The Metabolism of Nitrate and Ammonia by Chlorella

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Abstract
Nitrogen deficient Chlorella cells were given ammonium chloride or potassium nitrate and sampled at 0, 15, 30, 60, 120 and 1440 minutes after the addition of extra N. The amino acids of the non-protein fraction were determined by paper chromatography. The changes resulting from the addition of ammonium chloride are more rapid than after the addition of potassium nitrate and were different. The addition of ammonium chloride results in rapid and marked increases in alanine and glutamine, followed by smaller increments in glutamic acid, aspartic acid, serine, asparagine, proline, arginine, citrulline and lysine. An increase in glutamic acid was the principle change in response to potassium nitrate addition. The increases in alanine and glutamine were much less than when ammonium chloride was given. Small increases in aspartic acid, asparagine, proline and arginine were also observed.