Abstract
Photosynthetic assimilation of 14CO2 by the symbiotic green alga Platymonas convolutae Parke et Manton in the marine flatworm Convoluta roscoffensis Graff has been investigated and compared with that in free-living P. subcordiformis and P. tetrathele. All Platymonas species investigated rapidly incorporate 14CO2 into a complex variety of soluble and insoluble assimilates. The rate of dark fixation is considerably lower in P. convolutae. Typical 14C-assimilate patterns are rather uniform in all Platymonas species, but the time courses of 14C-labelling of several compounds are very different. The percentage of 14C-aspartate and 14C-malate is significantly higher in P. convolutae after short-term-photosynthesis, whereas 14C-labelled phosphate esters predominate in the free-living Platymonas species. A comparison of the kinetics of 14C-labelling and of the distribution of 14C-activity between soluble and insoluble fractions suggests that glucose and fructose, not mannitol, as well as several amino acids (especially alanine) move from the algal partner to the tissue of the animal host. The significance of these findings is discussed.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
