Amino acids in water samples from deep sea hydrothermal vents at Suiyo Seamount, Izu-Bonin Arc, Pacific Ocean

• Published in: Organic geochemistry Vol. 35; no. 10; pp. 1121 - 1128
• Main Authors: Horiuchi, Tsukasa, Takano, Yoshinori, Ishibashi, Jun-ichiro, Marumo, Katsumi, Urabe, Tetsuro, Kobayashi, Kensei
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.10.2004; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Earth sciences; Earth, ocean, space; Exact sciences and technology; Geochemistry; Marine; West Pacific; Izu-Bonin Arc; sea water; projects; hydrothermal vents; glycine; amino acids; ion exchange; temperature; Pacific Ocean; alanine; aspartic acid; seamounts
• ISSN: 0146-6380; 1873-5290
• DOI: 10.1016/j.orggeochem.2004.06.006

Pure seawater samples, at a temperature of 300 °C (purity >97%) were collected from deep-sea hydrothermal vents at Suiyo Seamount, Izu-Bonin Arc, Pacific Ocean as a part of the Archaean Park Project. Dissolved and total hydrolyzable amino acids were determined by ion-exchange HPLC, and for the first time, their enantiomeric ratios were measured by reversed-phase HPLC. Glycine and serine were the two most abundant amino acids, followed by other proteinaceous amino acids such as alanine, glutamic acid and aspartic acid. Non-proteinaceous amino acids, e.g. β-alanine and γ-aminobutyric acid, were as minor constituents. The majority of the amino acids detected were of the l-form which suggests most of the amino acids detected were formed biologically and that there are active microbial communities near these hydrothermal systems.