avec le phytoplancton et les autres microorganismes du réseau trophique aquatique en milieu naturel (le lac Pavin, oligo-mésotrophe et le réservoir hypereutrophe de Grangent) et en conditions semi contrôlées(enclos limniques installés sur le lac de Créteil). Les résultats de l’étude printanière au lac Pavin indiquent que la majorité des TEP sont colonisées par les bactéries et que l’intensité de colonisation est fortement liée à la température et diminue avec l’augmentation en taille des particules. La distribution des nanoflagellés hétérotrophes (HNF) est fortement liée à la densité des TEP mais pas à l’intensité de colonisation de ces particules. L’abondance et la surface cumulée de TEP sont significativement plus élevées dans le lac oligo-mésotrophe que dans le réservoir hypereutrophe de Grangent. Les abondances et les concentrations élevées de particules dans le lac Pavin coïncident avec la présence de diatomées de grande taille au printemps et en automne et avec les chlorophycées à la fin de l’été.Dans le réservoir de Grangent les valeurs maximales de TEP coïncident avec le développement de la cyanobactérie Microcystis aeruginosa. Si les TEP augmentent avec la productivité de l’écosystème, la production de ces particules par unité de chlorophylle a dépend de la composition algale et tend à diminuer avec l’augmentation du niveau trophique du milieu. Les résultats issus de la biomanipulation en enclos limniques indiquent que la structure du réseau trophique aquatique (par la présence ou l’absence de poissons planctonophages) influence fortement la distribution,la dynamique et le spectre de taille des TEP. Dans le traitement poisson, l’abondance des TEP, la chlorophylle a et la biomasse des chlorophycées sont fortement corrélées. De par son broutage sur le phytoplancton, le zooplancton a un effet négatif sur les TEP dans le traitement sans poissons mais il contribue sans doute à la formation de TEP e tinfluence le spectre de taille de ces dernières dans ce traitement. Ce travail souligne l’importance des particules de nature polysaccharidique en milieu pélagique lacustre qui doivent être considérées comme une part importante du carbone organique qui transite des producteurs primaires vers les décomposeurs et vers le sédiment

The significance of transparent exopolymeric particles in the vertical distribution of bacteria and heterotrophic nanoflagellates in Lake Pavin

International audienceThe abundance, size distribution, and bacterial colonization of Transparent Exopolymeric Particles (TEP) were examined in two consecutive years during the spring diatom development throughout the water column of the deep meromictic Lake Pavin, France. TEP concentrations ranged from 1.9 to 13.4 x 105 particles l-1 and their distribution and size spectra indicated that these particles are the main factor in governing the transport of diatoms to the deep hypolimnion of the lake. The majority of TEP was colonized by bacteria that constituted 0.4-8.9% of total DAPI-stained bacteria. The intensity of bacterial colonization was strongly related to temperature and decreased with particle size. A more important colonization of small particles in the hypolimnion during thermal stratification suggested that bacterial colonisation also increased with the age of the particle. The abundance of heterotrophic nanoflagellates (HNF) was more significantly related to the density of particles than to the density of total bacteria and the intensity of bacterial colonization of TEP. Our results therefore suggest that TEP are a more important factor for HNF development than attached and free bacteria. We conclude that TEP are involved not only in sedimentation processes but also in the dynamics of bacteria and protozoa in freshwater pelagic environments

Effects of food-web structure on the quantity and the elemental quality of sedimenting material in shallow lakes

International audienceSedimentation is a key process in lake functioning, and plays an important role in nutrient and carbon cycles at both regional and global scales. Several biological processes have been shown as quantitatively affecting sedimentation, but very few works have tried to relate the structure of aquatic communities and the quality of sinking organic matter. We tested in a mesocosm study how food-web structure affects quantitatively and qualitatively sedimentation in eutrophic systems. We carried out a long-term experiment (14 months) in large replicated enclosures either dominated by planktivorous fish or fishless. Food-web structure modified the specific composition of zooplankton communities and phytoplankton biomass, as expected by the trophic cascade theory. Planktivorous fish had a strong positive effect on gross sedimentation rate, but the fraction of suspended particulate material that sank only slightly differed between treatments. The density of transparent exopolymer particles (TEP) was a good descriptor of sedimentation rate, highlighting the key role of these polysaccharidic particles in sinking processes. In fish enclosures, sediment elemental ratios were positively related to seston elemental ratios, suggesting the dominance of algal sedimentation. In fishless mesocosms, N/P ratios of sinking material and of zooplankton showed a strong negative relationship, indicative of a major contribution of zooplankton-egested material to sinking particles. Analyses of free lipids in sediments confirmed the distinct origins of sinking material. Despite the absence of clear elemental composition distinctions between the two types of sediment, food-web structure strongly modified sediment biochemical composition

High and differential viral infection rates within bacterial 'morphopopulations' in a shallow sand pit lake (Lac de Créteil, France).

International audienceThe ecology of viruses in shallow artificial freshwaters is poorly documented and there is no reference for sand pit lakes. We examined the seasonal abundances and infection rates of viruses in the sand pit Lake Créteil (France). Bacteria were the best predictor of viral abundance (4.0-7.8 × 10(10) viruses L(-1) ), with an average virus-to-bacteria ratio of 13.5 ± 1.9. Virus-induced bacterial mortality (range 37-86%, mean 65%) was higher than that in typical pelagic situations. This was related to high specific contact rates between viruses and bacterial hosts and high burst size (BS) estimates. Seasonal fluctuations in viruses and bacteria were rather homeostatic, although temperature was a major driver of microbial activities. Different bacterial morphotypes, i.e. 'morphopopulations', were analysed. Rod cells dominated the total (90%) and infected (89%) communities. Elongated rods were the most infected (45% of infected cells), whereas fat rods exhibited the highest BS estimates (mean=72 viruses per bacterium) due to a larger specific cell volume. We conclude that the lytic activity of viruses is high and heterogeneous for different bacterial-host phenotypes in the sand pit Lake Créteil. A theoretical exercise shows that this can exert a strong influence on the processes occurring in plankton food webs