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Shedding light on cobalamin photodegradation in the ocean

From National Research Council Canada

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DOIResolve DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/lol2.10371
AuthorSearch for: ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8581-1069; Search for: 1ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2266-5639; Search for: ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5950-6810
Affiliation
  1. National Research Council of Canada. Metrology Research Centre
FunderSearch for: Canada Research Chairs; Search for: Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada; Search for: Simons Foundation
FormatText, Article
Subjectvitamin ecology; marine metabolites; B₁₂ intermediates
Abstract
Cobalamin, vitamin B₁₂, is an important micronutrient that has been investigated for decades in the marine context because it is required for phytoplankton growth. The biologically active forms (Me-B₁₂, Ado-B₁₂) and the synthetic form (CN-B₁₂) quickly convert to OH-B₁₂ after light exposure in various aqueous solutions, but puzzlingly have been frequently reported to dominate dissolved cobalamin pools in the sunlit ocean. Here, we document photodegradation timescales for these cobalamin forms in natural seawater using targeted mass spectrometry, providing quantitative evidence that OH-B₁₂ is expected to be the dominant dissolved form in irradiated seawater. Then, through high-resolution mass spectrometry, we identify four photodegradation products of OH-B₁₂ which represent potential building blocks microbes could salvage and remodel to satisfy cellular cobalamin requirements. Taken together, these results clarify the impact of light on marine cobalamin dynamics, laying a foundation for a more quantitative understanding of the role of cobalamin in microbial communities and biogeochemical cycles.
Publication date
PublisherWiley
Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography
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In
  • Limnology and Oceanography Letters (14 December 2023).
Related data
  • Bannon, Catherine, Elizabeth Mudge, and Erin Bertrand. ‘Data From: Shedding Light on Cobalamin Photodegradation in the Ocean’. Dryad, 28 November 2023. https://doi.org/10.5061/DRYAD.D51C5B087.
LanguageEnglish
Peer reviewedYes
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Record identifier7c92ddfd-5484-412a-9235-4311ebd0ec63
Record created2024-01-19
Record modified2024-01-19
Date modified: