MODES OF FORMATION OF PHOSPHATE COMPOUNDS AND THEIR TURNOVER IN CHLORELLA CELLS DURING THE PROCESS OF LIFE CYCLE AS STUDIED BY THE TECHNIQUE OF SYNCHRONOUS CULTURE

1. Starting with uniformly ³²P-labeled Chlorella cells, a synchronousculture was run in a medium containing non-labeled phosphate.During the synchronous growth and division of the algal cells,the changes in amount of total and labeled P in various phosphatecompounds were followed.
2. Characteristic changes were observedwith (acid-soluble) polyphosphate"A", nucleotidic labile phosphates,(acid-insoluble) polyphosphate"C", DNA-P and protein-P. Thelabeled phosphorus of polyphosphate"C" showed a decrease duringthe earlier phase of experiment,although a considerable uptakeof non-labeled P from the culturemedium into this compoundwas observed throughout the experiment.In parallel with theloss of labeled phosphorus in this compound,the increase oflabeled phosphorus occurred in polyphosphate"A", in the nucleotidiclabile-P compounds, and in DNA, suggestingthat these substancesreceived P from polyphosphate "C". Thelabeled P in polyphosphate"A" and in the nucleotidic labile-Pcompounds increased graduallywith the progress of culture,attained their maximum levelsat the stage of ripening, anddecreased markedly during theprocess of "post-ripening" anddivision of cells, indicatingthat these compounds were in activeturnover and playing someimportant roles in the process ofcell maturation and division.
3. The total amounts of inorganic P, RNA-P and lipid-P increasedcontinuously throughout the experiment and showed no significantchange in the content of labeled P.

(Received June 5, 1961; )