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Plant Physiol, December 1999, Vol. 121, pp. 1247-1255

Evidence for an Inorganic Carbon-Concentrating Mechanism in the Symbiotic Dinoflagellate Symbiodinium sp.1

William Leggat, Murray R. Badger, and David Yellowlees*

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia (W.L., D.Y.); and Molecular Plant Physiology Group, Research School of Biological Sciences, Australian National University P.O. Box 475, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 0200, Australia (M.R.B.)

The presence of a carbon-concentrating mechanism in the symbiotic dinoflagellate Symbiodinium sp. was investigated. Its existence was postulated to explain how these algae fix inorganic carbon (Ci) efficiently despite the presence of a form II Rubisco. When the dinoflagellates were isolated from their host, the giant clam (Tridacna gigas), CO2 uptake was found to support the majority of net photosynthesis (45%-80%) at pH 8.0; however, 2 d after isolation this decreased to 5% to 65%, with HCO3- uptake supporting 35% to 95% of net photosynthesis. Measurements of intracellular Ci concentrations showed that levels inside the cell were between two and seven times what would be expected from passive diffusion of Ci into the cell. Symbiodinium also exhibits a distinct light-activated intracellular carbonic anhydrase activity. This, coupled with elevated intracellular Ci and the ability to utilize both CO2 and HCO3- from the medium, suggests that Symbiodinium sp. does possess a carbon-concentrating mechanism. However, intracellular Ci levels are not as large as might be expected of an alga utilizing a form II Rubisco with a poor affinity for CO2.


1 This work was supported by an Australian Research Council grant (D.Y.) including a Ph.D. scholarship (W.L.).

* Corresponding author; e-mail David.Yellowlees{at}jcu.edu.au; fax 61-7-47251394.

© 1999 American Society of Plant Physiologists



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