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The uptake of guanine and hypoxanthine by marine microalgae

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 May 2009

N. Shah
Affiliation:
Department of Botany and Microbiology, University College of Swansea, Swansea, SA PP
P. J. Syrett
Affiliation:
Department of Botany and Microbiology, University College of Swansea, Swansea, SA PP

Extract

Guanine and hypoxanthine were excellent sole nitrogen sources for several microalgal species grown in axenic culture. Of the algae studied only Chlorella stigmatophora grew well on pyrimidines. Freshly harvested nitrate or ammonium-grown organisms generally lacked ability to take up guanine or hypoxanthine but this ability developed during several hours of photosynthesis in nitrogen-free medium. Nitrate-grown (but not ammonium-grown)Tetraselmis subcordiformis and Chlorella fusca could take up guanine, the initial rate of uptake increasing when the cells were also nitrogen-deprived. Of the algae studied only Chlorella vulgarisand Attheya decora required prior incubation with guanine before being able to take it up. Porphyridium purpureum did not take up guanine. Factors affecting the development of ability to take up guanine and the characteristics of guanine transport were studied. The transport systems showed Michaelis-Menten type kinetics with K s values ranging from 05 to 3–7/IM guanine. In marine species, guanine uptake was dependent on the presence of Nations in the medium but Chlorella stigmatophora showed less dependence on Na+ than other species.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 1984

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