Growth on ethanesulfonic acid as the only sulfur source was found to occur in ten of the 14 green algae tested and in three of the ten cyanobacteria analyzed. Similar growth could not be demonstrated in the higher plant Lemna minor, or in tissue cultures of anise, sunflower and tobacco.
Organisms growing on sulfonic acids as the only sulfur source developed an uptake system for ethanesulfonate found neither in algae growing on sulfate nor in algae unable to utilize sulfonic acids for growth. The development of sulfonate transport was not caused by substrate induction, but by conditions of sulfate starvation. The presence of this uptake system was always correlated with an increased sulfate-uptake capacity. Enhanced sulfate uptake was found in all S-deficient and sulfonate-grown cultures tested, indicating sulfate limitation as the regulatory signal. A lag period of 2-2.5 h after transfer to sulfate deprivation was needed for expression of both enhanced sulfate uptake and ethanesulfonate uptake in case of the green alga Chlorellafusca.
It is speculated that the availability of sulfate (pool size) or a metabolic product in equilibrium with oxidized sulfur compounds (sulfate ester? sulfolipids?) controls sulfate and sulfonate uptake systems. The principle of (coordinated) derepression by starvation is discussed as a general strategy in photosynthetic organisms.