ISSN:
1573-515X
Keywords:
molybdenum
;
molybdate
;
nutrient limitation
;
phytoplankton
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Chemistry and Pharmacology
,
Geosciences
Notes:
Abstract Molybdenum is required for both dinitrogen fixation and nitrate assimilation. In oxic waters the primary form of molybdenum is the molybdate anion. Using radioactive [99Mol Na2MoO4, we have shown that the transport of molybdate by a natural assemblage of freshwater phytoplankton is light-dependent and follows typical saturation kinetics. The molybdate anion is strikingly similar to sulfate and we present data to show that sulfate is a competitive inhibitor of molybdate assimilation by planktonic algae and bacteria. The ability of freshwater phytoplankton to transport molybdate is inhibited at sulfate concentrations as low as 5% of those in seawater and at sulfate: molybdate ratios as low as 50 to 100 times lower than those found in seawater, Similarly, the growth of both a freshwater bacterium and a saltwater diatom was inhibited at sulfate: molybdate ratios lower than those in seawater. The ratio of sulfate to molybdate is 10 to 100 times greater in seawater than in fresh water. This unfavorable sulfate: molybdate ratio may make molybdate less biologically available in the sea. The sulfate: molybdate ratio may explain, in part, the low rates of nitrogen fixation in N-limited salt waters.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF02180194
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