Phospholipids of wheat chloroplast and its membranes under water stress

Phospholipids showed a differential change in the chloroplast membranes in two cultivars under water stress. Amongst the individual phospholipids, phosphatidyl choline (PC) increased under stress in the low water requiring cultivar C-306 but it decreased in high water requiring cultivar S-308. PC of chloroplast envelope and chloroplast thylakoids showed similar response. Increase in PC content in chloroplasts and its membranes of resistant cultivar may suggest a basis for stress resistance.     

Phosphatidylcholine and choline homeostasis

Phosphatidylcholine (PC) is made in mammalian cells from choline via the CDP-choline pathway. Animals obtain choline primarily from the diet or from the conversion of phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) to PC followed by catabolism to choline. The main fate of choline is the synthesis of PC. In addition, choline is oxidized to betaine in kidney and liver and converted to acetylcholine in the nervous system. Mice that lack choline kinase (CK) alpha die during embryogenesis, whereas mice that lack CKbeta unexpectedly develop muscular dystrophy. Mice that lack CTP:phosphocholine cytidylyltransferase (CT) alpha also die during early embryogenesis, whereas mice that lack CTbeta exhibit gonadal dysfunction. The cytidylyltransferase beta isoform also plays a role in the branching of axons of neurons. An alternative PC biosynthetic pathway in the liver uses phosphatidylethanolamine N-methyltransferase to catalyze the formation of PC from PE. Mice that lack the methyltransferase survive but die from steatohepatitis and liver failure when placed on a choline-deficient diet. Hence, choline is an essential nutrient. PC biosynthesis is required for normal very low density lipoprotein secretion from hepatocytes. Recent studies indicate that choline is recycled in the liver and redistributed from kidney, lung, and intestine to liver and brain when choline supply is attenuated.     

The interaction between gluconeogenic metabolism and accumulation of phosphate by chick kidney tubule cells

Pyruvate promotes both phosphate uptake and glucose synthesis by isolated chick kidney proximal tubule cells. 3-Mercaptopicolinate inhibits both glucose synthesis and the promoted phosphate accumulation to the same extent. Glycerol also stimulates glucose synthesis, but does not affect phosphate accumulation. Oxygen utilization by the tissue is slightly stimulated by glycerol and pyruvate, but the enhancement of uptake by pyruvate is unlikely to result from raised cellular oxidative phosphorylation. The action of pyruvate is not a direct effect on the phosphate transporter, or on the transport of phosphate across the basolateral membrane, but entails an obligatory flux to triose phosphate.     

Acyltransferase capacity of membranes from cotyledons of germinating peas

The incorporation of 1-[¹⁴C]-palmitate into the lipids of microsomal and mitochondrial membranes from peas (Pisum sativum L., var. Massey Gem) and the relative effects of ATP and coenzyme A(CoA) on the process have been examined. Both mitochondrial and microsomal pellets possessed acyltransferase capacity, which responded similarly to additions of ATP and CoA. Incorporation of 1-[¹⁴C]-palmitate into phospholipid was promoted by ATP alone, but incorporation into triacylglycerols was not. The addition of CoA alone did not promote incorporation. The addition of CoA and ATP further promoted incorporation into phospholipids and also stimulated incorporation into triacylglycerol. It was concluded that some CoA must be membrane-bound and available for phospholipid but not for triacylglycerol synthesis. Phospholipase A, treatment of microsomal and mitochondrial phospholipids, previously labelled with 1-[¹⁴C]-palmitate in the presence of ATP and coenzyme A, showed that incorporation occurred only into the 2-position of phosphatidyl choline and phosphatidyl ethanolamine. There was enough lyso-phosphatidyl choline in the phospholipids of microcomal membranes (obtained from a 100 000 g pellet) to account for the observed incorporations of palmitate. Using microsomal membranes whose fatty acyl groups were pre-labelled by incubation of tissue with 1-[¹⁴C]-acetate, no evidence of acyl exchange was found during subsequent incubations with unlabelled palmitate. Similar observations were made using oleate instead of palmitate. It was concluded that acyl-CoA: 1-acylglycerophosphocholine o-acyltransferase (E.C. 2.3.1.23) was responsible for the observed acyl transfer to phosphatidyl choline. Sucrose gradient analysis of whole homogenates and of the 10 000 g pellet showed that both mitochondrial and rough endoplasmic reticulum possessed acyltransferase capacity, with the bulk of this residing in the mitochondria. The possible significance of this widely distributed membrane activity is briefly discussed.     

Compartmentation of phosphorylated precursors of phospholipid biosynthesis in cultured neuroblastoma cells

The continuous turnover of membrane phospholipids requires a steady supply of biosynthetic precursors. We evaluated the effects of decreasing extracellular Na+ concentration on phospholipid metabolism in cultured neuroblastoma (N1E 115) cells. Incubating cultures with 145 to 0 mM NaCl caused a concentration-dependent inhibition of [32P]phosphate uptake into the water-soluble intracellular pool and incorporation into phospholipid. Phospholipid classes were differentially affected; [32P]phosphate incorporated into phosphati-dylethanolamine (PE) and phosphatidylcholine (PC) was consistently less than into phosphatidylinositol (PI) and phosphatidylserine (PS). This could not be attributed to decreased phospholipid synthesis since under identical conditions, there was no effect on arachidonic acid or ethanolamine incorporation, and choline utilization for PC synthesis was increased. The effect of Na+ was highly specific since reducing phosphate uptake to a similar extent by incubating cultures in a phosphate-deficient medium containing Na+ did not alter the relative distribution of [32P]phosphate in phospholipid. Of several cations tested only Li+ could partially (50%) replace Na+. Incubation in the presence of ouabain or amiloride had no effect on [32P]phosphate incorporation into phospholipid. The differential effects of low Na+ on [32P]phosphate incorporation into PI relative to PC and PE suggests preferential compartmentation of [32P]phosphate into ATP in pools used for phosphatidic acid synthesis and relatively less in ATP pools used for synthesis of phosphocholine and phosphoethanolamine, precursors of PC and PE, respectively. This suggestion of heterogeneous and distinct pools of ATP for phospholipid biosynthesis, and of potential modulation by Na+ ion, has important implications for understanding intracellular regulation of metabolism.     

Approach to the mechanism of Zajdela's hepatoma cell growth inhibition induced by concanavalin A and phytohaemagglutinin

Cell growth of tumour ascites cell was inhibited by concanavalin A, phytohaemagglutinin and Ricinus lectin at 2–100 μg/ml. As expected, the Ricinus lectin inhibited the protein synthesis estimated by leucine incorporation and decreased thymidine incorporation, whereas concanavalin A and phytohaemagglutinin stimulate the uptake and the incorporation of both leucine and thymidine, and thus, synthesis of protein and DNA. Theses results suggest that different mechanisms are involved in the hepatoma cell growth inhibition by the lectins. This difference was not related to the kinetic characteristics of the lectin interactions with the cells whihc represent a first and necessary step. It was showed that concanavalin A and phytohaemagglutinin as well as chloroquine inhibited the ¹⁴C-labelled asialofetuin degradation. We can conclude that Ricinus lectic present a toxic effect whereas both concanavalin A and phytohaemagglutinin show an anti-protease activity.     

Influence of salinity on the concentration and rate of interchange of dissolved phosphate between water and sediment in Fuente Piedra lagoon (S. Spain)

Short (60 minutes) and long term (3 hours) experiments were performed to measure the final equilibrium phosphate concentration in water and the net fluxes of phosphate interchange between water and sediment at different salinities. The rate of phosphate release from the sediment increases with the salinity increment, as well as the final equilibrium phosphate concentration. In both short and long term experiments, the net rate of dissolved phosphate removal follows a saturation kinetics except for long term experiments at 70 g l^–1 salinity. In this case, the relationship between net removal and dissolved phosphate concentration is linear. The experiments show that salinity stimulates phosphate release from sediment.     

Synthesis and use of cell-permeant cyclic ADP-ribose

Cyclic ADP-ribose (cADPR) is a second messenger that acts on ryanodine receptors to mobilize Ca(2+). cADPR has a net negative charge at physiological pH making it not passively membrane permeant thereby requiring it to be injected, electroporated or loaded via liposomes. Such membrane impermeance of other charged intracellular messengers (including cyclic AMP, inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate and nicotinic acid adenine dinucleotide phosphate) and fluorescent dyes (including fura-2 and fluorescein) has been overcome by synthesizing masked analogs (prodrugs), which are passively permeant and hydrolyzed to the parent compound inside cells. We now report the synthesis and biological activity of acetoxymethyl (AM) and butoxymethyl (BM) analogs of cADPR. Extracellular addition of cADPR-AM or cADPR-BM to neuronal cells in primary culture or PC12 neuroblastoma cells induced increases in cytosolic Ca(2+). Pre-incubation of PC12 cells with thapsigargin, ryanodine or caffeine eliminated the response to cADPR-AM, whereas the response still occurred in the absence of extracellular Ca(2+). Combined, these data demonstrate that masked cADPR analogs are cell-permeant and biologically active. We hope these cell-permeant tools will facilitate cADPR research and reveal its diverse physiological functions.     

Effect of Carbohydrate Overfeeding on Whole Body and Adipose Tissue Metabolism in Humans

Objective: To evaluate the effect of a 4‐day carbohydrate overfeeding on whole body net de novo lipogenesis and on markers of de novo lipogenesis in subcutaneous adipose tissue of healthy lean humans. Research Methods and Procedures: Nine healthy lean volunteers (five men and four women) were studied after 4 days of either isocaloric feeding or carbohydrate overfeeding. On each occasion, they underwent a metabolic study during which their energy expenditure and net substrate oxidation rates (indirect calorimetry), and the fractional activity of the pentose‐phosphate pathway in subcutaneous adipose tissue (subcutaneous microdialysis with 1, 6¹³C₂, 6, 6²H₂ glucose) were assessed before and after administration of glucose. Adipose tissue biopsies were obtained at the end of the experiments to monitor mRNAs of key lipogenic enzymes. Results: Carbohydrate overfeeding increased basal and postglucose energy expenditure and net carbohydrate oxidation. Whole body net de novo lipogenesis after glucose loading was markedly increased at the expense of glycogen synthesis. Carbohydrate overfeeding also increased mRNA levels for the key lipogenic enzymes sterol regulatory element‐binding protein‐1c, acetyl‐CoA carboxylase, and fatty acid synthase. The fractional activity of adipose tissue pentose‐phosphate pathway was 17% to 22% and was not altered by carbohydrate overfeeding. Discussion: Carbohydrate overfeeding markedly increased net de novo lipogenesis at the expense of glycogen synthesis. An increase in mRNAs coding for key lipogenic enzymes suggests that de novo lipogenesis occurred, at least in part, in adipose tissue. The pentose‐phosphate pathway is active in adipose tissue of healthy humans, consistent with an active role of this tissue in de novo lipogenesis.     

An equilibrium thermodynamic model of the sequestration of calcium phosphate by casein micelles and its application to the calculation of the partition of salts in milk

An equilibrium thermodynamic model of the interaction of calcium, phosphate and casein in milk is described in which the micellar calcium phosphate is assumed to be in the form of calcium phosphate nanoclusters. A generalized empirical formula for the nanocluster is used to define the molar ratios of small ions (Ca, Mg, P_i and citrate) to a casein phosphorylated sequence (phosphate centre, PC). From this model, a method of calculating the partition of milk salts into diffusible and non-diffusible fractions is obtained. No arbitrary assumptions are made, no fitting of adjustable parameters is done and the PCs in the caseins are defined by inspection of their primary structures. In addition to the salt partition, the mole fractions of the individual caseins not complexed to the calcium phosphate through one or more of their PCs are computed and a generic stability rule for milks is derived. The use of the model is illustrated by calculations of the partition of salts in a standard milk and by comparison with experimental data on the partition of salts in the milk of individual cows. The generic stability rule is applied to the individual milks to determine whether the micellar calcium phosphate is thermodynamically stable. According to the calculations, compositions that might lead to pathological calcification in the lumen of the mammary gland were seldom found in primiparous healthy cows in early or mid lactation but occurred more often in multiparous animals, in late lactation and during mastitic infection.Abbreviations ACP amorphous calcium phosphate - Cit citrate - CN casein - CPN calcium phosphate nanocluster - DCPD dicalcium phosphate dihydrate - HA hydroxyapatite - IAP ion activity product - MCP micellar calcium phosphate - MWCO molecular weight cut-off - OCP octacalcium phosphate - PC phosphate centre - TCC tricalcium citrate     

A concanavalin A-resistant Chinese hamster ovary cell line is deficient in the synthesis of [3H]glucosyl oligosaccharide-lipid.

In this report we present an initial determination of the biochemical defect present in a Chinese hamster ovary cell line selected for resistance to concanavalin A. Membranes of this mutant, B211, incorporated at least 10-fold less mannose from GDP-[14C]mannose into oligosaccharide-lipid than membranes of the wild type. In the presence of dolichol phosphate, membranes of the mutant and wild type exhibited similar rates of synthesis of number of early intermediates, namely, mannosylphosphoryldolichol, N-acetylglucosaminyl- and N,N'-diacetylchitobiosylpyrophosphoryldolichol, glucosylphosphoryldolichol, and mannosyloligosaccharide-lipid. The membranes of B211 did not incorporate glucose from UDP-[3H]glucose into oligosaccharide-lipid or protein. Comparison by gel filtration chromatography of oligosaccharides derived from the oligosaccharide-lipids of B211 and wild type cells labeled with [2-3H]mannose revealed that B211 cells incorporated little if any label into an oligosaccharide corresponding to the most excluded oligosaccharide labeled by wild type cells. This concanavalin A-resistant cell line appears to lack the ability to glucosylate oligosaccharide-lipid.     

The effect of triisopropyl phosphate on the mobility of surface concanavalin a receptors and on the locomotion of polymorphonuclear leucocytes

The non-phosphorylating organophosphorus compound triisopropyl phosphate, which is known to inhibit rabbit leucocyte locomotion, can stimulate the locomotion of guinea pig leucocytes under certain conditions. Different methods of preparing guinea pig leucocyte monolayers can give preparations with different proportions of motile cells. With preparations that contain relatively slowly moving cells triisopropyl phosphate increases the number of stationary cells without significantly affecting the speed of the cells that remain motile. Most rabbit leucocytes labelled with fluorescein-labelled concanavalin A form caps within 5–10 min at 37 °C. In contrast the rate of cap formation in guinea pig leucocytes is much slower and after 20 min many cells have only random patches. Triisopropyl phosphate accelerates cap formation in guinea pig leucocytes but not in rabbit leucocytes. The local anaesthetic nupercaine inhibits cap and patch formation in rabbit and guinea pig leucocytes. Inhibition of rabbit leucocyte locomotion is induced by concanavalin A at 1 μg/ml. These results are briefly related to the known effects of triisopropyl phosphate on the isolated leucocyte plasma membrane.     

Regulation of photosynthetic carbon metabolism during phosphate limitation of photosynthesis in isolated spinach chloroplasts

Intact chloroplasts isolated from spinach were illuminated in the absence of inorganic phosphate (Pi) or with optimum concentrations of Pi added to the reaction medium. In the absence of Pi photosynthesis declined after the first 1–2 min and was less than 10% of the maximum rate after 5 min. Export from the chloroplast was inhibited, with up to 60% of the ¹⁴C fixed being retained in the chloroplast, compared to less than 20% in the presence of Pi. Despite the decreased export, chloroplasts depleted of Pi had lower levels of triose phosphate while the percentage of total phosphate in 3-phosphoglycerate was increased. Chloroplast ATP declined during Pi depletion and reached dark levels after 3–4 min in the light without added Pi. At this point, stromal Pi concentration was 0.2 mM, which would be limiting to ATP synthesis. Addition of Pi resulted in a rapid burst of oxygen evolution which was not initially accompanied by net CO₂ fixation. There was a large decrease in 3-phosphoglycerate and hexose plus pentose monophosphates in the chloroplast stroma and a lesser decrease in fructose-1,6-bisphosphate. Stromal levels of triose phosphate, ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate and ATP increased after resupply of Pi. There was an increased export of ¹⁴-labelled compounds into the medium, mostly as triose phosphate. Light activation of both fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase and ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase was decreased in the absence of Pi but increased following Pi addition.It is concluded that limitation of Pi supply to isolated chloroplasts reduced stromal Pi to the point where it limits ATP synthesis. The resulting decrease in ATP inhibits reduction of 3-phosphoglycerate to triose phosphate via mass action effects on 3-phosphoglycerate kinase. The lack of Pi in the medium also inhibits export of triose phosphate from the chloroplast via the phosphate transporter. Other sites of inhibition of photosynthesis during Pi limitation may be located in the regeneratige phase of the reductive pentose phosphate pathway.Abbreviations FBP Fructose-1,6-bisphosphate - FBPase Fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase - MP Hexose plus pentose monophosphates - PGA 3-phosphoglycerate - Pi inorganic orthophosphate - RuBP ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate - RuBPCase ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase - TP Triose Phosphate     

Kinetic control of mitochondrial ATP synthesis

In order to gain a clearer understanding of the kinetic control of ATP synthesis, rat liver and rat heart mitochondria were incubated under conditions that resulted in various rates of net ATP synthesis or ATP hydrolysis. Radiolabeled phosphate was included in the incubation media, and exchange rates between phosphate and ATP were determined as a function of rates of net ATP synthesis. Since ATP synthase is a highly reversible enzyme, the catalyzed reaction was expected to approach equilibrium especially at low rates of respiration and net ATP synthesis. Thus ADP + Pi V1 in equilibrium V2 ATP. If V1 is the rate of incorporation of radiolabeled phosphate into ATP, then net ATP synthesis (or hydrolysis) is V1 - V2. Since V1 and V1 - V2 could be measured, it was possible to calculate V2. V1 doubled in the transition from zero to maximal net ATP synthesis, whereas V2 decreased by over 90% when the rate of ATP synthesis was high due to high-media ADP. In heart mitochondria at 37 degrees C when respiration increased from 104 +/- 10 to 842 +/- 51 nanoatoms of O2/(min X mg), incorporation of [33P]phosphate into ATP (V1) increased from 1,100 +/- 60 to 1,978 +/- 121 and V2 decreased from 1,100 to near zero. These data demonstrate that mitochondrial ATP synthesis does not occur near equilibrium under physiological conditions and relatively high rates of ATP synthesis. A reaction with a high ratio of forward to reverse flux is obviously not near equilibrium. The important most sensitively controlled reaction appears to be V2, ATP hydrolysis. Possible mechanisms of kinetic control of V2 are discussed.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

IGF-1、IGFBP-3在大鼠非酒精性脂肪性肝病进展中的变化

目的：观察非酒精性脂肪性肝病（NAFLD）大鼠血清胰岛素样生长因子1（IGF-1）、胰岛素样生长因子结合蛋白3（ IGFBP-3）的表达及多烯磷脂酰胆碱对其的影响。方法采用高脂饲料喂养建立大鼠NAFLD模型,以多烯磷脂酰胆碱进行干预。 HE染色动态观察大鼠4、8、12周时肝组织病理学变化,IRMA法动态监测血清IGF-1、IGFBP-3含量。结果正常组大鼠各时间点肝组织病理均无明显异常;模型组随高脂饮食时间延长,在4、8、12周3个时相点肝组织脂肪变、炎症程度、气球样变及NAFLD活动度积分逐渐增强,血清IGF-1、IGFBP-3逐渐明显下降,且模型组各时相点IGF-1、IGFBP-3的水平较正常组同一时相点明显降低;应用多烯磷脂酰胆碱干预后,大鼠肝组织炎症程度、NAFLD活动度积分较模型组显著降低,IGF-1、IGFBP-3的水平则较模型组明显增高。结论血清IGF-1、IGFBP-3水平随大鼠NAFLD进展而降低。     

Wheat germ agglutinin, concanavalin A, and lens culinalis agglutinin block the inhibitory effect of nerve growth factor on cell-free phosphorylation of Nsp100 in PC12h cells

It has been shown that in PC12 and its subclone PC12h treatment of the cells with nerve growth factor (NGF) induces a selective decrease in the incorporation of radioactive phosphate into a 100,000-dalton protein, designated in an earlier study as Nsp100, in the subsequent phosphorylation of soluble extracts from cells with (gamma-32P)ATP. In the present study, we show that plant lectins, wheat germ agglutinin (WGA), concanavalin A (Con A), and lens culinaris agglutinin (LCA), inhibit the action of NGF on Nsp100 phosphorylation in PC12h cells. Treatment of the cells with WGA, which binds to N-acetylglucosamine and sialic acid residues on glycoproteins, strongly blocked the inhibitory action of NGF on the protein phosphorylation. Con A and LCA, both of which recognize the same specific sugars (mannose, glucose), displayed only a moderate blocking effect. Unlike the native lectin, succinylated WGA, which has the ability to bind to N-acetylglucosamine but not to sialic acid residues, and other lectins examined in this study did not inhibit the action of NGF on Nsp100. WGA-mediated inhibition of NGF action was reversed by the addition of N-acetylglucosamine and by the addition of a much lower concentration of a sialoglycoprotein, mucin, into the culture. Since the binding of succinylated WGA to N-acetylglucosamine residues of cell-surface glycoconjugates is not sufficient to prevent the action of NGF, WGA might act on sialic acid residues of the NGF receptor molecule to effect the inhibition of biological actions of NGF.     

Choline-phosphate cytidyltransferase activity and phosphatidylcholine synthesis in rat granular pneumocytes are increased with exogenous fatty acids

We investigated the effect of exogenous fatty acids on phosphatidylcholine (PC) and disaturated phosphatidylcholine (DSPC) synthesis by rat granular pneumocytes in primary culture. Synthesis of PC and DSPC from [3H-methyl]choline, as evaluated by increasing specific activity (pmol choline incorporated/microgram phosphorus), was linear for 3 h. Exogenous palmitic, oleic, linoleic, or linolenic acid (100 microM each) increased the synthesis of PC by approx. 50% during incubation for 3 h. In contrast, synthesis of DSPC was increased only by palmitic acid. The increase in DSPC synthesis was approx. 150% after 3 h. Conversion of choline phosphate to PC was increased in the presence of palmitic or oleic acid as indicated by pulse-chase studies with [3H-methyl]choline in the intact cells. Cells incubated for 3 h with either oleic or palmitic acid showed increased choline-phosphate cytidyltransferase activity in the cells and the microsomal fraction. In addition, oleic acid increased the activity of this enzyme in the cytosolic fraction. The distribution of this enzyme in cytosolic and microsomal fraction was 24 and 76% in the cells incubated with palmitic acid and 32 and 68% in control cells. These results suggest that exogenous fatty acids stimulate the de novo pathway of PC synthesis in granular pneumocytes by increasing the microsomal choline-phosphate cytidyltransferase activity.     

Periodic synthesis of phospholipids during the Caulobacter crescentus cell cycle.

Net phospholipid synthesis is discontinuous during the Caulobacter crescentus cell cycle with synthesis restricted to two discrete periods. The first period of net phospholipid synthesis begins in the swarmer cell shortly after cell division and ends at about the time when DNA replication initiates. The second period of phospholipid synthesis begins at a time when DNA replication is about two-thirds complete and ends at about the same time that DNA replication terminates. Thus, considerable DNA replication, growth, and differentiation (stalk growth) occur in the absence of net phospholipid synthesis. In fact, when net phospholipid synthesis was inhibited by the antibiotic cerulenin through the entire cell cycle, both the initiation and the elongation phases of DNA synthesis occurred normally. An analysis of the kinetics of incorporation of radioactive phosphate into macromolecules showed that the periodicity of phospholipid synthesis could not have been detected by pulse-labeling techniques, and only an analysis of cells prelabeled to equilibrium allowed detection of the periodicity. Equilibrium-labeled cells also allowed determination of the absolute amount of phosphorus-containing macromolecules in newborn swarmer cells. These cells contain about as much DNA as one Escherichia coli chromosome and about four times as much RNA as DNA. The amount of phosphorus in phospholipids is about one-seventh of that in DNA, or about 3% of the total macromolecular phosphorus.     

ACCUMULATION AND REDUCTION OF ARSENATE BY THE FRESHWATER GREEN ALGA CHLORELLA SP. (CHLOROPHYTA)

Arsenate accumulation and reduction kinetics at both high and low phosphate concentrations were investigated in the green alga Chlorella sp, isolated from the arsenic-contaminated Upper Mystic Lake near Boston, MA. Growth rate, accumulated cellular arsenic, and release of As(III) were determined over a range of arsenate concentrations. Arsenate inhibited growth and reduced final cell yield at high phosphate concentration. However, growth rate, final cell yield, and cellular arsenic content were all enhanced by higher arsenate concentrations in cultures grown at a low concentration of phosphate. The traditional view that phosphate-limited cells are necessarily more sensitive to As(V) toxicity may not be correct. The reduction rates of As(V) by Chlorella sp. obtained in our laboratory were similar to net reduction rates measured in epilimnetic water from the Upper Mystic Lake, demonstrating the importance of phytoplankton in arsenic reduction in freshwater.