INFLUENCE OF LIGHT ON ACETATE UTILIZATION IN GREEN EUGLENA

Abstract

The kinetics of adaptation to exogenous acetate, measured as the ability to stimulate respiration, has been studied in Euglena previously grown with autotrophic nutrition. The continued presence of light significantly inhibits the full development of respiratory adaptation to acetate. Carbon fixed in photosynthesis is routed almost exclusively into protein when acetate is present. Acetate incorporated with concomitant photosynthesis largely enters lipid and polysaccharide, with only a small fraction incorporated into protein.