Cell-associated proteolytic enzymes from marine phytoplankton
- Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, NY (United States)
Despite their central importance in cell metabolism, little is known about proteases in marine phytoplankton. Caseinolytic and leucine aminopeptidase (LAP) activities was surveyed in log-phase cultures of the chlorophyte Dunaliella tertiolecta Butcher, the diatom Thalassiosira weissflogii Fryxell et Hasle, the chrysophyte Isochrysis galbana Parke, the coccolithophorid Emiliania huxleyi Hay et Mohler, and the cyanobacterium Synechococcus sp. LAP activity was very low at pH < 6 and peaked between pH 7.5 and 8.5 in all species, whereas caseinolytic activity in most species showed only minor peaks in the pH 4-5 range and broad maxima above pH 8. Acidic vacuolar proteases apparently represented only a small fraction of total protease activity. Attempts to classify protease using selective inhibitors were inconclusive. Caserinolytic activities were remarkably stable. Casein zymograms were used to identify >200-and <20-kDa proteases in homogenates of log-phase T. weissflogii; only the smaller protease was found in D. tertiolecta. Antibodies in the ATPase subunit (C) of the conserved, chloroplastic Clp protease from Pisum cross-reacted with proteins in Synechococcus, D. tertiolecta, and I. galbana, but no cross-reactions were found for any species with antibodies against the ClpP subunit from either E. coli or Nicotiana. Our results show that phytoplankton contain a diverse complement of proteases with novel characteristics. 46 refs., 6 figs., 1 tab.
- Research Organization:
- Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC02-76CH00016
- OSTI ID:
- 468355
- Journal Information:
- Journal of Phycology, Vol. 32, Issue 4; Other Information: PBD: Aug 1996
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Bioaccumulation of technetium by marine phytoplankton
Further evaluation of long-chain alkenones as indicators of paleoceanographic conditions