Abstract
An unusual type of akinete formation was observed in cultures ofAnabaena azollae which were not reported in any other cyanobacterium earlier. These akinetes were spherical comparatively larger than the normal ones and covered with a thick inner and thin outer envelopes. It represented transformed vegetative cells which faced temporary growth difficulties in non symbiotic conditions. The germination of the akinete started with an enlargement followed by the division of the cell contents into numerous fragments. Later the each divided cytoplast underwent 3 to 4 divisions and developed into a group of interwoven trichomes.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Allen M B and Arnon D I 1955 Studies on nitrogen fixing blue-green algae. I. Growth and nitrogen fixation byAnabaena cylindrica Lemn;Plant Physiol. 30 366–372
Demeter O 1956 Uber Modifikationen bei Cyanophyceen;Arch. Microbiol. 24 105–133
Dittmer J C and Wells M A 1969 Quantitative and qualitative analysis of lipid and lipid compounds;Methods Enzymol. 14 185–192
Haupt A W 1923 Cell structure and cell division in the cyanophyceae;Bot. Gaz. 75 170–190
Hill D J 1975 Pattern of development ofAnabaena in theAzolla—Anabaena symbiosis;Planta 122 179–184
Leak L V 1968 Fine structure of the mucilaginous sheath ofAnabaena sp;J. Ultrastruct. Res. 21 61–74
Mohanan R and Sharma V K 1986 Photosynthetic pigment of theAzolla—Anabaena association and its free-living symbiont;Curr. Sci. 55 667
Newton J W and Herman A I 1979 Isolation of cyanobacteria from the aquatic fernAzolla;Arch. Microbiol. 120 161–165
Ray T B, Peters G A, Toia R E Jr and Mayne B C 1978Azolla—Anabaena relationship. VII. Distribution of ammonia-assimilating enzymes, protein and chlorophyll between host and symbiont;Plant Physiol. 62 463–467
Singh R N and Srivastava B S 1968 Studies on morphogenesis in a blue-green alga I. Effect of inorganic nitrogen sources on developmental morphology ofAnabaena doliolum;Can. J. Microbiol. 14 1341–1346
Tel-Or E, Sandovsky T, Kobiler D, Arad H and Weinberg R 1983 The unique properties ofAnabaena in the water fernAzolla; inPhotosynthetic prokaryotes: Cell differentiation and function (eds) G C Papageorgiou and L Packer (New York: Elsevier) pp 303–314
Tuffery A A 1969 Light and electron microscopy of the sheath of blue-green alga;J. Gen. Microbiol. 57 41–50
Tyagi V V S 1974 Some observation on the pattern of sporulation in a blue-green alga,Anabaena doliolum;Ann. Bot. (London) 38 1107–1111
Tyagi V V S 1978 The pattern of sporulation inAnabaena circinalis and comments on the role of heterocysts in sporulation in blue-green algae;Z. Allg. Milkrobiol. 18 281–286
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Vaidya, B.S., Thomas, J. Observations on unusual akinete formation inAnabaena azollae in isolation culture. Proc. Indian Acad. Sci. 99, 467–471 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03053616
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03053616