Summary
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1.
The diatoms, Nitzschia alba, Navicula pelliculosa, Cylindrotheca fusiformis, and Cyclotella nana, took up radioisotopically labelled germanic acid, 68Ge(OH)4, from their growth media and incorporated up to 80% of it into the silica of their cell walls. Silicification appeared to be required for germanium incorporation.
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2.
The uptake and incorporation of germanic acid was dependent upon the relative concentrations of Ge(OH)4 and Si(OH)4, i.e., the [Ge]/[Si].
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3.
At [Ge]/[Si] of 0.01, no inhibition of growth or of silicic acid uptake by N. alba was observed. The cell morphology was also normal. 60 to 80% of the 68Ge(OH)4 taken up was incorporated.
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4.
At [Ge]/[Si] of 0.1, silicic acid uptake and growth of N. alba were inhibited by about 95%. Concomitantly, striking morphological aberrations occurred. 10 to 20% of the 68Ge(OH)4 taken up was incorporated.
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5.
The possible use of 68Ge(OH)4 for the study of silicon metabolism is discussed.
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Azam, F., Hemmingsen, B.B. & Volcani, B.E. Germanium incorporation into the silica of diatom cell walls. Archiv. Mikrobiol. 92, 11–20 (1973). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00409507
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00409507