Biopolymer degradation in Arctic surface sediments

Heterotrophic bacteria in the ocean initiate biopolymer degradation using extracellular enzymes that yield low molecular weight hydrolysis products in the environment, or by using a selfish uptake mechanism that retains the hydrolysate for the enzyme-producing cell. We obtained surface sediment samples obtained from Isfjorden, Svalbard, with four different fluorescently-labelled polysaccharides (FLA-PS, 100 µM monosaccharide-equivalent concentration; laminarin, xylose, chondroitin sulfate, fucoidan) and the glycoprotein mucin over a time course of up to 17.5 days (for April series) and up to 10 days for September series. The bacterial community composition at t0 and the final time point (t5) were studied by 16S rRNA gene sequencing.