Short-chain n-alkanes in benthic mats and mosses from the Larsemann Hills, East Antarctica

Chatterjee, S and Das, SK and Behera, PK and Ghosh, D and Chakraborty, A and Patel, PP and Ikehara, M (2023) Short-chain n-alkanes in benthic mats and mosses from the Larsemann Hills, East Antarctica. In: Organic Geochemistry, 179 .

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Abstract

Variation in leaf colour (green, red and grey) of mosses and lake benthic mats in Antarctica is often linked to water stress and ultraviolet light (UV-B) exposure. Changes in the abundance of organic compounds, such as pectin and phenols, are associated with mechanisms protecting against desiccation and UV radiation. However, the function of n-alkanes, especially against UV radiation, is rarely examined. Here, gas chromatography–mass spectrometry and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy analyses were performed to study the variation in n-alkanes in freshwater lake benthic mats and mosses collected from the Larsemann Hills in East Antarctica. Stable isotopes of organic carbon and nitrogen, environmental DNA characterisation and microscopy-based analyses are used to estimate the presence of cyanobacteria, algae and diatoms in moss and benthic mat consortia. Variation in the short-chain (n-C17 to n-C20) versus long-chain (n-C21 to n-C30) n-alkanes in the mosses and benthic mats with their colour were noted. The research links the relative abundance of short-chain n-alkanes to the UV-B exposure and proposes that Antarctic mosses and benthic mats synthesise short-chain n-alkanes for protection against UV-B.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Publication:	Organic Geochemistry
Publisher:	Elsevier Ltd
Additional Information:	The copyright for this article belongs to Elsevier Ltd.
Keywords:	Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy; Gas chromatography; Lakes; Mass spectrometry; Organic carbon; Paraffins, Antarctica; Benthic mat; East antarctica; Larsemann hill; Leaf color; Moss; n-Alkanes; Shorter chains; Ultra-violet light; Water stress, Ultraviolet radiation, abundance; alga; alkane; desiccation; DNA; freshwater environment; FTIR spectroscopy; moss; organic carbon; relative abundance; water stress, Antarctica; East Antarctica; Larsemann Hills
Department/Centre:	Division of Mechanical Sciences > Centre for Earth Sciences
Date Deposited:	28 May 2023 05:50
Last Modified:	28 May 2023 05:50
URI:	https://eprints.iisc.ac.in/id/eprint/81492

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