Molecular Size distribution of Fluorophores in Aquatic Natural Organic

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Molecular Size distribution of Fluorophores in Aquatic Natural Organic Matter: Application of HPSEC with Multi-Wavelength Absorption and Fluorescence Detection Following LPSEC-PAGE Fractionation Oleg A. Trubetskoj, Claire Richard, Guillaume Voyard, Victor V. Marchenkov, and Olga E. Trubetskaya Environ. Sci. Technol., Just Accepted Manuscript • DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.7b03924 • Publication Date (Web): 06 Apr 2018 Downloaded from http://pubs.acs.org on April 7, 2018

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Molecular Size Distribution of Fluorophores in Aquatic Natural Organic

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Matter: Application of HPSEC with Multi-Wavelength Absorption and

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Fluorescence Detection Following LPSEC-PAGE Fractionation

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Oleg A. Trubetskoj a, Claire Richardbc, Guillaume Voyardbc, Victor V. Marchenkovd,

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Olga E. Trubetskayae* a

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Institute of Basic Biological Problems, Russian Academy of Sciences, 142290, Pushchino, Moscow region, Russia;

7 b

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Equipe Photochimie, BP 10448, F-63000 Clermont-Ferrand;

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c

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d

13

e

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Clermont Université, Université Blaise Pascal, Institut de Chimie de Clermont-Ferrand,

CNRS, UMR 6296, ICCF, F-63171 Aubiere.

Institute of Protein Research, Russian Academy of Sciences, 142290 Pushchino, Moscow Region, Russia; Branch of Shemyakin and Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 142290, Pushchino, Moscow region, Russia.

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*Tel. No.+7-4967-730859; FAX . No.+7-4967-330527; E-mail: [email protected]

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ABSTRACT: Analytical high performance size exclusion liquid chromatography (HPSEC)

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with multi-wavelength absorbance and fluorescence detections was used for the analysis of

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molecular size distribution and optical properties of dissolved natural organic matter.

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Experiments were conducted on Suwannee River organic matter (SRNOM) and its fractions

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A, B, C+D preliminary obtained by combination of preparative low pressure size exclusion

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chromatography and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (LPSEC-PAGE) and purified by

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dialysis on membrane with nominal cutoff 10 kDa, the fractions molecular size varied in order

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A > B > C+D > 10 kDa. The multi-step fractionation of SRNOM enabled the size-separation

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of at least five types of humic-like fluorophores within NOM showing emission maxima at

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465, 450, 435, 420 and 405 nm. The decrease of the humic-like emission maxima paralleled

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the decrease of the nominal size of fluorescent SRNOM. The protein-like ACSmolecular Paragon Plus Environment

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fluorescence was split into tyrosine-like and tryptophan-like fluorophores and only detected in

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fractions A and B. This work provides new data on the optical properties of size-fractionated

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NOM, which consistent with the formation of supramolecular NOM assemblies, likely

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controlled by association of low-molecular size components. It is clearly observed for the high

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molecular size fraction A, containing free amino acids or short peptides. The combination of

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several different fractionation procedures is very useful for obtaining less complex NOM

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compounds and understanding the NOM function in the environment.

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ABSTRACT ART

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II. Analytical HPSEC

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I. Preparative

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LPSEC-PAGE

SRNOM bulk

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Fluorescence emission maxima

Large molecular size fraction A

450, 435, 420, 405, B>A. Besides, essential differences in the

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A250/A365 ratios were observed between A, B and C+D fractions (Table 1). This ratio was

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used by several researchers to monitor changes in NOM size (24, 29), a positive relationship

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between elution volumes of chromatographic NOM fractions and their A250/A365 ratios was

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observed. This trend was found for A, B and C+D fractions, where A250/A365 ratio was

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highest in the small molecular size fraction C+D.

Similar SUVA280 distribution between

Taking into account the well-known correlation between SUVA280 and

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Fluorescence excitation-emission matrix (EEM) of A, B and C+D fractions. As it is

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currently accepted, the fluorescence of aquatic NOM consists of two main groups of

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fluorophores (2). One group named protein-like fluorophores is related to aromatic amino

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acids. It usually has an excitation and emission maxima below 305 and 380 nm, respectively.

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The other group corresponds to humic-like fluorophores. It shows excitation within the

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wavelength range 220-360 nm and emission within the wavelength range 380-470 nm.

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The bulk SRNOM sample exhibited two humic-like peaks with excitation-emission

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wavelength pairs (Ex/Em) 230/450 and 330/450 nm (Table 1, Fig. 2). The highest emission

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intensity was found in the peak with λex = 230 nm. These data are comparable with the ones

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obtained by Alberts and Takács (4) for SRNOM bulk sample. It should be noted that humiс-

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like fluorescence was detected in all aquatic NOM samples investigated, while protein-like

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fluorescence was not always observed in bulk NOM both by EEM (2, 3) and reversed-phase

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HPLC (22, 42). The EEM fluorescence spectra of fractions drastically differed from that of

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the SRNOM both quantitatively and qualitatively. The fluorescence intensity was generally ACS Paragon Plus Environment

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smaller in the fractions than in the bulk SRNOM, meaning that the essential part of

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fluorophore(s) was lost during the dialysis step. Moreover, fractions A and B gave additional

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protein-like fluorescence with Ex/Em - 230/330-335 and 270/340-350 nm, while such

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emissions were not found in the bulk SRNOM and fraction C+D (Table 1, Fig. 2). The first

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explanation could be that fractionation changed the fluorescent properties of fractions, but this

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hypothesis appears unlikely. Alternatively, protein-like fluorophores could be much more

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concentrated in the fractions A and B than in the bulk SRNOM. Due to a detection limit issue

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these protein-like fluorophores could become detectable only when the fractions A and B

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were analyzed separately.

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For a detailed investigation of this phenomenon, we carried out analysis of fractions A,

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B, C+D and bulk SRNOM by HPSEC with information-rich multi-wavelength absorbance

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and fluorescence detection. The excitation wavelength 270 nm and emission wavelengths

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region 300-600 nm were chosen for HPSEC, because they enabled the detection of both

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protein-like and humic-like fluorescent species in a single chromatographic run.

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HPSEC analysis of fractions A, B, C+D and bulk SRNOM with multi-wavelength

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UV detection. The HPSEC chromatogram of bulk SRNOM sample extracted at 270 nm

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showed two small peaks, labeled 2 and 3, and an intense hump (Ve at hump top = 9.6 mL)

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with rather well-resolved peaks labeled 5, 6, 7, 8 on the tailing edge (Table 2, Fig. 3, black

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solid lines). In the large molecular size fraction A the sharp peak 2 and a broad hump (Ve at

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hump top = 7.8 mL) were present. The medium molecular size fraction B had small and

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closely located peaks 2 and 3 and symmetrical hump (Ve at hump top = 8.4 mL). The small

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molecular size fraction C+D exhibited hardly distinguishable peaks 2 and 3 but the hump (Ve

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at hump top = 9.4 mL) was broad with several shoulders at longer elution volumes. To

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summarize, peak 2 was abundant in fraction A, much smaller in fraction B, and detected as

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traces in fraction C+D. The Ve of the humps, accounting for the largest area on the UV

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chromatograms, varied in the order Ve = 7.8 mL for A < Ve = 8.4 mL for B< Ve = 9.4 mL for

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C+D. Therefore, the HPSEC analysis confirmed that the fractions molecular size obtained by ACS Paragon Plus Environment

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preparative LPSEC on Sephadex G-75 varied in the sequence A>B>C+D. During LPSEC

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and HPSEC the separation is commonly described by size exclusion effect (the higher the

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retention time - the lower the molecular size). It is well known that separation of NOM by

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SEC is also influenced by non-size exclusion effects (electrostatic repulsion or interaction and

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sorption processes) which can induce an important variability in detected elution volumes

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(13). However, in our study the HPSEC analysis of fractions obtained by LPSEC has shown

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that irrespective of the SEC conditions (the type of solid and liquid phases and different

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instruments used) the NOM fractionation was based mainly on the size exclusion effect.

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We note that the Ve of fractions humps (7.8 , 8.4 and 9.4 mL) were shifted to shorter

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retention time in comparison with Ve of bulk SRNOM hump (9.6 mL). These results clearly

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indicate that the molecular sizes of A, B and C+D fractions were higher than that of bulk

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SRNOM. This effect could be explained by the fact that before HPSEC during dialysis the

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fractions had lost organic matter with nominal molecular size < 10 kDa (39). A similar result

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was obtained by Remucal et al. (43) who used a membrane with cut-off 100-500 Da for SRFA

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dialysis. The total areas of HPSEC UV-chromatograms of bulk SRNOM and fractions were

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similar, because the samples were used at the same volume and identical optical density at

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270 nm, and did not irreversibly adsorb on the column.

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chromatograms of SRNOM and fractions had rather similar shapes with the same absorbance

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peaks and shoulders at any wavelength detection in the range 210-400 nm.

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It should be noted that UV-

The UV spectra at Ve, corresponding to peak’s tops, were extracted from the multi-

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wavelength absorbance detector data.

A gradual absorbance decrease with increasing

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wavelength without any essential maxima was detected for all peaks. Differences in the ratio

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A250/A365 nm were however observed (Table 2). After preparative LPSEC fractionation of

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bulk SRNOM positive relationship between Ve and A250/A365 was observed for fractions A,

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B and C+D (Table 1). However, after analytical HPSEC this correlation was no longer

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observed (Table 2). We assume therefore that absorbance ratio A250/A365 may be used only

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for a rough estimation of aquatic NOM’s molecular size. ACS Paragon Plus Environment

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HPSEC analysis of humic-like and protein-like fluorescence distribution with multi-wavelength fluorescence detection.

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The HPSEC fluorescence chromatograms of the bulk SRNOM and its fractions at

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excitation/emission wavelength pairs (Ex/Em) - 270/450 nm for detection of humic-like

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fluorophores is shown on Fig.3. In contrast to UV chromatograms (solid black lines) that

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showed similar total peak areas, the total area of humic-like fluorescent chromatograms

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(dashed black lines) of SRNOM and fractions differed greatly and varied in the order:

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SRNOM>C+D>A>B.

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SRNOM and its fractions using EEM fluorescence analysis (Fig. 2, Table 1).

These data coincides with the fluorescence intensity obtained for

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The humic-like fluorescent chromatogram of SRNOM (Fig.3, dashed black line) showed

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several rather well resolved peaks, labeled 5, 6, 7 and 8 with emission maxima at 435, 430,

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420 and 410 nm, respectively (Table 2). Wu et al. (22) and Her et al. (24), who conducted

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chromatographic experiments at excitation wavelength 350-337 nm, observed that the

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emission maxima of several aquatic NOM tended to decrease with decreasing the molecular

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size. In fractions A and B the fluorescence intensity of peaks 5, 6, 7 and 8 were considerably

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smaller than that of the bulk SRNOM. On the other hand, a new peak 4 was found in fraction

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B, and peak 5 was dominant in fraction C+D. In spite of similar elution volumes, peaks 5, 6

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and 8 showed different emission maxima in bulk SRNOM versus to fractions. In all fractions

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the emission maxima of peaks 5 and 6 were red-shifted (from 435 to 450 nm and from 430 to

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435 nm, respectively) in comparison with SRNOM. On the contrary the emission maximum

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of peak 8 in fractions A and B was blue-shifted from 410 to 405 nm (Table 2). These results

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could be explained by dialysis and by the fact that a great part of fluorophores with emission

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maxima 435 and 420 nm (peaks 6 and 7) with nominal molecular size less than 10 kDa were

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lost before HPSEC. On the other hand, fluorophore(s) with emission maxima 465 and 450

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nm (peaks 4 and 5) still remained in fractions B and C+D, respectively and had therefore

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nominal molecular size higher than 10 kDa. The normalized fluorescence emission spectra of

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peaks 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 of fraction B are presented in Fig. 4a. The differences in peaks emission

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maxima reached 60 nm (from 465 nm in peak 4 to 405 nm in peak 8).

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The aquatic NOM protein-like fluorescence has been classified into tryptophan-like

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(emission maximum of about 350 nm) and tyrosine-like (about 300 nm) nature (2, 3, 44). The

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analytical HPSEC fluorescence chromatograms of the bulk SRNOM and its fractions were

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extracted at Ex/Em - 270/345 nm for visualization of protein-like fluorescence emission ( Fig.

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3, red line). For the bulk SRNOM and the small molecular size fraction C+D the protein-like

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fluorescence chromatograms (red line) were identical to the humic-like fluorescence

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chromatograms (dashed black lines), but they showed lower intensity. It means that both

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samples did not contain the protein-like fluorophores.

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chromatograms extracted at Ex/Em - 270/345 nm revealed the presence of new peaks labeled

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1, 9 and 10 in the large molecular size fraction A and peak 1 in the medium molecular size

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fraction B (Fig.3). In fraction A the broad emission spectrum of peak 9 had a maximum at

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390 nm and a shoulder near 350 nm, while peak 10 had a maximum at 350 nm with a shoulder

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at about 440 nm (Fig. 4b, Table 2). Thus the shapes of both spectra seemed to be the result of

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the overlapping of tryptophan-like and humic-like fluorescence, but the tryptophan-like

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fluorescence was more pronounced in peak 10. Taking into account that Ve of peaks 9 and 10

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(11.9 and 12.6 ml, respectively) were less than Vp of the column (13.1 ml) we could assume

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that these peaks may correspond to the short tryptophan-contained peptides or free tryptophan

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amino acid bound to humic-like part of aquatic NOM with apparent molecular size more than

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5 kDa (according to protein molecular weight standard and fractionation range of the column).

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The detection of the late-eluted fluorescent peaks 8, 9, 10 only in the highest molecular size

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fraction A is surprising. These fluorophores should have been lost altogether during dialysis,

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or should be present in the small molecular size fraction. However, these results are well

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consistent with the formation of supramolecular assemblies by NOM molecules, likely

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controlled by association of low-molecular size components (45, 46, 47).

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The emission maximum of peak 1 in fractions A and B was located in the wavelength

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range shorter than 330 nm (Fig. 4b, Table 2). Under the experimental conditions used in this

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study, we cannot detect the exact emission maximum at wavelength less than 330 nm,

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nevertheless we could attribute this peak to tyrosine-like fluorophores because the emission

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maximum of tyrosine is around 300 nm (44). The peak 1 eluted at about Ve = 5.6 mL (the

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excluded peak of the HPSEC-column) might correspond to the tyrosine-like chromophores

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bound to larger molecular size part of SRNOM with nominal molecular size higher than

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molecular size of globular proteins with MW = 150 kDa. The exact chemical structure of the

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fluorophores could be determined by further analysis of isolated humic-like and protein-like

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peaks of aquatic NOM using ultrahigh-resolution Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance

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mass spectrometry.

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ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATION

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Analytical HPSEC with multi-wavelength fluorescence and absorbance detectors was

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used for the characterization of SRNOM and fractions A, B, C+D obtained by preparative

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LPSEC-PAGE fractionation and dialysis. The results confirmed that fractions differed greatly

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on molecular size and fluorescence intensity and allowed us to detect at least five types of

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humic-like fluorophores size-separated within NOM with different emission maxima at 465,

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450, 435, 420 and 405 nm. The decrease of the emission maxima paralleled the decrease of

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nominal molecular size of fluorescent NOM. The presence of protein-like fluorescent signals

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in the large molecular size fraction A and medium molecular size fraction B was detected as

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well.

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chromophores bound to SRNOM showing nominal molecular size higher than 150 kDa. The

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second group of protein-like fluorophore(s) may be the result of interactions of short

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tryptophan-contained peptides or free tryptophan with SRNOM showing apparent molecular

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size more than 5 kDa. These results provide new information about the fluorescent and

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absorptive properties of NOM, consistent with the formation of supramolecular assemblies by

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NOM molecules (27, 31, 38, 45, 46). These results could be achieved only by using multi-step

One group of protein-like fluorophore(s) might correspond to tyrosine-like

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fractionation of SRNOM that includes: (i) LPSEC-PAGE setup in 7M urea, (ii) dialysis

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through cellulose tubing with nominal cutoff 10 kDa, (iii) HPSEC with multi-wavelength

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absorbance and fluorescence detectors. The detection of several size-separated humic-like and

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protein-like fluorophores within NOM provides detailed information that may help better

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trace NOM origin and biogeochemical processing in the environment. It is clear that the

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isolation of specific fluorophores by combination of several chromatographic procedures will

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be useful for elucidating the structure and source/reactivity of the various components that

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comprise NOM.

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ACKNOWLEGMENTS

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The work has been supported by (1) Russian Foundation for Basic Research (project 18-016-

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00078-a) in part of methodology developing, (2) funding from CNRS-RAS cooperation in

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part of HPSEC fractionation; (3) funding in framework of state assignment.

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size-fractionated dissolved organic matter: Implications for a molecular assembly based

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structure? Water Research 2014, 55, 40–51, doi:10.1016/j.watres.2014.02.017

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32. Jokubauskaite, I.; Amaleviciute, K.; Lepane, V.; Slepetiene, A.; Slepetys, J.;

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Liaudanskiene,

I.;

Karcauskiene,

D.;

Booth,

C.A.

High-performance

liquid

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chromatography (HPLC)-size exclusion chromatography (SEC) for qualitative detection

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of humic substances and dissolved organic matter in mineral soils and peats in Lithuania.

468

Intern. J. Environ. Anal. Chem. 2015, 95 (6), 508–519.

469

33. Peuravuori, J.; Pihlaja, K.; Trubetskaya, O.; Reznikova, O.; Afanaseva, G.; Trubetskoj, O.

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SEC-PAGE characterization of lake aquatic humic matter isolated with XAD-resin and

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tangential membrane ultrafiltration. Intern. J. Environ. Analyt. Chem. 2001, 80 (2), 141–

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34. Trubetskoj, O.A.; Trubetskaya, O.E.; Richard, C.

Photochemical activity and

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fluorescence of electrophoretic fractions of aquatic humic matter, Water Resources 2009,

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36 (5), 518–524.

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35. Artinger, R.; Buckau, G.; Kim, J.I.; Geyer, S. Characterization of groundwater humic and

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fulvic acids of different origin by GPC with UV/Vis and fluorescence detection. Fresenius

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J. Anal. Chem. 1999, 364 (8), 737-745.

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36. Richard, C.; Trubetskaya O.; Trubetskoj O.; Reznikova O.; Afanas’eva G.; Aguer J.-P.;

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Guyot, G. Key role of the low molecular size fraction of soil humic acids for fluorescence

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and photoinductive activity. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2004, 38 (7), 2052-2057.

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37. Zanardi-Lamardo, E.; Clark, C.D.; Moore, C.A.; Zika, R.G. Comparison of the molecular

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mass and optical properties of colored dissolved organic material in two rivers and coastal

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waters by flow field-flow fractionation. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2002, 36 (13), 2806-2814. ACS Paragon Plus Environment

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38. Cuss, C.W.; Gueguen, C. Relationships between molecular weight and fluorescence

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properties for size-fractionated dissolved organic matter from fresh and aged sources.

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Water Research 2015, 68, 487–497, doi:10.1016/j.watres.2014.10.013

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39. Trubetskaya, O.E.; Richard, C.; Voyard, G.; Marchenkov, V.V.; Trubetskoj, O.A. RP-

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HPLC and spectroscopic characterization of Suwannee river water NOM after

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concentrated urea treatment and dialysis. Desalination and Water Treatment 2016, 57

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(12), 5358-5364.

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40. Traina, S.J.; J. Novak, J.; Smeck, N.E. An ultraviolet absorbance method of estimating

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the percent aromatic carbon content of humic acids. J. Environ. Qual. 1990, 19 (1), 151-

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41. Trubetskaya, O.E.; Trubetskoj, O.A.; Richard, C. Hydrophobicity of electrophoretic

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fractions of different soil humic acids. Journal of Soils and Sediments 2014, 14 (2), 292-

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42. Khundzhua, D.A.; Patsaeva, S.V.; Trubetskoj, O.A.; Trubetskaya, O.E. An analysis of

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dissolved organic matter from freshwater Karelian lakes using reversed-phase high-

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performance liquid chromatography with online absorbance and fluorescence analysis.

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Moscow University Physics Bulletin 2017, 72 (1), 68–75.

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43. Remucal, C. K.; Cory, R M.; Sander, M.; McNeill, K. Low molecular weight components

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in an aquatic humic substance as characterized by membrane dialysis and orbitrap mass

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44. Lakowicz, J.R. Principles of fluorescence spectroscopy; Springer Science: New York., 2006. 45. Piccolo, A. The supramolecular structure of humic substances. Soil Sci. 2001, 166, 810832. 46. Sutton, R.; Sposito, G. Molecular Structure in Soil Humic Substances: The New View. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2005, 39 (23), 9009-9015. DOI: 10.1021/es050778q

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47. Trubetskaya, O.E.; Richard, C.; Trubetskoj, O.A. High amounts of free aromatic amino

512

acids in the protein-like fluorescence of water-dissolved organic matter. Environmental

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Chemistry Letters 2016, 14 (4), 495-500.

514 515 516

517

518

519

520

521

522

523

524

525

526

527

528

529

530

531 ACS Paragon Plus Environment

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21 532

533 534 535 536

2

537 538

540 541 542 543

Absorbance

539

C+D

1

SRNOM

B

544

A

545 546 547 548

0 200

300

400

500

600

700

Wavelength, nm

549 550 551 552

Figure 1. Absorbance spectra of bulk SRNOM, fractions A, B and C+D in 10 mM phosphate buffer, pH=6.5, at a concentration of dry sample = 50 mgL-1.

553 554 555 556 557 558 559 560

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22 561 562 563

564

565 566 567 568 569

Figure 2. Fluorescence EEM of bulk SRNOM, fractions A, B and C+D at A270=0.05 in 0.1 mM phosphate buffer, pH 6.5.

570 571 572 573 574 575 576

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579 580 581

Absorbance at 270 nm

578

12

587

Absorbance at 270 nm

586

Absorbance at 270 nm

593 594

601 602 603 604 605 606 607

7

8

9

10

11

2

0 .0 8

12

13

6 5

F r a c tio n A

4 0 .0 6

6 7

0 .0 4 0 .0 2

3

5

1

8

9 10

2 1 0

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

F r a c tio n B

6 5

0 .0 8

4 0 .0 6 3 0 .0 4

5

4

1 2 3

0 .0 2

6

2

7 8

1 0

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

5

0 .1 0

Absorbance at 270 nm

600

6

12

13

F r a c tio n C + D

12

6

0 .0 8

8

0 .0 6

7

0 .0 4

4 0 .0 2

2

3

0 .0 0

Fluorescence intensity

599

5

0 .0 0

596

598

0

0 .0 0

595

597

3

2

Fluorescence intensity

592

4

0 .0 2

0 .1 0

589

591

8

0 .0 0

588

590

8

0 .0 4

Fluorescence intensity

585

7

5

0 .0 6

0 .1 0

584

16

0 .0 8

582 583

23

S R N O M

Fluorescence intensity

577

6

A bs270 E x /E m 2 7 0 /4 5 0 n m E x /E m 2 7 0 /3 4 5 n m

0 .1 0

0 5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

Elution volume, ml Figure 3. HPSEC UV chromatograms with detection at 270 nm (solid black lines), and fluorescent chromatograms, with detection at Ex/Em wavelengths 270/450 nm (dashed black lines) and Ex/Em wavelengths 270/345 nm (red lines) for bulk SRNOM and its fractions A, B and C + D. ACS Paragon Plus Environment

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24 608 609

60 nm

a).

611 612 613 614 615 616

Normalized fluorescence intensity

610

8 7 6 5 4B 1

0.5

0 350

617

400

450

500

Wavelength, nm

619 620 621 622 623 624 625

Normalized fluorescence intensity

618

b).

1

9A 10A 1B

0.5

1A

0 350

626

400

450

500

Wavelength, nm

627 628 629

Figure 4. Emission spectra of HPSEC peaks 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 of fraction B showing different

630

humic-like fluorescence maxima (a), and of peaks 1, 9 and 10 with different protein-like

631

fluorescence maxima (b). Spectra were extracted from the data of multi-wavelength

632

fluorescent detector and normalized at maximum of emission.

633 634 635 636

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Table 1. Mass balance (%) and specific UV absorbance coefficients at 280 nm (SUVA280)

639

based on dry weight of NOM samples; absorbance ratio at 250 and 365 nm (A250/A365);

640

protein-like and humic-like fluorescence maxima (λex/λem) at

641

wavelengths for bulk SRNOM and fractions A, B, C+D obtained by LPSEC-PAGE setup.

different excitation

642

Absorbance Sample name

SRNOM

Mass balance based on dry weight

SUVA280

(%)

(based on dry weight at a concentration 50 mgL-1)

100

0.61

A250/A365

Fluorescence maximum (nm)

Protein-like

Humic-like

(λex/λem)

(λex/λem)

-

230/450

-

270/455

4.58

330/450 Large molecular size fraction A

4

0.26

3.16

230/335

230/440

270/350

270/440 330/440

Medium molecular size fraction B

10

0.75

3.20

230/330

230/460

270/340

270/465 330/460

Small molecular size fraction C+D

35

0.89

3.76

-

230/455

-

270/465 330/460

643

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Table 2. Elution volumes (Ve), absorbance ratios (A250/A365) and fluorescence emission maximum (Em max) of peaks 1-10, obtained during HPSEC analysis with multi-wavelength absorbance and fluorescence detectors of bulk SRNOM and fractions A, B and C+D.

45

Ve Peak number

at peak’s top

SRNOM A250/A365

(ml)

Large molecular size fraction A

Em max

A250/A365

(nm)

Em max

Medium molecular size fraction B A250/A365

(nm)

Em max

Small molecular size fraction C+D A250/A365

(nm)

Em max (nm)

1

5.6

-

-

3.83