It is widely accepted that plants, fungi and unicellular organisms uptake phosphate in ionic form only, and cannot uptake more complex PO4-containing compounds: both organophosphoric ones and P-containing mineral crystals. Also, it is known, that up to half of river-ocean P flow is presented by particulated phosphorus. So, is this fraction of P lost from global P cycle forewer or do biota (first of all microbiots) possesses the posibilities to return this fraction into biogeochemical cycle? For example, one of this posibilities may be the endocytosis of P nanoparticles, the other possibilities may be adhesion of cells on P particles with the subsequent dissolving of surface layer of this particles by the excretes of cells.
P.S. This is just my suggestion about potential mechanisms. I'd like to know the mechanisms, which have been investigated.
While it is true that plants, fungi, and unicellular organisms primarily uptake phosphate in its ionic form, there are mechanisms that allow biota to interact with and potentially return particulate phosphorus back into the biogeochemical cycle. These mechanisms include symbiotic relationships, endocytosis of P nanoparticles, and adhesion of cells on P particles with subsequent solubilization by microbial enzymes.
Organisms also excrete compounds that attack the inorganic and organic P pools
Dear Mr. Paul. As far as I know, the concentration of excreted metabolites is too low in marine environment. Evidently, this concentration is unsufficient to interact with phosphate-containing particles in order to destroy them.
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