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Universal molecular structures in natural dissolved organic matter

Author

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  • Maren Zark

    (Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM))

  • Thorsten Dittmar

    (Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM)
    Helmholtz Institute for Functional Marine Biodiversity at the University of Oldenburg (HIFMB))

Abstract

Natural dissolved organic matter (DOM) comprises a broad range of dissolved organic molecules in aquatic systems and is among the most complex molecular mixtures known. Here we show, by comparing detailed structural fingerprints of individual molecular formulae in DOM from a set of four marine and one freshwater environments, that a major component of DOM is molecularly indistinguishable in these diverse samples. Molecular conformity was not only apparent by the co-occurrence of thousands of identical molecular formulae, but also by identical structural features of those isomers that collectively represent a molecular formula. The presence of a large pool of compounds with identical structural features in DOM is likely the result of a cascade of degradation processes or common synthetic pathways that ultimately lead to the formation of a universal background, regardless of origin and history of the organic material. This novel insight impacts our understanding of long-term turnover of DOM as the underlying mechanisms are possibly universal.

Suggested Citation

  • Maren Zark & Thorsten Dittmar, 2018. "Universal molecular structures in natural dissolved organic matter," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 9(1), pages 1-8, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:9:y:2018:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-018-05665-9
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-05665-9
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    Cited by:

    1. Erika C. Freeman & Erik J. S. Emilson & Thorsten Dittmar & Lucas P. P. Braga & Caroline E. Emilson & Tobias Goldhammer & Christine Martineau & Gabriel Singer & Andrew J. Tanentzap, 2024. "Universal microbial reworking of dissolved organic matter along environmental gradients," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-12, December.
    2. Jie Hu & Luyao Kang & Ziliang Li & Xuehui Feng & Caifan Liang & Zan Wu & Wei Zhou & Xuning Liu & Yuanhe Yang & Leiyi Chen, 2023. "Photo-produced aromatic compounds stimulate microbial degradation of dissolved organic carbon in thermokarst lakes," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-11, December.
    3. Núria Catalán & Carina Rofner & Charles Verpoorter & María Teresa Pérez & Thorsten Dittmar & Lars Tranvik & Ruben Sommaruga & Hannes Peter, 2024. "Treeline displacement may affect lake dissolved organic matter processing at high latitudes and altitudes," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-9, December.
    4. Jie Ma & Dongyan Pei & Xuhan Zhang & Qiuying Lai & Fei He & Chao Fu & Jianhui Liu & Weixin Li, 2022. "The Distribution of DOM in the Wanggang River Flowing into the East China Sea," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(15), pages 1-12, July.

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