A1 Journal article (refereed)
Chironomids regulate long‐chain polyunsaturated fatty acid levels independent of lake nutrient or dissolved organic carbon concentrations (2024)


Pilecky, M., Turunen, A., Sohrabi, M. S., Ghimire, S., Ilo, T., Kesti, P., Vitecek, S., Fehlinger, L., Akkanen, J., Taipale, S. J., Vainikka, A., Kahilainen, K. K., Kainz, M. J., & Strandberg, U. (2024). Chironomids regulate long‐chain polyunsaturated fatty acid levels independent of lake nutrient or dissolved organic carbon concentrations. Oikos, Early View, Article e10816. https://doi.org/10.1111/oik.10816


JYU authors or editors


Publication details

All authors or editorsPilecky, Matthias; Turunen, Aatu; Sohrabi, Mohammad S.; Ghimire, Sadikshya; Ilo, Timo; Kesti, Petri; Vitecek, Simon; Fehlinger, Lena; Akkanen, Jarkko; Taipale, Sami J.; et al.

Journal or seriesOikos

ISSN0030-1299

eISSN1600-0706

Publication year2024

Publication date27/08/2024

VolumeEarly View

Article numbere10816

PublisherWiley-Blackwell

Publication countryUnited Kingdom

Publication languageEnglish

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1111/oik.10816

Publication open accessOpenly available

Publication channel open accessPartially open access channel

Publication is parallel published (JYX)https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/96932


Abstract

Chironomids are keystone primary benthic consumers with semi-aquatic life cycles. They support aquatic and terrestrial consumers at higher trophic levels by conveying dietary nutrients, such as fatty acids. In this study, we combined field sampling and laboratory experiments to examine the effects of environmental parameters, including diet, on fatty acid composition and metabolism in chironomid larvae and imagines. Results from 53 lakes showed that lake size, depth, dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations, and trophic state had only marginal effects on the content of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFA) in chironomids. Compound-specific stable hydrogen isotope analyses confirmed that chironomids actively bioconvert dietary fatty acid precursors to LC-PUFA in all lake types, independent of nutrient or DOC concentrations. Moreover, fatty acid-specific stable carbon isotope data indicated that the diet of chironomids was subsidized, particularly in oligotrophic lakes in spring, by terrestrial C18 fatty acid precursors that were converted to LC-PUFA. Data from feeding experiments further confirmed that decreased dietary availability of LC-PUFA enhanced the conversion of dietary short-chain precursors to LC-PUFA. These results suggest that chironomids are PUFA regulators that can sustain LC-PUFA levels under varying environmental conditions. Furthermore, our results indicate that they bioconvert terrestrial low-quality material to high-quality resources, which, via chironomid emergence, support terrestrial food webs. Chironomids are abundant and widespread, and thus, the trophic transfer of LC-PUFA can have significant implications for the fitness and production of upper trophic level consumers in both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems.


Keywordsdietsfatty acidsnutrition

Free keywordsbioconversion; Chironomus; compound-specific stable isotopes; dissolvedorganic carbon; essential fatty acids; eutrophication; trophic upgrading


Contributing organizations


Ministry reportingYes

VIRTA submission year2024

Preliminary JUFO rating2


Last updated on 2024-19-09 at 15:57