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An investigation of glycolate excretion in two species of blue-green algae

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Summary

The amount of 14C-glycolate excreted by Oscillatoria sp. and Anabaena flos-aquae is less than 1% of the 14C fixed by the algae during photosynthesis. Transfer of cells grown on 5% CO2 in air to a medium of low bicarbonate concentration or treatment of the cells with isonicotinyl hydrazide (INH) during photosynthesis, caused little increase in glycolate excretion. α-Hydroxysulfonates failed to stimulate massive excretion of glycolate. Although these blue-green algae excreted little glycolate, a significant proportion of the photosynthetically fixed carbon was excreted in the form of basic, neutral and acidic compounds, and such excretion was greater in 5% CO2-grown cells than in air-grown cells.

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Cheng, K.H., Miller, A.G. & Colman, B. An investigation of glycolate excretion in two species of blue-green algae. Planta 103, 110–116 (1972). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00387361

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00387361

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