Carbohydrate metabolism in the marine diatom Skeletonema costatum

Abstract

This is a study on the metabolism of the algal biochemical constituents of a marine diatom, Skeletonema costatum. The carbohydrates, protein, and lipid, of the diatom grown under light and dark conditions were analyzed. The composition of the organic compounds did not vary in the alga grown under continuous light conditions throughout the experiment, although a little accumulation of carbohydrate and lipid was observed in the stationary phase of the algal growth. When the diatom, at maximum growth stage, was transferred to darkness, 44.4% of the carbohydrate, 57.8% of the protein, and 27.0% of the lipid were used by respiration within a few days. Detailed analysis of the algal carbohydrate demonstrated that low molecular weight carbohydrates, consisting of glucose, and β-1,3-glucan, were readily metabolized by algal respiration, leaving cell-wall carbohydrates consisting of mannan and pentosan which are immune to algal respiration. The respiratory utilization of carbohydrates is discussed in relation to the rapid decay of glucan from marine particulate matter during the course of its sinking to further depths in the ocean, as observed previously by the present author.