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THE EXTRACELLULAR RELEASE Of GLYCOLIC ACID BY A MARINE DIATOM 1
Author(s) -
Smith Walker O.
Publication year - 1974
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.1529-8817.1974.tb02674.x
Subject(s) - glycolic acid , axenic , biology , diatom , excretion , biochemistry , botany , lactic acid , bacteria , genetics
SUMMARY The excretion of glycolic acid by the marine diatom Chaetoceros socialis through time was studied. Excretion in axenic cultures was linear for the time intervals used, but for nonaxenic cultures an equilibrium was created, suggesting bacterial uptake of glycolic acid. In studies with an inhibitor of glycolate dehydrogenase, the level of glycolic acid in the medium jumped 15–fold. This shows the presence of this enzyme, and implies the presence of the entire set of enzymes which convert glycolic acid to serine and release carbon dioxide. In both axenic and nonaxenic cultures a steady state was reached. All of the data suggest that at high cell densities glycolic acid is liberated from the cell by a passive mechanism. The effect of such an excretion in natural waters is discussed.