Abstract
The intracellular ion content of the halophilic blue-green alga, Aphanothece halophytica was studied as a function of age, external sodium and external potassium concentration. Intracellular Na+ was found to be about 0.38 millimoles/g dry mass. Intracellular K+ concentrations were as high as 1 M and varied directly with external salinity. Intracellular Ca++ and Mg++ were in the range previously reported for fresh water blue-green algae despite their extremely high extracellular concentrations. Average cell size is consistent at room temperature with two exceptions. When the outside K+ is lower than 6.5 mM the cells tend to be smaller with less intracellular K+ and high Ca++. In stationary phase cultures the cells are larger with high intracellular Mg++ and low K+.
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Miller, D.M., Jones, J.H., Yopp, J.H. et al. Ion metabolism in a halophilic blue-green alga, Aphanothece halophytica . Arch. Microbiol. 111, 145–149 (1976). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00446561
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00446561