Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Plant Physiology logoLink to Plant Physiology
. 1982 Jan;69(1):259–262. doi: 10.1104/pp.69.1.259

Measurement of Photorespiration in Algae 1

Brendan C Birmingham 1, John R Coleman 1, Brian Colman 1
PMCID: PMC426185  PMID: 16662171

Abstract

The rates of true and apparent photosynthesis of two unicellular green algae, one diatom and four blue-green algae were measured in buffer at pH 8.0 at subsaturating concentrations of dissolved inorganic carbon (13-27 micromolar). Initial rates of depletion from the medium of inorganic carbon and 14C activity caused by the algae in a closed system were measured by gas chromatography and by liquid scintillation counting, respectively. The rate of photorespiration was calculated as the difference between the rates of apparent and true photosynthesis. The three eucaryotic algae and two blue-green algae had photorespiratory rates of 10 to 28% that of true photosynthesis at air levels of O2. Reduction of the O2 level to 2% caused a 52 to 91% reduction in photorespiratory rate. Two other blue-green algae displayed low photorespiratory rates, 2.4 to 6.2% that of true photosynthesis at air levels of O2, and reduction of the O2 concentration had no effect on these rates.

Full text

PDF
259

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Badger M. R., Kaplan A., Berry J. A. Internal Inorganic Carbon Pool of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii: EVIDENCE FOR A CARBON DIOXIDE-CONCENTRATING MECHANISM. Plant Physiol. 1980 Sep;66(3):407–413. doi: 10.1104/pp.66.3.407. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Birmingham B. C., Colman B. Measurement of carbon dioxide compensation points of freshwater algae. Plant Physiol. 1979 Nov;64(5):892–895. doi: 10.1104/pp.64.5.892. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Coleman J. R., Colman B. Effect of oxygen and temperature on the efficiency of photosynthetic carbon assimilation in two microscopic algae. Plant Physiol. 1980 May;65(5):980–983. doi: 10.1104/pp.65.5.980. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Coleman J. R., Colman B. Inorganic Carbon Accumulation and Photosynthesis in a Blue-green Alga as a Function of External pH. Plant Physiol. 1981 May;67(5):917–921. doi: 10.1104/pp.67.5.917. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Forrester M. L., Krotkov G., Nelson C. D. Effect of oxygen on photosynthesis, photorespiration and respiration in detached leaves. I. Soybean. Plant Physiol. 1966 Mar;41(3):422–427. doi: 10.1104/pp.41.3.422. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Hew C. S., Krotkov G., Canvin D. T. Determination of the Rate of CO(2) Evolution by Green Leaves in Light. Plant Physiol. 1969 May;44(5):662–670. doi: 10.1104/pp.44.5.662. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Lloyd N. D., Canvin D. T., Culver D. A. Photosynthesis and photorespiration in algae. Plant Physiol. 1977 May;59(5):936–940. doi: 10.1104/pp.59.5.936. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Miller A. G., Colman B. Active transport and accumulation of bicarbonate by a unicellular cyanobacterium. J Bacteriol. 1980 Sep;143(3):1253–1259. doi: 10.1128/jb.143.3.1253-1259.1980. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Miller A. G., Colman B. Evidence for HCO(3) Transport by the Blue-Green Alga (Cyanobacterium) Coccochloris peniocystis. Plant Physiol. 1980 Feb;65(2):397–402. doi: 10.1104/pp.65.2.397. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Zelitch I., Day P. R. Variation in photorespiration. The effect of genetic differences in photorespiration on net photosynthesis in tobacco. Plant Physiol. 1968 Nov;43(11):1838–1844. doi: 10.1104/pp.43.11.1838. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Plant Physiology are provided here courtesy of Oxford University Press

RESOURCES