Function of meiobenthos and microorganisms in cellulose breakdown in sediments of wetlands with different origins in Hokkaido

Abstract

To validate the mechanism of cellulose breakdown in cold climate wetlands, we investigated cellulase activity in sediments collected from 17 wetland sites in Hokkaido, the northern area of Japan. We evaluated cellulase activity by quantitative analysis of glucose released from carboxymethyl cellulose and found that sediments from peat fens demonstrated high activity, followed by sediments from lagoons and estuaries. Sediments from peat fens also contained greater amounts of organic matter, followed by lagoons and estuaries, thereby suggesting a strong positive correlation between organic matter content and cellulase activity. Evaluation of cellulase activity by qualitative cellulose zymographic analysis showed that various cellulases with different molecular sizes were implicated in cellulose breakdown in wetlands. Among them, cellulose breakdown in Meguma Pond (peat fen), Notsuke Gulf (peat fen), and Lake Utonai (lagoon) was potentially due to microorganism cellulase, while that in Lake Chobushi (lagoon) was ascribed to meiobenthos (Oligochaeta species) cellulase. The findings presented herein suggest that the origin and activity level of cellulase vary depending on the type of cold climate wetland.