Interactions between photoautotrophic and heterotrophic metabolism in photoheterotrophic cultures of Euglena gracilis

Abstract.

Interactions between photoautotrophic and heterotrophic metabolism in photoheterotrophic culture of Euglena gracilis were studied. Under a low light supply coefficient, these two metabolic activities seem to proceed independently. The cell growth rate in photoheterotrophic culture was about the sum of the growth rates in pure photoautotrophic and heterotrophic cultures. However under a high light supply coefficient, both photoautotrophic and heterotrophic (glucose assimilation) metabolic activities were inhibited, resulting in a low photoheterotrophic growth rate. The photoheterotrophic culture was more sensitive to photoinhibition compared to the pure photoautotrophic culture. Inhibition of glucose assimilation in the photoheterotrophic culture was due to both direct and indirect (through photosynthesis) effects of high light intensity. Cell growth, glucose assimilation and α-tocopherol content of the cells were higher when ambient air was used for aeration than when a mixture of carbon dioxide and air was used. Even when photosynthesis was inhibited by addition of 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea to photoheterotrophic culture, light stimulated α-tocopherol synthesis by E. gracilis.