See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/324650119 Laminarin Quantification in Microalgae with Enzymes from Marine Microbes Article · January 2018 DOI: 10.21769/BioProtoc.2666 CITATION READS 1 115 2 authors, including: Jan-Hendrik Hehemann MARUM Center for Marine Environmental Sciences & Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology 81 PUBLICATIONS 1,422 CITATIONS SEE PROFILE All content following this page was uploaded by Jan-Hendrik Hehemann on 20 April 2018. The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file. Vol 8, Iss 08, Apr 20, 2018 www.bio-protocol.org/e2666 DOI:10.21769/BioProtoc.2666 Laminarin Quantification in Microalgae with Enzymes from Marine Microbes Stefan Becker1, 2, * and Jan-Hendrik Hehemann1, 2, * 1Center for Marine Environmental Sciences University of Bremen (MARUM), Marine Glycobiology, Bremen, Germany; 2Max Planck-Institute for Marine Microbiology, Marine Glycobiology, Bremen, Germany *For correspondence:
[email protected];
[email protected] [Abstract] The marine beta-glucan laminarin is an abundant storage polysaccharide in microalgae. High production rates and rapid digestion by heterotrophic bacteria turn laminarin into an ideal carbon and energy source, and it is therefore a key player in the marine carbon cycle. As a main storage glucan laminarin also plays a central role in the energy metabolism of the microalgae (Percival and Ross, 1951; Myklestad, 1974; Painter, 1983). We take advantage of enzymes that digest laminarin selectively and can thereby quantify only this polysaccharide in environmental samples. These enzymes hydrolyze laminarin into glucose and oligosaccharides, which are measured with a standard reducing sugar assay to obtain the laminarin concentration.