Phosphatases in soils

Abstract

Most studies on phosphatase activity in soils have been concerned with acid phosphatase. This study was conducted to determine the activity of phosphomonoesterases (acid and alkaline phosphatases), phosphodiesterase, and “phosphotriesterase”. The results indicate that acid phosphatase is predominant in acid soils and that alkaline phosphatase is predominant in alkaline soils. With universal buffer, the pH optima of phosphodiesterase and phosphotriesterase were at pH 10. The activities of these phosphatases in soils were much lower than those of the acid and alkaline phosphatases. Studies on the effects of various soil treatments on the activity of phosphatases in soils indicated that air-drying increased the activity of acid phosphatase and phosphotriesterase, decreased the activity of alkaline phosphatase, but did not affect the activity of phosphodiesterase. Steam sterilization of soils at 121 C for 1 h inactivated alkaline phosphatase, phosphodiesterase, and phosphotriesterase, but did not completely inactivate acid phosphatase. Addition of toluene to the incubation mixture did not markedly affect the activity of acid phosphatase, alkaline phosphatase, phosphodiesterase, but increased the activity of phosphotriesterase in soils. Studies of the kinetic parameters of phosphatases in the soils studied showed that the K m values ranged from 1.11 to 3.40 m m for acid phosphatase. from 0.44 to 4.94 m m for alkaline phosphatase, and from 0.25 to 1.25 m m for phosphodiesterase. Expressed as μg p-nitrophenol released·h −1·g −1 soil, the V max values ranged from 200 to 625 for acid phosphatase, from 124 to 588 for alkaline phosphatase, and from 46 to 127 for phosphodiesterase. The substrate of phosphotriesterase ( tris- p-nitrophenyl phosphate) is insoluble in water; hence, the K m and V max values of this enzyme in soils could not be determined.