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Abiotic contribution to phenol oxidase activity across a manganese gradient in tropical forest soils

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Abstract

Phenol oxidases are a group of extracellular enzymes that catalyze the oxidation of lignin and phenolic compounds in soil organic matter. Despite their importance, little is known about these enzymes in tropical soils, particularly the extent to which minerals like manganese (Mn) oxides contribute to the measured activity. We assayed phenol oxidase activity in surface and subsurface (A and B) horizons from 15 soil profiles representing a steep Mn gradient under a lowland tropical forest in Panama. Fresh and sterilized (autoclaved) soils were assayed to determine the abiotic contribution to activity. Assays were conducted using 5 mM l-DOPA substrate in bicarbonate buffer at pH 8.5. We also determined amorphous metal oxide concentrations, soil pH, organic matter, and effective cation exchange capacity (CEC). We found little difference in phenol oxidase activity between fresh and autoclaved soils, indicating a considerable abiotic contribution to substrate oxidation. Furthermore, phenol oxidase activity was similar in surface and subsurface soils, despite markedly lower organic matter at depth. Phenol oxidase activity was correlated positively with amorphous Mn oxide concentrations (extractable Mn determined by acidic ammonium oxalate extraction), suggesting a potential mechanism of abiotic oxidation. These results have important implications for understanding carbon dynamics in tropical soils, because they suggest that (1) a portion of organic matter turnover is mediated by abiotic oxidation via Mn oxides, and (2) conventional measures of phenol oxidase activity reflect abiotic oxidation rather than the activity of enzymes synthesized by the microbial community.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Julio Rodriguez, Aleksandra Bielnicka, Megan Foley, and Dayana Agudo for their contributions to this work. We also thank Prof. R. Sinsabaugh and two anonymous reviewers for comments on the manuscript. Mareli Sanchez-Julia was supported by a Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) Internship.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado, Balboa, Ancon, 0843-03092, Republic of Panama

    Mareli Sanchez-Julia & Benjamin L. Turner

  2. Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Tulane University, 6823 St. Charles Avenue, Boggs 400, New Orleans, LA, 70118, USA

    Mareli Sanchez-Julia

  3. Soil and Water Science Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA

    Benjamin L. Turner

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  1. Mareli Sanchez-Julia
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Correspondence to Mareli Sanchez-Julia.

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Sanchez-Julia, M., Turner, B.L. Abiotic contribution to phenol oxidase activity across a manganese gradient in tropical forest soils. Biogeochemistry 153, 33–45 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10533-021-00764-0

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