Role of Carbonic Anhydrase in Photosynthesis of Blue-Green Alga (Cyanobacterium) Anabaena variabilis ATCC 29413

The affinity for NaHCO₃ (CO₂) in photosynthesis of Anabaenavariabilis ATCC 29413 was much higher in the cells grown underordinary air (low-CO₂ cells) than in those grown in air enrichedwith 2–4% CO₂ (high-CO₂ cells) (pH 8.0, 25?C). Ethoxyzolamide(50 µM) increased the K_m(NaHCO₃ in low-CO₂ cells aboutnine times (from 14.3 to 125), while the maximum rate of photosynthesisdecreased about 20%. When high-CO₂ cells were transferred tolow-CO₂ conditions, carbonic anhydrase (CA) activity increased,while K_m(NaHCO₃) in photosynthesis decreased from 140 to 30µM within about 5 h. The addition of CA to the suspensionof both high- and low-CO₂ cells enhanced the rates of photosyntheticO₂ evolution under CO₂-limiting conditions. The rate of ¹⁴CO₂fixation was much faster than that of H¹⁴CO₃^– fixation.The former reaction was greatly suppressed, while the latterwas enhanced by the addition of CA. These results indicate thatthe active species of inorganic carbon utilized for photosynthesiswas free CO₂ irrespective of the CO₂ concentration given duringgrowth. It is suggested that CA plays an active role in increasingthe affinity for CO₂ in photosynthesis of low-CO₂ cells of thisblue-green alga. (Received January 24, 1984; Accepted October 22, 1984)