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Phosphate Uptake and Utilization by Bacteria and Algae

  • Conference paper
Phosphorus in Freshwater Ecosystems

Part of the book series: Developments in Hydrobiology ((DIHY,volume 48))

Abstract

Bacterial uptake of inorganic phosphate (closely investigated in Escherichia coli) is maintained by two different uptake systems. One (Pst system) is Pi-repressible and used in situations of phosphorus deficiency. The other system (Pit system) is constitutive. The Pit system also takes part in the phosphate exchange process where orthophosphate is continuously exchanged between the cell and the surrounding medium.

Algal uptake mechanisms are less known. The uptake capacity increases during starvation but no clearly defined transport systems have been described. Uptake capacity seems to be regulated by internal phosphorus pools, e.g., polyphosphates. In mixed algal and bacterial populations, bacteria generally seem to be more efficient in utilizing low phosphate concentrations. The second half of this paper discusses how bacteria and algae can share limiting amounts of phosphate provided that the bacteria have pronouncedly higher affinity for phosphate. Part of the solution to this problem may be that bacteria are energy-limited rather than phosphate-limited and dependent on algal organic exudates for their energy supply.

The possible phosphate exchange mechanism so convincingly demonstrated in Escherichia coli is here suggested to play a key role for the flux of phosphorus between bacteria and algae. Such a mechanism can also be used to explain the rapid phosphate exchange between the particulate and the dissolved phase which always occurs in short-term 32P-uptake experiments in lake waters.

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  1. Institute of Limnology, University of Uppsala, Box 557, S-751 22, Uppsala, Sweden

    Mats Jansson

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  1. Mats Jansson
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Gunnar Persson Mats Jansson

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© 1988 Kluwer Academic Publishers

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Jansson, M. (1988). Phosphate Uptake and Utilization by Bacteria and Algae. In: Persson, G., Jansson, M. (eds) Phosphorus in Freshwater Ecosystems. Developments in Hydrobiology, vol 48. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-3109-1_11

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-3109-1_11

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-94-010-7898-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-009-3109-1

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