Comparative study on hydrolases in five species of Ochromonas (Chrysomonadina)

Acid phosphatase and β-glucosidase were shown to be present in five species of Ochromonas grown in organic media (O. danica, O. malhamensis, O. minuta, O. sociabilis and Ochromonas sp. 933/4). Acid phosphatase was found to have a pH optimum at 4.0 in O. danica, and at 5.1 in the four other species. No alkaline phosphatase was found in any of the above mentioned species. β-glucosidase in the species studied has a pH optimum at 4.6 Low α-glucosidase activity was found only in O. danica. Acid phosphatase in all the five species shows an increase in activity during the logarithmic phase of growth and a decrease during the early stationary phase. β-glucosidase shows a similar behavior only in O. danica.