【ORAL】🤓 Analysis of pivotal metabolic precursor-pterins in marine phytoplankton and bacteria

Abstract

Pterins are fundamental in biological growth and functioning including coloration, metabolic modulation, and signaling transduction. Previously, pterins have been specifically studied as they are involved in nutrient cycles, detoxification, and unconventional utilization of carbon and nitrogen sources. Currently, several types of pterins have been reported existing in biological cells. For example, biopterin (BPT) could be produced during metabolic processes of guanosine-5’-triphosphate (GTP), which has been reported in prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Neopterin (NPT: BPT intermediate) and (iso)xanthopterin (IPT: BPT final metabolite) are also produced from the metabolism of GTP. Until now there is only one report regarding BPT measurements in coastal phytoplankton (by Mengqiu Shi, 2019). Nobody has reported any measurements of other pterins in phytoplankton, and no data is available so far regarding the measurements of dissolved pterins in natural waters. Currently, we tested protocols of measuring different pterins in natural waters, the detection limits (sample volume: 20 μL) for each pterin were as the following: NPT, 120 ng/L; BPT, 170 ng/L; and IPT, 40 ng/L. And we verified the BPT molecule by using the LC-MS technique. We will continue working on the protocol and further test samples taken from coastal waters and open oceans.