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Effects of light on nitrate-limited Oscillatoria agardhii in chemostat cultures

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Abstract

The effects of the average light irradiance (〈I〉) on growth and nitrate uptake kinetics of the cyanobacterium Oscillatoria agardhii, in nitrate-limited chemostat cultures, were studied. Light was nonsaturating for 〈I〉 <9.4 Wm−2, for all growth rates (μ) studied. However, μ was throughout limited by the availability of nitrate. Under light-saturating conditions the kinetics of nitrate-limited growth could be adequately described by both the Monod and Droop equations. Under light-non-saturating conditions the internal nitrogen content (Q) was a function of both μ and 〈I〉, for which new formulas were derived. The high uptake capacity (V max) of nitrate-limited cells was independent of μ, but was significantly increased for cells growing at 〈I〉 <9.4 Wm−2. The half-saturation constant for nitrate uptake (K u s ) increased with increasing μ, but was independent of the prevailing light conditions. The effects of light during nitrate-limited growth were associated with the regulation in the nitrogen-containing pigments.

The results reported herein have important consequences for the use of Q, K u s and V max values as indicators of nutrient-deficiency of natural populations.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratorium voor Microbiologie, Universiteit van Amsterdam, Nieuwe Achtergracht 127, NL-1018 WS, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Wanda Zevenboom, Gerard J. de Groot & Luuc R. Mur

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  1. Wanda Zevenboom
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  2. Gerard J. de Groot
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  3. Luuc R. Mur
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Zevenboom, W., de Groot, G.J. & Mur, L.R. Effects of light on nitrate-limited Oscillatoria agardhii in chemostat cultures. Arch. Microbiol. 125, 59–65 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00403198

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00403198

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