Zbornik Matice Srpske za Prirodne Nauke (Jan 2013)

Detection of phosphatase activity in aquatic and terrestrial cyanobacterial strains

  • Babić Olivera B.,
  • Simeunović Jelica B.,
  • Škrbić Nataša Z.,
  • Kovač Dajana J.,
  • Svirčev Zorica B.

DOI
https://doi.org/10.2298/ZMSPN1325031B
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 2013, no. 125
pp. 31 – 42

Abstract

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Cyanobacteria, as highly adaptable microorganisms, are characterized by an ability to survive in different environmental conditions, in which a significant role belongs to their enzymes. Phosphatases are enzymes produced by algae in relatively large quantities in response to a low orthophosphate concentration and their activity is significantly correlated with their primary production. The activity of these enzymes was investigated in 11 cyanobacterial strains in order to determine enzyme synthesis depending on taxonomic and ecological group of cyanobacteria. The study was conducted with 4 terrestrial cyanobacterial strains, which belong to Nostoc and Anabaena genera, and 7 filamentous water cyanobacteria of Nostoc, Oscillatoria, Phormidium and Microcystis genera. The obtained results showed that the activity of acid and alkaline phosphatases strongly depended on cyanobacterial strain and the environment from which the strain originated. Higher activity of alkaline phosphatases, ranging from 3.64 to 85.14 μmolpNP/s/dm3, was recorded in terrestrial strains compared to the studied water strains (1.11-5.96 μmolpNP/s/dm3). The activity of acid phosphatases was higher in most tested water strains (1.67-6.28 μmolpNP/s/dm3) compared to the activity of alkaline phosphatases (1.11-5.96 μmolpNP/s/dm3). Comparing enzyme activity of nitrogen fixing and non-nitrogen fixing cyanobacteria, it was found that most nitrogen fixing strains had a higher activity of alkaline phosphatases. The data obtained in this work indicate that activity of phosphatases is a strain specific property. The results further suggest that synthesis and activity of phosphatases depended on eco-physiological characteristics of the examined cyanobacterial strains. This can be of great importance for the further study of enzymes and mechanisms of their activity as a part of cyanobacterial survival strategy in environments with extreme conditions. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. III 43002]

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