Chlorophyll turnover in Skeletonema costatum, a marine plankton diatom
(/sup 3/H)- and delta-(/sup 14/C)aminolevulinic acids were incorporated into the chlorophylls of Skeletonema costatum, a marine plankton diatom. In the stationary phase of growth, the tetrapyrrole-based pigments reached steady-state labeling after 10 hours. Under conditions of exponential cell division and chlorophyll accumulation, /sup 3/H was rapidly lost from the labeled chlorophylls and was replaced with /sup 14/C derived from delta-(4-/sup 14/C)aminolevulinic acid. The kinetics of isotope dilution suggests recycling of tetrapyrrole precursors and/or two pigment pools, containing both chlorophyll a and chlorophyllide c, one which turns over rapidly (10 hours) and another which turns over more slowly (100 hours). Calculation of turnover times varied from 3 to 10 hours for chlorophyll a and from 7 to 26 hours for chlorophyllide c. The data suggest the dynamics of chlorophyll metabolism in S. costatum and explain the diatom's ability to undergo light-shade adaptation within a generation time.
- Research Organization:
- Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, NY
- DOE Contract Number:
- EY-76-C-02-0016
- OSTI ID:
- 5686308
- Journal Information:
- Plant Physiol.; (United States), Journal Name: Plant Physiol.; (United States) Vol. 64:1; ISSN PLPHA
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
ALGAE
AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BUILDUP
CARBON 14
CARBON ISOTOPES
CARBOXYLIC ACIDS
CELL DIVISION
CHLOROPHYLL
DIATOMS
ECOSYSTEMS
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
HETEROCYCLIC ACIDS
HETEROCYCLIC COMPOUNDS
HYDROGEN ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
LIGHT NUCLEI
METABOLISM
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
ORGANIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
PHYTOCHROMES
PIGMENTS
PLANKTON
PLANTS
PORPHYRINS
RADIOISOTOPES
TRITIUM
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES