The effects of organic and inorganic phosphorus concentration on the acid phosphatase activity of ectomycorrhizal fungi

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Abstract
Kinetic constants (Km and Vmax) were determined for surface and extracellular soluble acid phosphatases produced by two ectomycorrhizal fungi (Cenococcum geophilum Fr. and Entoloma sericeum (Bull, ex Merat) Quel.) grown in axenic culture at 2 or 50 μM KH2PO4 or sodium inositol hexaphosphate. Results for cultures supplied inorganic phosphorus were similar to those supplied organic phosphorus: surface Vmax estimates were significantly greater for 2 than for 50 μM grown isolates. The presence of constitutive extracellular soluble phosphatase activity resulted in the appearance of inorganic phosphate in media initially supplied with organic phosphorus, suggesting substrate hydrolysis in excess of phosphate uptake. No consistent relationship was found between apparent Km estimates and phosphorus treatments. The two species had surface phosphatase Vmax values differing by as much as two orders of magnitude. The magnitude of the response to phosphorus treatment differed among isolates. The response of phosphatases to changes in phosphorus at concentrations comparable with soil solution phosphorus supports the hypothesis that levels of available soil phosphorus may control ectomycorrhizal phosphatase production or activation.