Abstract: The acid phosphatase activities from roots and both stems and leaves of tomato seedlings all in-creased markedly under phosphate starvation. Phosphate starvation also increased the activities of acid phos-phatase from cell surface of, and released by roots of tomato seedlings. The kinetic analysis of acid phos-phatase of roots of tomato seedlings revealed that phosphate starvation increased the affinity of the enzyme to its substrate. The results also revealed that phosphate starvation had no effect on the optimum pH (pH 4.93) of the acid phosphatase of roots of tomato seedlings. It was also found that molybdate strongly inhibited not only the activities of acid phosphatase but also Pi- uptake rates of tomato seedlings.

Key words: Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum)