Photosynthesis, translocation, and alginic acid synthesis in Laminaria digitata and Laminaria hyperborea

Abstract

New and old tissues of L. digitata blades have very similar photosynthetic capacities on a fresh weight basis. Very little of the photoassimilate goes into alginic acid, or other macromolecular substances in old blade tissues. Less than 1% of the photoassimilated 14C in the old blade portion of a L. digitata blade was translocated to the new blade tissues in a 5-h experiment. In contrast, there is rapid transport of photoassimilate from bark cells to cells of the underlying tissues of L. digitata and L. hyperborea stipe sections. Isolated cortex and medulla tissues of L. digitata stipes have significant photosynthetic capacities, but are probably so strongly shaded by the darkly pigmented bark cells that little photosynthesis can normally occur in these tissues.A larger proportion of the photoassimilated carbon enters alginate in the cortex and medulla than in the bark of L. digitata and L. hyperborea stipes in short-term experiments. The time course for incorporation of photosynthate into alginate in continuous and pulse-labeling experiments indicates the presence of relatively large pools of alginate precursors. A large proportion of the total 14C incorporated into alginate in short-term experiments is found in the "M–M" (mannuronic acid) and "M–G" (alternating mannuronic and guluronic acid) block components.