Terminal electron transport system (ETS)-activity in the sediment of Lake Balaton, Hungary

G.-Tóth, László and Langó, Zs. and Padisák, Judit and Varga, E. (1994) Terminal electron transport system (ETS)-activity in the sediment of Lake Balaton, Hungary. HYDROBIOLOGIA, 281 (3). pp. 129-139. ISSN 0018-8158 (print), 1573-5117 (online)

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Abstract

Terminal electron transport system (ETS)-activity of the sediment and plankton of Lake Balaton, the largest shallow lake of Central Europe was measured by tetrazolium-reduction biweekly during 1989–1990 and in the spring of 1991. Sediment proved to be enzymatically active to 30-35 cm down in the hypertrophic Keszthely Bay and to 15–20 cm down in the meso-eutrophic Siófok Basin. Sediment ETS-activity exceeded planktonic activity 15 to 24 fold. The total activity m−2 showed one or two order of magnitude higher respiratory potential in Lake Balaton than needed for complete oxidation of the planktonic primary production; most of this potential was detected in the upper 3–5 cm sediment layer in springs. Incubations of cell-free homogenates of sediment bacteria showed that ETS remains active days after death of organisms at low temperature. Accumulated postmortem ETS-activity derived from the benthic diatoms, bacteria, plankton deposit and dead summer macrophytes seems to be responsible for the high ETS-activity of the sediment in the warming periods in springs. These enzyme fractions may contribute to the rapid oxidation of the alkaline, well-aerated lake.

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