Abstract
Arylsulfatase activity and arylsulfatase-producing bacteria were estimated in sediment samples collected from 3 different biotopes: marine, estuarine, and mangrove. No direct relationship could be established between activity and the number of bacteria at any station. In general, clayey sediments always harboured more arylsulfatase producers than sandy sediments, irrespective of salinity variations. Of the 3 biotopes investigated, the mangrove area exhibited maximum activity. The enzyme showed two pH optima, one at 6.2, the other at 9.0. The optimum substrate concentration was 12x10-4M. Higher substrate concentrations tended to inhibit arylsulfatase activity. The recovery of added phenolphthalein was maximum only at pH 6.2; KCN, Na2So4, and KH2Po4 inhibited enzyme activity by 65.5, 46.8 and 37.5%, respectively. More than one type of arylsulfatase may be present in marine sediments; further studies on the role of arylsulfatases are required, since arylsulfatases have been reported to bear on the formation and hardening of exoskeletons in marine forms.
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Communicated by N.K. Panikkar, New Delhi
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Chandramohan, D., Devendran, K. & Natarajan, R. Arylsulfatase activity in marine sediments. Mar. Biol. 27, 89–92 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00394764
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00394764