Photosynthate partitioning in Antarctic freshwater phytoplankton: in situ incubations
SUMMARY. 1. The distribution of 14 C‐labelled photosynthate by phytoplankton in Sombre Lake, Antarctica, was measured during the spring/ summer period in 1987–88. 2. Protein was the principal product of low‐light photosynthesis, with the proportion of polysaccharide and lipid increasing at higher ra...
| Published in: | Freshwater Biology |
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| Main Author: | |
| Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wiley
1990
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| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2427.1990.tb00318.x https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Fj.1365-2427.1990.tb00318.x https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1365-2427.1990.tb00318.x |
| Summary: | SUMMARY. 1. The distribution of 14 C‐labelled photosynthate by phytoplankton in Sombre Lake, Antarctica, was measured during the spring/ summer period in 1987–88. 2. Protein was the principal product of low‐light photosynthesis, with the proportion of polysaccharide and lipid increasing at higher radiation fluxes. Storage polysaccharides were mobilized during darkness to fuel continued protein synthesis. 3. Maximum rates of protein synthesis and total photosynthesis were attained immediately prior to loss of ice cover, when algal biomass (as chlorophyll‐ a ) was decreasing. Minimum rale of protein synthesis was coincident with maximum biomass. 4. An increase in loss rates as the growing season progresses is postulated to explain the lack of coupling between biomass changes and photosynthesis. |
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