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J Bacteriol. 1973 May; 114(2): 695-700
Copyright © 1973 American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Role of Reduced Exogenous Organic Compounds in the Physiology of the Blue-Green Bacteria (Algae): Photoheterotrophic Growth of a "Heterotrophic" Blue-Green Bacterium

^a The University of Texas Marine Science Institute, Port Aransas, Texas 78373, University of Tennessee-Oak Ridge Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, and Biology Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37830, and Department of Oceanography, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida 32306

ABSTRACT

Nostoc sp. (strain Mac) was shown to be capable of using glucose, fructose, or sucrose as a sole source of carbon and energy in the dark. In the light in the absence of exogenously supplied CO₂, this strain exhibited a more versatile metabolism. In addition to the three sugars above, glycerol and acetate served as sole sources of carbon. This photoheterotrophic growth in the absence of exogenously supplied CO₂ appears to involve O₂-evolving photosynthesis. The action spectrum for photoheterotrophic growth on acetate closely resembles the action spectrum for photosynthesis. The physiology of photoheterotrophic growth was further investigated through determinations of stable carbon isotope ratios and measurements of gas exchanges. These investigations suggest that respired CO₂ from substrate oxidation is assimilated by the photosynthetic machinery.

¹ Present address: Department of Microbiology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Fla. 32601.

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