title: Changes in the hydrocarbon-synthesizing activity during growth of Botryococcus braunii B70.
abstract: Botryococcus braunii is a green, colonial microalga that produces large amounts of hydrocarbons. B. braunii B70 was estimated to be B race by the incorporation of radioactivity from l-[methyl(14)C]-methionine into hydrocarbon. The hydrocarbon-synthesizing activity of B70 cells was determined by feeding experiments using (14)C-compounds. NaH(14)CO(3) incorporation rate into the hydrocarbon was high in the early logarithmic growth phase but it declined thereafter. Hydrocarbon-synthesizing activity from [2-(14)C] pyruvate in 15-day cells was 80% of that in 5-day cells. In contrast, hydrocarbon-synthesizing activity from NaH(14)CO(3) and l-[methyl(14)C]-methionine decreased remarkably by 15 days after inoculation. Hence, the allocation of carbon was a regulatory step in hydrocarbon biosynthesis during the early logarithmic growth phase. The high activity of pentose phosphate pathway in the early logarithmic growth was seemed to be the contribution of the supply of NADPH for botryococcene synthesis.
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Humanities and Sciences, Ochanomizu University, Japan.
authors.forename: Rika
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Niitsu
authors.forename: Mana
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kanazashi
authors.forename: Izumi
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Matsuwaki
authors.forename: Yukiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ikegami
authors.forename: Takako
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tanoi
authors.forename: Masanobu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kawachi
authors.forename: Makoto M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: Misako
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kato
mesh_terms: D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000378:metabolism; D002250:Carbon Radioisotopes; D000460:Chlorophyta / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000528:radiation effects; D005578:Fosfomycin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D006838:Hydrocarbons / Q000378:metabolism*; D008027:Light; D008715:Methionine / Q000378:metabolism; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction / Q000187:drug effects / Q000528:radiation effects; D010427:Pentose Phosphate Pathway / Q000187:drug effects / Q000528:radiation effects
chemical_list: D002250:Carbon Radioisotopes; D006838:Hydrocarbons; D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D005578:Fosfomycin; C024640:fosmidomycin; D008715:Methionine; D005947:Glucose