Abstract
Eriophorum vaginatum L. subsp.spissum (Fern.) Hult., a dominant plant in arctic tundra ecosystems, has acid phosphatase activity evenly distributed along its root surface from the root tip to a distance at least 16 cm from the tip. These root surface phosphatases have optimal activity from pH 3.5 to 4.0; mean soil pH for soil samples collected with roots was 3.69. Apparent energy of activation and Q10 values (14.0 kcal mol−1 and 2.2, respectively) do not provide evidence for temperature acclimation, but substantial phosphatase activity was measured at 1°C. Kinetic parameters determined for this root surface phosphatase were as follows: Km=9.23 mM, Vmax=1.61×10−3 μmoles mm−2h−1. The presence of inorganic phosphorus in the assay medium did not inhibit root surface phosphatase activity except at very high concentrations (100 mM); even then, only slight inhibition was detected (7 to 19%). A comparison of hydrolysis rates with inorganic phosphate assimilation rates measured forE. vaginatum indicates that organic phosphate hydrolysis may occur at approximately one third the rate of inorganic phosphate absorption. Calculations show that inorganic phosphate produced by root surface phosphatase activity may satisfy 65% of the annual phosphate demand ofE. vaginatum. Since arctic tundra soils are typically higher in dissolved organic phosphorus compounds than in inorganic phosphate, root surface phosphatase activity may make a considerable contribution to the phosphate nutrition of this widespread and abundant arctic plant.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Barel D and Barsdate R J 1978 Phosphorus dynamics of wet coastal tundra soils near Barrow, Alaska. Environmental Chemistry and Cycling Processes Eds. D C Adriano and I L Brisbin, Jr. pp 516–537. US Department of Energy Symposium Series CONF-760429, Washington, DC.
Bartlett E M and Lewis D H 1973 Surface phosphatase activity of mycorrhizal roots of beech. Soil Biol. Biochem. 5, 249–257.
Black C A, Evans D D, White J L, Ensminger L E and Clark F E Ed. 1965 Methods of Soil Analysis: Physical and Mineralogical Properties, including Statistics of Measurement and Sampling. American Society of Agronomy, Inc., Madison, Wisconsin, p. 923.
Boutin J-P, Provot M and Roux L 1981 Effect of cycloheximide and renewal of phosphorus supply on surface acid phosphatase activity of phosphorus deficient tomato roots. Physiol. Plant. 51, 353–360.
Chapin F S III 1974 Morphological and physiological mechanisms of temperature compensation in phosphate absorption along a latitudinal gradient. Ecology 55, 1180–1198.
Chapin F S III and Chapin M C 1981 Ecotypic differentiation of growth processes inCarex aquatilis along latitudinal and local gradients. Ecology 62, 1000–1009.
Chapin F S III and Tryon P R 1982 Phosphate absorption and root respiration of different plant growth forms from northern Alaska. Hol. Ecol. 5, 164–171.
Chapin F S III, Barsdate R J and Barel D 1978 Phosphorus cycling in Alaskan coastal tundra: a hypothesis for the regulation of nutrient cycling. Oikos 31, 189–199.
Chapin F S III, Van Cleve K and Chapin M C 1979 Soil temperature and nutrient cycling in the tussock growth form ofEriophorum vaginatum. J. Ecol. 67, 169–189.
Dracup M N H, Barrett-Lennard E G, Greenway H and Robson A D 1984 Effect of phosphorus deficiency on phosphatase activity of cell walls from roots of subterranean clover. J. Exp. Bot. 35, 466–480.
Epstein E, Schmid W E and Rains D W 1963 Significance and technique of short-term experiments on solute absorption by plant tissue. Plant Cell Physiol. 4, 79–84.
Felipe M R, Pozuelo J M and Cintas A M 1979 Acid phosphatase localization at the surface of young corn roots. Agrochim. 23, 143–151.
Graham D and Patterson B D 1982 Responses of plants to low, nonfreezing temperatures: proteins, metabolism, and acclimation. Annu. Rev. Plant Phys. 33, 347–372.
Hall J L and Butt V S 1968 Localization and kinetic properties of β-glycerophosphatase in barley roots. J. Exp. Bot. 19, 276–287.
Herbein S B 1981 Soil Phosphatases: Factors Affecting Enzyme Activity in Arctic Tussock Tundra and Virginia Mineral Soils. M.Sc. thesis, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.
Kraus M, Fusseder A and Beck E 1987In situ-determination of the phosphate-gradient around a root by radioautography of frozen soil sections. Plant and Soil 97, 407–418.
McLachlan K D 1980 Acid phosphatase activity of intact roots and phosphorus nutrition in plants. I. Assay conditions and phosphatase activity. Aust. J. Agric. Res. 31, 429–440.
McLachlan K D and De Marco D G 1982 Acid phosphatase activity of intact roots and phosphorus nutrition in plants. III. Its relation to phosphorus garnering by wheat and a comparison with leaf activity as a measure of phosphorus status. Aust. J. Agric. Res. 33, 1–11.
Murray D R and Collier M D 1977 Acid phosphatase activities in developing seeds ofPisum sativum L. Aust. J. Plant Physiol. 4, 843–848.
Price N C and Stevens L 1982 Fundamentals of Enzymology. Oxford University Press, Oxford. pp 124–125.
Reid M S and Bieleski R L 1970 Changes in phosphatase activity in phosphorus-deficient Spirodela. Planta 94, 273–281.
Ridge E H and Rovira A D 1971 Phosphatase activity of intact young wheat roots under sterile and non-sterile conditions. New Phytol. 70, 1017–1026.
Shaver G R and Chapin F S III 1980 Response to fertilization by various plant growth forms in an Alaskan tundra: nutrient accumulation and growth. Ecology 61, 662–675.
Silberbush M, Shomer-Ilan A and Waisel Y 1981 Root surface phosphatase activity in ecotypes ofAegilops peregrina. Physiol. Plant. 53, 501–504.
Simon J-P 1979 Adaptation and acclimation of higher plants at the enzyme level: latitudinal variations of thermal properties of NAD malate dehydrogenase inLathyrus japonicus Willd. (Leguminosae). Oecol. 39, 273–287.
Suzuki T and Sato S 1973 Properties of acid phosphatase in the cell wall of tobacco cells culturedin vitro. Plant Cell Physiol. 14, 585–596.
Wein R W 1973 Biological flora of the British Isles:Eriophorum vaginatum L. J. Ecol. 61, 601–615.
Woolhouse H W 1969 Differences in the properties of the acid phosphatases of plant roots and their significance in the evolution of edaphic ecotypes.In Ecological Aspects of the Mineral Nutrition of Plants. Ed. I H Rorison. pp 357–380, Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Kroehler, C.J., Linkins, A.E. The root surface phosphatases ofEriophorum vaginatum: Effects of temperature, pH, substrate concentration and inorganic phosphorus. Plant Soil 105, 3–10 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02371136
Received:
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02371136