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Growth and Metabolism of Chlorella pyrenoidosa
Author(s) -
OSRETKAR ANTHONY,
KRAUSS R. W.
Publication year - 1965
Publication title -
journal of phycology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.85
H-Index - 127
eISSN - 1529-8817
pISSN - 0022-3646
DOI - 10.1111/j.1529-8817.1965.tb04551.x
Subject(s) - chlorella pyrenoidosa , rubidium , biology , metabolism , potassium , chlorella , biochemistry , algae , sodium , growth rate , growth medium , food science , botany , nuclear chemistry , chemistry , bacteria , organic chemistry , geometry , mathematics , genetics
SUMMARY Chlorella pyrenoidosa Chick, van Niel's strain, grown in a chemically defined medium, in which the potassium was replaced with rubidium, attained only 20% of the growth rate of algae in media containing K. Addition of sodium to K‐deficient media spared Rb uptake. Neither growth nor uptake of Rb were accelerated when glucose was added to media Cells which had been maintained on K‐free media, did not immediately respond to K, indicating that their metabolism had become adjusted to Rb.Free and combined amino acids, nonketo organic acids, polysaccharides, and chlorophylls were similar in K or Rb media. Fewer porphyrins, and in smaller quantity, were found in the cells grown in Rb media.Cells grown in K‐free media, analyzed by X‐ray fluorescence, showed 0.039% of their dry weight to be K contamination. When the K equivalent to the small contamination of the Rb salt was added to a Rb‐free medium, the cells failed to grow. The data indicate that Rb either can replace K entirely in cell metabolism, or that it can spare the K requirement. Substitution of K by Rb does not permit normal growth if rate is the criterion.