Physiological ecology of Mougeotia (Zygnemataceae) from an experimentally acidified lake
Filamentous green algae were collected in July, 1989, from metaphytic blooms that occurred in the acidified (pH 5.2) basin, but not an unacidified reference basin (pH 6.1) of Little Rock Lake, Vilas Co., WI. Isolates of a Mougeotia species and Spirogyra reflexa were cultured at pH 5.5, with aeration. Measurements Of O[sub 2] production in a factorial experiment revealed optimal irradiance and temperature for photosynthesis in Mougeotia were 2500 [mu]E[center dot]m[sup [minus]2][center dot]s[sup [minus]l] and 25[degrees]C. Additional O[sub 2] evolution measurements showed that the optimal pH for Mougeotia photosynthesis was 8, but that net photosynthesis was positive from pH 8 to 3. Further studies indicated that Mougeotia was tolerant to concentrations of zinc and aluminum that were greater than levels observed in the acidified basin of the lake. Since inorganic carbon (C[sub i]) is known to limit Mougeotia photosynthesis and growth in acidified lakes, the occurrence of carbonic anhydrase (CA) as a mechanism for uptake and concentration of C[sub i] was investigated. No CA activity was detected in S. reflexa. In contrast, both external and internal CA were measured in Mougeotia at pH 3.7 and at pH 8. By comparison to pH 8, at pH 3.7 external CA activity increased by a factor of about 2. An antibody to Chlamydomonas external CA was used to localize CA in the plasma membrane and cell wall of both Chlamydomonas and Mougeotia. When unaerated (DIC-limited) Mougeotia was grown in SD11 medium supplemented with 1% glucose, chlorophyll a levels were significantly higher than for cultures grown without sugar. Chloroplast morphology was also judged superior for sugar-supplemented cultures. The data suggest that Mougeotia possesses a DIC-concentrating system, and may also be able to import DOC (glucose).
- Research Organization:
- Wisconsin Univ., Madison, WI (United States)
- OSTI ID:
- 6789358
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Thesis (Ph.D.)
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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