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Kinetics of nitrate uptake by freshwater algae

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Abstract

The kinetics of nitrate (NO3 ) uptake, the maximum uptake velocity (Vm) and the half-saturation constant (Ks), were determined for 18 species of batch-cultured freshwater algae grown without nitrogen limitation. Values of Ks ranged from 0.25 to 6.94 µM l−1 Chlorella pyrenoidosa Chick, and Navicula pelliculosa (Breb.) Hilse, respectively. Values of Vm ranged from 0.51 to 5.07 µM l−1 h−1 for Anabaena A7214 and Nitzschia W-32 O'Kelley, respectively. The mean positive values of Ks for Chlorophyta, Cyanophyta and Chrysophyta were 1.89, 3.67 and 4.07 µM l−1, respectively. The mean values of Vm for the same phyla were 1.61, 1.02 and 2.97 µM l−1 h−1 105 cells−1, respectively. The ranges of these kinetic parameters encompass values of kinetic parameters for marine and freshwater species in batch culture, for freshwater algae grown in N-limited chemostats and for natural populations of freshwater phytoplankton. Thus, in spite of variability between species, uptake parameters for both marine and freshwater algae are identical.

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Halterman, S.G., Toetz, D.W. Kinetics of nitrate uptake by freshwater algae. Hydrobiologia 114, 209–214 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00031872

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