Algae amino acid composition

Table 3. Amino Acid Composition of Photosynthetically Grown Algae, g/16 g Nitrogen...

A comparison of the mean amino acid composition of the soils with those of algae, bacteria, fungi, and yeasts showed the greatest similarity to that of bacteria. [4] This suggests, perhaps not too surprisingly, a major role for microorganisms in the synthesis in the soil of amino acids, peptides and proteins from plant and animal residues, and also explains the relatively uniform amino acid composition in different soils. 

Two vanadium bromoperoxidases that differ in carbohydrate content [26,33] have been isolated from A. nodosum. The most abundant bromoperoxidase, V-BrPO-I, was found in the thallus, and the other bromoperoxidase, V-BrPO-II, was reported to be present on the thallus surface [26], A previous report also concluded that V-BrPO is present in two different locations of A. nodosum, one in the cell walls of the transitional region between the cortex and medulla of the thallus and the other in the cell wall of the thallus surface [34], More recent experiments demonstrate that vanadium-dependent bromoperoxidase activity is present in both the cortical and surface protoplasts of M. pyrifera [35], L. saccharina, and L. digitata [36], The biosynthesis of V-BrPO in the protoplasts of L. saccharina has been shown using [35S]-methionine [36], The vanadium bromoperoxidases are all acidic proteins [26] with very similar amino acid compositions [37], V-BrPO (A. nodosum) has been crystallized, although refined structural data have not been reported yet [38], A different isolation procedure, based primarily on a two-phase extraction system, has been described [39,40], This procedure works well for certain types of algae (e.g., Laminaria) but not for the isolation of V-BrPO from A. nodosum, the principal source of V-BrPO for the mechanistic studies. 

Tables 2, 3, and 4 hst compositional and nutritional data of selected algae. Mote extensive compilations on algae ate available (26,58). Algae tend to have lower contents of methionine than is deskable in human and animal nutrition and supplementation with this amino acid is necessary with many species (Table 4).

The product quaUty considerations for nonphotosynthetic microorganisms are similar to those for algae. Tables 6 and 7 present composition and amino acid analyses, respectively, for selected bacteria, yeasts, molds, and higher fungi produced on a large pilot-plant or commercial scale. Table 8 summarizes results of proteia quaUty and digestibiUty studies. 

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