Identification of surface polysaccharides in akinetes, heterocysts and vegetative cells of Anabaena cylindrica using fluorescein-labeled lectins.

In response to environmental changes, Anabaena cylindrica differentiate three cell types: vegetative cells for photosynthesis, heterocysts for nitrogen fixation, and akinetes for stress survival. Cell-surface polysaccharides play important roles in cyanobacterial ecophysiology. In this study, specific cell-surface sugars were discovered in heterocysts, akinetes and vegetative cells of A. cylindrica using 20 fluorescein-labeled lectins. Both N-acetylglucosamine-binding lectins WGA and succinylated WGA bound specifically to the vegetative cells. Akinetes bound to three mannose-binding lectins (LCA, PSA, and ConA), and one of the galactose-binding lectins (GSL-I). Heterocyst also bound to ConA. However, the heterocysts in all4388 mutant of Anabaena sp. PCC 7120, in which the putative polysaccharide export protein gene all4388 was disrupted, exhibited diminished binding to ConA. Identification of distinct cell-surface sugar helped us to understand the role of polysaccharide for each cell type. Fluorescence-activated cell sorting may be applicable in isolating each cell type for comparative "omics" studies among the three cell types.

Radiation characteristics and optical properties of filamentous cyanobacterium Anabaena cylindrica.

This study presents experimental measurements of the absorption and scattering cross sections and the spectral complex index of refraction of filamentous cyanobacteria. Filamentous heterocystous cyanobacterium Anabaena cylindrica was chosen as a model organism. Its filaments consisted of long chains of polydisperse cells. Their average mass scattering and absorption cross sections were measured from 400 to 750 nm at four different times during their batch growth in medium BG-11(-N) under 3000 lux of white fluorescent light. The effective real (or refraction index) and imaginary (or absorption index) parts of the complex index of refraction were retrieved using an inverse method based on a genetic algorithm. The microorganisms were modeled as infinitely long and randomly oriented volume-equivalent cylinders. The absorption index featured peaks corresponding to chlorophyll a (Chl a) at 436 and 676 nm and phycocyanin (PCCN) at 630 nm and a shoulder around 480 nm, corresponding to photoprotective carotenoids. The absorption peaks of Chl a and PCCN concentrations increased and the shoulder due to carotenoids decreased in response to photolimitation caused by biomass growth. Subsequent nitrogen limitation caused the PCCN absorption peak to decrease significantly due to degradation of PCCN as an endogenous source of nitrogen for nitrogenase maintenance and synthesis, as confirmed by increasing heterocyst differentiation. The results can be used for predicting and optimizing light transfer in photobioreactors for wastewater treatment and ammonia or biofuel production.

Bentazon triggers the promotion of oxidative damage in the Portuguese ricefield cyanobacterium Anabaena cylindrica: response of the antioxidant system.

Rice fields are frequently exposed to environmental contamination by herbicides and cyanobacteria, as primary producers of these aquatic ecosystems, are adversely affected. Anabaena cylindrica is a cyanobacterium with a significantly widespread occurrence in Portuguese rice fields. This strain was studied throughout 72 h in laboratory conditions for its stress responses to sublethal concentrations (0.75-2 mM) of bentazon, a selective postemergence herbicide recommended for integrated weed management in rice, with special reference to oxidative stress, role of proline and intracellular antioxidant enzymes in herbicide-induced free radicals detoxification. Activities of antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), and glutathione S-transferase (GST) increased in a time- and herbicide dose-response manner and were higher than those in the control samples after 72 h. A time- and concentration-dependent increase of malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and the enhanced cell membrane leakage following bentazon exposure are indicative of lipid peroxidation, free radicals formation, and oxidative damage, while increased amounts of SOD, CAT, APX, GST, and proline indicated their involvement in free radical scavenging mechanisms. The appreciable decline in the reduced glutathione (GSH) pool after 72 h at higher bentazon concentrations could be explained by the reduction of the NADPH-dependent glutathione reductase (GR) activity. The obtained results suggested that the alterations of antioxidant systems in A. cylindrica might be useful biomarkers of bentazon exposure. As the toxic mechanism of bentazon is a complex phenomenon, this study also adds relevant findings to explain the oxidative stress pathways of bentazon promoting oxidative stress in cyanobacteria.

[Study on the sorption of 4-octylphenol by freshwater algae].

The sorption of 4-octylphenol (4-OP) by two freshwater algae was investigated. Results showed that the sorption of 4-octylphenol by algae was obvious and quick, where 20% of initial 4-OP (2 mg/L) was accumulated by Chlorella vulgaris (CV) and 46% initial 4-OP (2 mg/L) was accumulated by Anabaena cylindrical (AC) after 5 min incubation. The sorption got equilibrium at 1 h after incubation. Langmuir sorption model was good appropriate type for this sorption. The effect of pH value on CV sorption was obvious than that on AC sorption. The sorption capacity of the biomass of two algae increased with the decrease of pH value. The analyzing of interaction between algae and 4-octylphenol was performed by fluorescence spectrum. Results showed that the algae could weaker the fluorescence spectrum intensity of 4-octylphenol and result in red shift of the maximum absorbance wavelength of mixture solution. Based on the results, it was speculated that algae bound with the contamination could use the near UV region of solar radiation and induced the contamination degradation.

Photoreduction of mercury(II) in the presence of algae, Anabaena cylindrical.

The photochemical and biological reduction of Hg(II) in the presence of algae, anabaena cylindrical, was investigated under the irradiation of metal halide lamps placed in cooling trap for maintaining constant temperature by water circulation (lambda >or=365 nm, 250 W). The photoreduction rate of Hg(II) increased with increasing algae concentration. The addition of Fe(III) and humic substances into the suspensions of algae also enhanced the photoreduction of Hg(II). Alteration of pH value affected the photoreduction of Hg(II) in aqueous solution with or without the addition of algae. The concentration of dissolved gaseous mercury (DGM), the reduced product of Hg(II), increased with increasing exposure time and then gradually approached to a steady state. The influence of initial Hg(II) concentration on the photoreduction of Hg(II) with algae was studied by irradiating the suspensions of anabaena cylindrical at pH 7.0 with initial concentrations (C(0)) of Hg(II) at 50, 100, 120, 150 and 180 microg L(-1), respectively, the light-induced reduction of Hg(II) followed the apparent pseudo first-order kinetics. The initial photoreduction rate could be expressed by the equation: r(A)=0.0871+0.00129 C(0), with a correlation coefficient R=0.9994. The overall mercury mass balance study on the photo-reductive process revealed that more than 39.86% of Hg(II) from the algal suspension was reduced to volatile metallic mercury.

Iron mediated regulation of growth and siderophore production in a diazotrophic cyanobacterium Anabaena cylindrica.

Iron mediated regulation of growth and siderophore production has been studied in a diazotrophic cyanobacterium Anabaena cylindrica. Iron-starved cells of A. cylindrica exhibited reduced growth (30%) when the cells were growing under N2-fixing conditions. In contrast, N03-, NO2-, NH4' and urea grown cells exhibited almost 50% reduction in their growth in the absence of iron as compared to their respective counterparts cultured in the presence of iron. However, at 60 microM of iron, A. cylindrica cells exhibited almost equal growth regardless of the nitrogen source available. Siderophore production in A. cylindrica was started after day 2nd of the cell growth and attained its optimal level on day 5th when the cells were at their mid-log phase. No siderophore production was, however, recorded on day 2nd at all the concentrations of iron tested. The production of siderophore in A. cylindrica further increased with increase in iron concentration and attained its optimum level on day 5th at 60 microM iron. A. cylindrica cells took at least 3 days for initiation of siderophore production and produced about 60% siderophore on day 5th even under iron-starved condition. A. cylindrica produced dihydroxamate type of siderophore.

Characterization of surface sugars on algal cells with fluorescein isothiocyanate-conjugated lectins.

We used qualitative and quantitative fluorescence microscopy of the fluorescein isothiocyanate-conjugated lectins Concanavalin A, phytohaemagglutinin-erythroagglutinin, pokeweed mitogen, and peanut agglutinin to examine sugar composition on the cell surface and cell-associated mucilage (where present) in a number of cultured and environmental algae. Lectin-binding activity was markedly different between laboratory-cultured and environmental samples of the same species. Sugar composition of the cyanobacterium Anabaena cylindrica varied with growth cycle, although no clear pattern of change was observed. Akinetes typically showed lectin-binding activity higher than that of the vegetative cells or heterocysts throughout the growth cycle. Algae with mucilage showed greater lectin binding, indicating that mucilage contained more surface sugars accessible to the lectin probe compared with the cell wall surface. A low level of galactose and N-acetyl galactosamine (detected by peanut agglutinin) was associated with the surface mucilage of most algal species. Relatively high amounts of mannose, glucose, and N-acetyl glucosamine (detected by Concanavalin A, phytohaemagglutinin, and pokeweed mitogen) were also present. Lectin binding was shown to be a highly specific and sensitive approach to the examination of cell surface chemistry of both cultured and environmental algae and to the study of biodiversity in phytoplankton.