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Differential effects of amino acid analogs on growth and heterocyst differentiation in two nitrogen-fixing blue-green algae

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Abstract

Effects of a few amino acid analogs on growth and heterocyst differentiation have been studied in two nitrogen-fixing species ofAnabaena. All the analogs except α-methyl-dl-aspartic acid inhibited growth. Exposure ofAnabaena doliolum, todl-5-fluorotryptophan anddl-p-fluorophenylalanine caused pronounced fragmentation of filaments into single cells. At low concentrations (0.01 mM), α-methyl-dl-aspartic acid stimulated growth of the strain ofA. doliolum as well as the strain of the second (unidentified)Anabaena species. Ethionine,dl-p-fluorophenylalanine,dl-5-fluorotryptophan, and canavanine blocked heterocyst differentiation, whereas α-methyl-dl-aspartic acid, α-methyl-dl-methionine,N-o-nitrophenylsulfenyl-l-tryptophan, norleucine, andS-2-aminoethyl-l-cysteine did not show any significant effect. Treatment with 7-azatryptophan,dl-β-hydroxynorvaline,l-methionine-dl-sulfoximine,l-methionine sulfone, and β-2-thienyl-dl-alanine led to a twofold increase in heterocyst frequency. Possible modes of action of the analogs in growth inhibition and changes in heterocyst frequency are discussed.

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  1. Department of Botany, Banaras Hindu University, 221 005, Varanasi, India

    A. Kumar & H. D. Kumar

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  1. A. Kumar
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Kumar, A., Kumar, H.D. Differential effects of amino acid analogs on growth and heterocyst differentiation in two nitrogen-fixing blue-green algae. Current Microbiology 3, 213–218 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02602451

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