Mechanisms of inorganic carbon acquisition in two Euglena species

2005 ◽  
Vol 83 (7) ◽  
pp. 865-871 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian Colman ◽  
Konstantine D Balkos

The mechanism of inorganic carbon uptake was examined in Euglena gracilis Klebs. and the acidophilic species Euglena mutabilis Schmitz. Both species, whether grown in acidic (pH 3.5) or alkaline (pH 7.5) media lack external carbonic anhydrase. Acid-grown E. gracilis was shown to have no capacity for bicarbonate transport, but transport was induced on transfer to alkaline medium (pH 7.5) in the light over a period of 8 h. In contrast, acid-grown E. mutabilis appears to have no capacity for bicarbonate transport even at neutral pH. The overall internal pH of the cells was determined by equilibration with 14C-labelled benzoic acid over the pH range 3.5–5.0 and with 14C-labelled 5,5-dimethyloxazolidine-2,4-dione over the range pH 5.5–7.5. The acidophilic species maintains an internal pH range of 6.6–6.8 in an external pH range of 3.5–5.5, whereas the acid-tolerant species E. gracilis maintains a neutral internal pH in an external pH range of 3.5–7.5. Measurement, by mass spectrometry, of the fluxes of CO2 and O2 in photosynthesizing cells at pH 3.5 demonstrated a rapid uptake of CO2 by both species that was completely blocked by iodoacetamide, an inhibitor of CO2 fixation. Uptake of CO2 by E. gracilis, grown at pH 7.5, was not completely inhibited by iodoacetamide and O2 evolution was sustained when the cells reached the CO2 compensation concentration, indicating a direct uptake of bicarbonate. These data indicate that the acidophilic species, E. mutabilis, takes up CO2 by diffusion, whereas the acid-tolerant species, E. gracilis, takes up CO2 by diffusion at acid pH levels but has some capacity for active bicarbonate uptake when grown at alkaline pH levels.Key words: acidophilic alga, acidotolerant alga, bicarbonate uptake, CO2 uptake, Euglena gracilis, Euglena mutabilis, internal pH.

2005 ◽  
Vol 83 (7) ◽  
pp. 891-897 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shabana Bhatti ◽  
Brian Colman

Photosynthetic characteristics of the chrysophyte alga Mallomonas papillosa Harris et Bradley were investigated to determine whether this species has some form of CO2-concentrating mechanism. The effect of external pH on the photosynthetic oxygen evolution rate of air-grown cells demonstrated an optimum in the pH range 5.0–7.0. This species lacked external carbonic anhydrase, and the cells had no capacity for direct bicarbonate uptake and had a low affinity for dissolved inorganic carbon. Measurement of the fluxes of CO2 and O2 in photosynthesizing cells at pH 7.0, using mass spectrometry, displayed no rapid uptake but only a slow depletion of CO2 from the medium upon illumination. Furthermore, CO2 uptake and O2 evolution by M. papillosa was greatly reduced by iodoacetamide, an inhibitor of CO2 fixation. The overall internal pH of M. papillosa was determined by distribution of 14C-benzoic acid over the pH range 5.5–6.0 and [2-14C]-5,5-dimethyloxazolidine-2,4-dione over the pH range 6.5–7.0 between the cells and medium. As the external pH was lowered from 7.0 to 5.5, there was a decrease in the internal pH of M. papillosa cells from 8.31 to 7.75. The ΔpH was great enough to allow the intracellular accumulation of inorganic carbon by the diffusive uptake of CO2.Key words: bicarbonate uptake, chrysophyte, CO2 uptake, internal pH, Mallomonas papillosa.


1984 ◽  
Vol 247 (3) ◽  
pp. C247-C259 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. A. Milanick ◽  
R. B. Gunn

Sulfate influx into human red blood cells was measured at 0 and 22 degrees C at several fixed external pH values between 3 and 10. These cells had normal internal pH and chloride concentrations so that sulfate influx was not limited by the efflux half-cycle reactions. The flux was a Michaelis-Menten function of sulfate concentration at each pH with K1/2SO4 = 4-10 mM. External protons activated influx 100-fold at a single site with a pK = 5.9 at 22 degrees C and 5.5 at 0 degrees C. This pK is similar to the value 5.99 +/- 0.3 for external proton binding to the sulfate-loaded transporter at 0 degrees C (J. Gen. Physiol. 79: 87-114, 1982). The flux was stilbene sensitive even in valinomycin-treated cells and was independent of membrane potential. This proton-activated influx appears to be proton-sulfate cotransport. At high pH there was a proton-independent flux that was membrane potential and stilbene sensitive. This proton-insensitive flux appears to be SO4(2-)/Cl- exchange or net sulfate influx. The sulfate influx over the entire pH range may be described in terms of an equation for the sum of the influxes through these two pathways on band 3.


1974 ◽  
Vol 138 (3) ◽  
pp. 349-357 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alan P. Dawson ◽  
Michael J. Selwyn

1. Inhibition of 2,4-dinitrophenol-stimulated respiration by trialkyltins is dependent on the presence of Cl− in the assay medium and is only apparent at acid pH values. It appears to be a result of the Cl−–OH− exchange mediated by trialkyltins. 2. In a KCl medium at alkaline pH values, the maximum rate of respiration produced by uncouplers is further increased by the presence of trialkyltins. 3. The inhibition of uncoupled succinate oxidation at acid pH values is not reversed by increasing the external substrate concentration, suggesting that depletion of intramitochondrial succinate is not an important factor in the inhibition. 4. It is suggested that the probable explanation for these observations is that in the presence of Cl− trialkyltins alter the internal pH to a more acid value and this directly affects the activity of one or more steps in succinate oxidation. 5. The oligomycin-like action of trialkyltins in a Cl−-free medium shows considerable pH-dependence over the pH range 6.6–7.6 in the presence of 10mm-phosphate, but very much less pH-dependence in the presence of 1mm-phosphate. 6. The binding of triethyltin to mitochondria shows a pK at pH6.3 and does not change greatly over the pH range 6.6–7.6. 7. It is suggested that the pH-dependence of the oligomycin-like action described by Coleman & Palmer (1971) is the result of the pH-dependence of the formation of a hydrophilic complex between trialkyltins and Pi.


2005 ◽  
Vol 83 (7) ◽  
pp. 872-878 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elly Spijkerman

Chlamydomonas acidophila Negoro had a higher maximum growth rate upon aeration with 5% CO2 (v/v) than in nonaerated conditions at an external pH above 2. In medium with a pH of 1.0 or 2.0, a decrease in the maximum growth rate was observed upon CO2 aeration in comparison with nonaerated conditions. At both very low and very high external pH conditions, an induction of external carbonic anhydrase was detected; this being more pronounced in CO2-aerated cells than in nonaerated cells. It is therefore suggested that the induction of carbonic anhydrase is part of a stress response in Chlamydomonas acidophila. Comparison of some physiological characteristics of Chlamydomonas acidophila acclimated at pH 2.65 and at pH 6.0, revealed that CO2 aeration increased gross maximum photosynthesis at both pHs, whereas respiration, light acclimation, and photoinhibition were not effected. At pH 2.65, Chlamydomonas acidophila was found to have a carbon-concentrating mechanism under nonaerated conditions, whereas it did not under CO2-aerated conditions at pH 6. The affinity for CO2 use in O2 production was not dependent on CO2 aeration, but it was much lower at pH 6 than it was at pH 2.65. CO2 kinetic characteristics indicate that the photosynthesis of Chlamydomonas acidophila in its natural environment is not limited by inorganic carbon.Key words: Chlamydomonas acidophila, CCM, external carbonic anhydrase, photosynthesis, growth rates, pH stress, CO2.


2007 ◽  
Vol 73 (12) ◽  
pp. 3909-3915 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuki Sawatari ◽  
Atsushi Yokota

ABSTRACT We determined the maximum pH that allows growth (pHmax) for 34 strains of lactobacilli. High alkali tolerance was exhibited by strains of Lactobacillus casei, L. paracasei subsp. tolerans, L. paracasei subsp. paracasei, L. curvatus, L. pentosus, and L. plantarum that originated from plant material, with pHmax values between 8.5 and 8.9. Among these, L. casei NRIC 1917 and L. paracasei subsp. tolerans NRIC 1940 showed the highest pHmax, at 8.9. Digestive tract isolates of L. gasseri, L. johnsonii, L. reuteri, L. salivarius subsp. salicinius, and L. salivarius subsp. salivarius exhibited moderate alkali tolerance, with pHmax values between 8.1 and 8.5. Dairy isolates of L. delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus, L. delbrueckii subsp. lactis, and L. helveticus exhibited no alkali tolerance, with pHmax values between 6.7 and 7.1. Measurement of the internal pH of representative strains revealed the formation of transmembrane proton gradients (ΔpH) in a reversed direction (i.e., acidic interior) at alkaline external-pH ranges, regardless of their degrees of alkali tolerance. Thus, the reversed ΔpH did not determine alkali tolerance diversity. However, the ΔpH contributed to alkali tolerance, as the pHmax values of several strains decreased with the addition of nigericin, which dissipates ΔpH. Although neutral external-pH values resulted in the highest glycolysis activity in the presence of nigericin regardless of alkali tolerance, substantial glucose utilization was still detected in the alkali-tolerant strains, even in a pH range of between 8.0 and 8.5, at which the remaining strains lost most activity. Therefore, the alkali tolerance of glycolysis reactions contributes greatly to the determination of alkali tolerance diversity.


2015 ◽  
Vol 22 (12) ◽  
pp. 1066-1075 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adriana Magalhães ◽  
Rayner Queiroz ◽  
Izabela Bastos ◽  
Jaime Santana ◽  
Marcelo Sousa ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 15
Author(s):  
Paz Nativ ◽  
Yonatan Gräber ◽  
Yaron Aviezer ◽  
Ori Lahav

A new analytic approach is presented for determining the total volatile fatty acids (VFAT) concentration in anaerobic digesters. The approach relies on external determination of the inorganic carbon concentration (CT) in the analyzed solution, along with two strong-acid titration points. The CT concentration can be determined by either a direct analysis (e.g., by using a TOC device) or by estimating it from the recorded partial pressure of CO2(g) in the biogas (often a routine analysis in anaerobic digesters). The titration is carried out to pH 5.25 and then to pH 4.25. The two titration results are plugged into an alkalinity-mass-based equation and then the two terms are subtracted from each other to yield an equation in which VFAT is the sole unknown (since CT is known and the effect of the total orthophosphate and ammonia concentrations is shown to be small at this pH range). The development of the algorithm and its verification on four anaerobic reactor liquors is presented, on both the raw water and on acetic acid-spiked samples. The results show the method to be both accurate (up to 2.5% of the expected value for VFAT/Alkalinity >0.2) and repetitive when the total orthophosphate and ammonia concentrations are known, and fairly accurate (±5% for VFAT >5 mM) when these are completely neglected. PHREEQC-assisted computation of CT from the knowledge of the partial pressure of CO2(g) in the biogas (and pH, EC and temperature in the liquor) resulted in a very good estimation of the CT value (±3%), indicating that this technique is adequate for the purpose of determining VFAT for alarming operators in case of process deterioration and imminent failure.


PROTOPLASMA ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bianca N. Quade ◽  
Mark D. Parker ◽  
Marion C. Hoepflinger ◽  
Shaunna Phipps ◽  
Mary A. Bisson ◽  
...  

AbstractCharaceae are closely related to the ancient algal ancestors of all land plants. The long characean cells display a pH banding pattern to facilitate inorganic carbon import in the acid zones for photosynthetic efficiency. The excess OH−, generated in the cytoplasm after CO2 is taken into the chloroplasts, is disposed of in the alkaline band. To identify the transporter responsible, we searched the Chara australis transcriptome for homologues of mouse Slc4a11, which functions as OH−/H+ transporter. We found a single Slc4-like sequence CL5060.2 (named CaSLOT). When CaSLOT was expressed in Xenopus oocytes, an increase in membrane conductance and hyperpolarization of resting potential difference (PD) was observed with external pH increase to 9.5. These features recall the behavior of Slc4a11 in oocytes and are consistent with the action of a pH-dependent OH−/H+ conductance. The large scatter in the data might reflect intrinsic variability of CaSLOT transporter activation, inefficient expression in the oocyte due to evolutionary distance between ancient algae and frogs, or absence of putative activating factor present in Chara cytoplasm. CaSLOT homologues were found in chlorophyte and charophyte algae, but surprisingly not in related charophytes Zygnematophyceae or Coleochaetophyceae.


Minerals ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (9) ◽  
pp. 371 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ying Gao ◽  
Yuexin Han ◽  
Wenbo Li

The flotation behaviors of diatomite and albite using dodecylamine (DDA) as a collector were investigated and compared. The pure mineral flotation results indicate that the flotability difference between albite and diatomite is above 87% at pH 5.5 to 10.5. The recovery of albite improves with increasing DDA dosage at pH 5.5 to 10.5. In the same pH range, diatomite has weaker flotability than albite, particularly in alkaline pH pulp. Zeta potential measurements indicate that diatomite has a higher negative surface charge than albite at pH 7 to 12, DDA interacts strongly with albite and weakly with diatomite. Thus, DDA preferentially absorbs on albite surface rather than diatomite under alkaline conditions. Fourier transform infrared spectra (FTIR) indicate that the amount of DDA adsorbed to albite is greater than that adsorbed to diatomite, under the same conditions. The adsorption of DDA on the surface of diatomite is investigated by using atomic force microscopy (AFM) for the first time. The adsorption of the collector DDA on the surface of albite per unit area is greater than that on diatomite. This accounts for the lower recovery of diatomite than that of albite.


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