AN ASYMMETRIC RESPIRATORY RESPONSE OCCURRING WHEN FLUORIDE AND COPPER IONS ARE APPLIED JOINTLY TO CHLORELLA VULGARIS

When a cell suspension of Chlorella vulgaris is treated with a mixture of copper and fluoride ions, the respiration almost ceases even though the two ions individually have lit t le inhibitory effect. If instead of adding the ions simultaneously, the cells are subjected to a period of pretreatment with copper sulphate before sodium fluoride the inhibition of respiration becomes more severe as the pretreatment time is lengthened, except at copper levels so high that inhibition is almost complete at all lengths of pretreatment. When, however, pretreatment is with fluoride ions, the inhibition becomes less as the pretreatment time is lengthened, eventually disappearing when the time interval is 90 min or more. Measurements of the amount of copper in the cells indicate that this asymmetry of response cannot be ascribed to differences in the rate at which copper is taken up. It is suggested that fluoride blocks the main respiratory pathway and that copper probably blocks the hexose monophosphate shunt. Copyright © 1969, Wiley Blackwell. All rights reserved