HAYATI Journal of Biosciences
Vol. 18 No. 4 (2011): December 2011

Coral reef communities contain a wide variety of mutualistic associations none more important than the relationship between corals and their symbiotic dinoflagellates of the genus Symbiodinium sp., commonly referred to as zooxanthellae. The function of Zinc (Zn) as cofactor of several enzyme systems such as extracellular carbonic anhydrase (extracellular CA) which catalyzes the interconversion of HCO3- and CO2. Concentrations of dissolved Zn in oligothropic waters are often very low therefore ma

WIDIASTUTI KARIM (Aquaculture Study Programme, Faculty of Agriculture, Tadulako University)
RICHARDUS KASWADJI (Department of Marine Science and Technology, Bogor Agricultural University)
TRI PRARTONO (Department of Marine Science and Technology, Bogor Agricultural University)
LILY MARIA GORETTI PANGGABEAN (LIPI Research Centre for Oceanography)



Article Info

Publish Date
25 Jan 2012

Abstract

Coral reef communities contain a wide variety of mutualistic associations none more important than the relationship between corals and their symbiotic dinoflagellates of the genus Symbiodinium sp., commonly referred to as zooxanthellae. The function of Zinc (Zn) as cofactor of several enzyme systems such as extracellular carbonic anhydrase (extracellular CA) which catalyzes the interconversion of HCO3- and CO2. Concentrations of dissolved Zn in oligothropic waters are often very low therefore may limit the growth of zooxanthellae and their ability to fix CO2 from seawater via the carbonic anhydrase. The aim of this research is to investigate the effect of various concentrations of Zn on the growth and extracellular CA activity in zooxanthellae. Cell density was monitored daily by enumeration with hemocytometer-type chamber (0.1 mm). Extracellular CA was measured in homogenized intact whole cell by a pH drift assay. Results revealed that Zn status strongly influences the growth rate and extracelullar CA activity in zooxanthellae. The specific growth rate and cell density increased two-fold whilst extracelullar CA activity increased 10.5 times higher than that in control with increasing concentrations of Zn from 0 to 80 nM, but decreased when Zn was over 80 nM. Under a concentration of 80 nM was not Zn limited culture, consequently the growth rate of zooxanthellae not dependent on CO2 concentration yet offset by extracelullar CA activity.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

hayati

Publisher

Subject

Agriculture, Biological Sciences & Forestry Earth & Planetary Sciences

Description

HAYATI Journal of Biosciences (HAYATI J Biosci) publishes articles and short communication in tropical bioscience fields such as development, biotechnology, biodiversity and environmental issues. HAYATI J Biosci covers wide range of all life forms topics including virus, microbes, fungi, plants, ...