ECOLOGICAL SYSTEMS
31
(Table 3). We found that each bacterium had a different pattern of ex-
TABLE 3.
Utilization of excretory products of Clilorella pyrenoidosa
TX71105 by selected bacteria
(Ward and Moyer, 1966)
Relative Utilization»
cone, in
gal filtrate
Compound |
μg∕ml |
BAT |
BAA |
MP |
GNB |
Combined |
Aspartic acid |
13.3 |
ttt |
ttt |
t |
ttt |
ttt |
Threonine |
4.8 |
ttt |
ttt |
tt |
ttt |
tt |
Serine |
5.3 |
ttt |
ttt |
tt |
ttt |
ttt |
Glutamic acid |
11.8 |
t |
t |
tt |
_ b |
ttt |
Proline |
3.7 |
ttt |
ttt |
ttt |
tt |
ttt |
Alanine |
5.3 |
ttt |
ttt |
tt |
ttt |
ttt |
Isoleucine |
2.1 |
ttt |
ttt |
tt |
— |
ttt |
Leucine |
1.9 |
ttt |
ttt |
ttt |
ttt | |
Tyrosine |
trace |
ttt |
ttt |
— |
— |
ttt |
Phenylalanine |
1.2 |
ttt |
ttt |
ttt |
tt |
tt |
Lysine |
trace |
— |
— |
fc" |
ttt |
ttt |
Lactic acid |
1.1 |
— |
ttt |
— |
ttt |
ttt |
Glycolic acid |
1.3 |
— |
t |
— |
—b |
t |
»Data are relative: ttt» indicates complete removal; ff, trace remaining; f. one half
or more remaining; —, no utilization. bGNB apparently excreted small quantities of
these compounds.
cretory product utilization and that utilization of amino acids was greater
than that of organic acids. Another finding of interest was that the com-
bined activities of the four bacteria served to essentially eliminate the prod-
ucts excreted during algal growth. Other experiments demonstrated that
algal excretory products are metabolized by bacteria as rapidly as they
are liberated (Vela and Guerra, 1966). Depending on the experimental
conditions, algae excrete up to 50 per cent of the organic material pro-
duced during photosynthesis (Fogg and Watt, 1965) and as a consequence
support a luxuriant bacterial population. In streams receiving only inorganic