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THE EFFECT OF LIGHT QUALITY ON THE CARBON METABOLISM AND EXTRACELLULAR RELEASE OF CHLAMYDOMONAS REINHARDTII DANGEARD 1
Author(s) -
Brown T. J.,
Geen G. H.
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.tb02701.x
Subject(s) - chlamydomonas reinhardtii , photosynthesis , biology , pigment , extracellular , metabolism , blue light , botany , chlamydomonas , light intensity , food science , red light , biochemistry , chemistry , physics , organic chemistry , gene , mutant , optics
SUMMARY The influence of red, blue, green, and white light on growth and photosynthetic rates, carbon metabolism, and rates of release of extracellular compounds in the freshwater alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii Dangeard was examined. Relative growth constants were 0.28, 0.32, 0.40, and 0.41 in green, white, blue, and red light, respectively. Photosynthetic rates were higher in white, blue, or red than in green light of the same intensity. More than 66% of the 14 CO 2 assimilated by cells grown under blue or green light was incorporated into the ethanol‐insoluble fraction, compared with about 50% in cells grown under white or red light. The percentage of sugars in this fraction was significantly higher in cells grown under green or red light than in cells cultured in white or blue light, while the percentage of proteins was highest in blue light. Light quality also influenced the composition of the ethanol‐soluble fraction. The percentage of organic acids was highest in cells grown in green and white light, while amino acids were highest in blue and green cultures. The percentage of ethanol‐soluble sugars was greatest in cultures grown in blue and red light. The percentage release of dissolved organic carbon into the medium was highest in white light and lowest in blue or red light. The nature of the extracellular products varied according to the quality of light under which the cells were cultured, but had no consistent relation to the nature or concentration or components in the ethanol‐soluble fraction.