DNA as a Phosphate Storage Polymer and the Alternative Advantages of Polyploidy for Growth or Survival
Figure 1
Hfx. volcanii uses external DNA as a nutrient source and contains internal P and N storages.
Hfx. volcanii was grown in microtiter plates in synthetic medium with added carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphate (P) as positive control (diaments). In additional cultures each one of the three nutrients was replaced with genomic DNA (dotted lines), i.e. C was replaced (squares), N was replaced (circles), and P was replaced (triangles). In further cultures each one of the respective nutrients was omitted without replacement (solid lines), i.e. C was omitted (squares), N was omitted (circle), and P was omitted (triangles). To verify that spill over did not occur, for each medium also non-inoculated controls (sterile controls) were performed (open symbols). In each case average values of three independent cultures and their standard deviations are shown.