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Uptake and assimilation of nitrogen by marine diatoms—II. Kinetics of nitrogen assimilation

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Proceedings / Indian Academy of Sciences

Abstract

A comparison ofK M values for nitrate and nitrite reductases with uptake capacities of 6 marine diatoms indicated that intracellular accumulation of NO −3 and NO −2 is necessary for efficient functioning of the enzymes.Amphora coffeaeformis, Thalassiosira weissflogii andSynedra tabulata accumulated very little NO −3 whereasTriceratium dubium, Achnanthes hauckiana andFragilaria pinnata accumulated 0·02 to 1· 5mM NO −2 . Studies with inhibitors of nitrate and nitrite reductase indicated that nitrite reductase could be located i in a different compartment such as chromatophores as in higher plants. NH +4 was also accumulated by the diatoms. Studies on the kinetics of glutamine synthetase and glutamate dehydrogenase indicated that the primary enzyme involved in NH +4 assimilation could be glutamate dehydrogenase, because of its lowK NH M +4 and relatively greater activity than glutamine synthetase. Intracellular analysis of NH +4 revealed that its concentration was well below theK NH M +4 for glutamine synthetase.

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  1. V Sivasubramanian

    Present address: Department of Botany, R M Vivekananda College, 600 004, Madras, India

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre of Advanced Study in Botany, University of Madras, 600 025, Madras, India

    V Sivasubramanian & V N R Rao

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  1. V Sivasubramanian
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  2. V N R Rao
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Sivasubramanian, V., Rao, V.N.R. Uptake and assimilation of nitrogen by marine diatoms—II. Kinetics of nitrogen assimilation. Proc. Indian Acad. Sci. 98, 89–98 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03053394

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03053394

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