Extracellular phosphatases of Chlamydomonas reinhardi and their regulation

Chlamydomonas reinhardi, cultured under normal growth conditions, secreted significant amounts of protein and carbohydrates but not lipids or nucleic acids. A fivefold increase in light intensity led to a tenfold increase in secreted protein and carbohydrate. Among the proteins secreted was acid phosphatase with a pH optimum at 4.8 like the enzyme in the cells. Phosphorus depleted algae grown on minimal orthophosphate contained and secreted both acid and alkaline phosphatase. The pH optimum of the intracellular alkaline phosphatase was 9.2. When phosphorus-depleted cells were grown with increasing orthophosphate, intra- and extracellular alkaline phosphatase was almost completely repressed and intra- and extracellular acid phosphatase was partially repressed. Extracellular acid and alkaline phosphatase increased with the age of the culture. Electrophoresis indicated only one acid and one alkaline phosphatase in phosphorus-satisfied and phosphorus-depleted cells. Chlamydomonas cells suspended in an inorganic salt solution secreted only acid phosphatase; the absence of any extr-cellular cytoplasmic marker enzyme indicated that there was little, if any, autolysis to account for the extracellular acid enzyme. Phosphorus-depleted cells were able to grow on organic phosphates as the sole source of orthophosphate. Ribose-5-phosphate was the best for cell multiplication, and its utility was shown to be due to the cell's ability to use the ribose as well as the orthophosphatase for cell multiplication.