Regeneration of phosphorus and nitrogen by four species of heterotrophic nanoflagellates feeding on three nutritional States of a single bacterial strain.

Three physiological states of a single bacterial strain, namely, balanced, phosphorus-rich, and nitrogen-rich bacteria, were obtained by culturing a bacterial strain in chemostats under three different nutrient regimens. Each was shown to be distinctly different in elemental composition with respect to C/N/P ratio. These bacteria were fed to four species of heterotrophic nanoflagellates in batch culture grazing experiments, and the percent regeneration efficiencies of bacterium-bound nitrogen and phosphorus by the flagellates were compared. All flagellate species regenerated comparable amounts of nitrogen, which was thought to be due to their similar internal C/N ratios. There was, however, interspecies variation with regard to phosphorus regeneration: the two faster-growing species (Paraphysomonas imperforata and Bodo designis) released significantly more phosphorus than the two slower-growing species (Stephanoeca diplocostata and Jakoba libera). The observed differences were thought to have been influenced by a combination of life cycle strategies and internal C/P ratios.