Adenosine triphosphate and adenylate energy charge in marine sediments

The determination of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), adenosine diphosphate (ADP), and adenosine monophosphate (AMP) concentrations in sediments from both Puget Sound and the Washington State continental shelf (USA) has been investigated. Major losses during the extraction procedure included sediment sorption, coprecipitation, and unreactivity of the soluble adenylates presumably through irreversible binding to solubilized sediment organics. Addition of phosphoric acid and the non-ionic detergent Triton X-100 to cold sulfuric acid significantly increased the extraction efficiency and sensitivity over that of sulfuric acid alone, although both methods yielded similar results when corrected for losses. Vertical profiles of ATP, total adenylates (A_T), and adenylate energy charge (EC) in sediments from both areas are presented. Profiles of A_T are similar in both areas, but EC values in the shelf sediments are significantly lower, which suggests a depressed physiological condition in the shelf population relative to that in Puget Sound.Contribution No. 513 from the University of Washington's College of Fisheries, and Contribution No. 1135 from the University of Washington's Department of Oceanography