Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Growth characteristics of the cyanobacterium Nostoc flagelliforme in photoautotrophic, mixotrophic and heterotrophic cultivation

  • Published:
Journal of Applied Phycology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Nostoc flagelliforme is a terrestrial cyanobacterium with high economic value. Dissociated cells separated from a natural colony of N. flagelliforme were cultivated for 7 days under either phototrophic, mixotrophic or heterotrophic culture conditions. The highest biomass, 1.67 g L−1 cell concentration, was obtained under mixotrophic culture, representing 4.98 and 2.28 times the biomass obtained in phototrophic and heterotrophic cultures, respectively. The biomass in mixotrophic culture was not the sum as that in photoautotrophic and heterotrophic cultures. During the first 4 days of culture, the cell concentration in mixotrophic culture was lower than the sum of those in photoautotrophic and heterotrophic cultures. However, from the 5th day, the cell concentration in mixotrophic culture surpassed the sum of those obtained from the other two trophic modes. Although the inhibitor of photosynthetic electron transport DCMU [3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea] efficiently inhibited autotrophic growth of N. flagelliforme cells, under mixotrophic culture they could grow by using glucose. The addition of glucose changed the response of N.flagelliforme cells to light. The maximal photosynthetic rate, dark respiration rate and light compensation point in mixotrophic culture were higher than those in photoautotrophic cultures. These results suggest that photoautotrophic (photosynthesis) and heterotrophic (oxidative metabolism of glucose) growth interact in mixotrophic growth of N. flagelliforme cells.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Bai XJ, Su JY, Zhao SX, Jia SR (2004) Study on the determination methods of extracellular polysaccharide in culture medium of Nostoc Flagelliforme cells (in Chinese with English abstract). Sci Tech Food Ind 25:146–148

    Google Scholar 

  • Bi YH, Hu ZY (2004) Influence of temperature, nutrients and light intensity on the growth of Nostoc flagelliforme (in Chinese with English abstract). Chin J Pro Eng 4:245–249

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chen F (1996) High cell density culture of microalgae in heterotrophic growth. Trends Biotechnol 14:421–426

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chen F, Zhang YM (1997) High cell density mixotrophic culture of Spirulina platensis on glucose for phycocyanin production using a fed-batch system. Enzyme Microb Technol 20:221–224

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chen TF, Zheng WJ, Fang Y, Bai Y, Wang YS (2006) Mixotrophic culture of high selenium-enriched Spirulina platensis on acetate and the enhanced production of photosynthetic pigments. Enzyme Microb Technol 39:103–107

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dai ZJ (1992) Review of Nostoc flagelliforme research (in Chinese with English abstract). J Ningxia Univ (Nat Sci) 13:71–76

    Google Scholar 

  • Gao KS (1998) Chinese studies on edible blue-green alga, Nostoc flagelliforme: a review. J Appl Phycol 10:37–49

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gao KS, Ye CP (2003) Culture of the terrestrial cyanobacterium, Nostoc flagelliforme (Cyanophyceae), under aquatic conditions. J Phycol 39:617–623

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gao KS, Yu AJ (2000) Influence of CO2, light and watering on growth of Nostoc flagelliforme mats. J Appl Phycol 12:185–189

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hall DO, Rao KK (1994) Photosynthesis, 5th edn. The Press Syndicate of Cambridge, Cambridge, p 43

    Google Scholar 

  • Henley WJ (1993) Measurement and interpretation of photosynthetic light-response curves in alga in the context of photoinhibition and diel changes. J Phycol 29:729–729

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jia SR, Su JY, Qiao CS (2005) Nostoc flagelliforme cells cultivation and its products. Chinese patent ZL 03119101.0

  • Jia SR, Yu HF, Lin YX, Dai YJ (2007) Characterization of extracellular polysaccharides from Nostoc flagelliforme cells in liquid suspension culture. Biotechnol Bioprocess Eng 12:271–275

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kaewpintong K, Shotipruk A, Powtongsook S, Pavasant P (2007) Photoautotrophic high-density cultivation of vegetative cells of Haematococcus pluvialis in airlift bioreactor. Bioresour Technol 98:288–295

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kang CD, Lee JS, Park TH, Sim SJ (2005) Comparison of heterotrophic and photoautotrophic induction on astaxanthin production by Haematococcus pluvialis. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 68:237–241

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kanekiyo K, Le JB, Hayashi K, Takenaka H, Hayakawa Y, Endo S, Hayashi T (2005) Isolation of an antiviral polysaccharide, Nostoflan, from a terrestrial cyanobacterium, Nostoc flagelliforme. J Nat Prod 68:1037–1041

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Katarzyna C, Andrzej N (2004) Evaluation of Spirulina sp. growth in photoautotrophic, heterotrophic and mixotrophic cultures. Enzyme Microb Technol 34:461–465

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kobayashi M, Kakizono T, Yamaguchi K, Naomichi N, Nagai S (1992) Growth and astaxanthin formation of Haematococcus pluvialis in heterotrophic and mixotrophic conditions. J Ferment Bioeng 74:17–20

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lalucat J, Imperial J, Pares R (1984) Utilization of light for the assimilation of organic matter in Chlorella sp. VJ79. Biotechnol Bioeng 26:677–681

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Li YG, Hu ZY (2003) Studies on the cultivation of Nostoc flagelliforme (in Chinese with English abstract). J Wuh Bot Res 21:411–414

    Google Scholar 

  • Liu XJ, Chen F (2003) Cell differentiation and colony alteration of an edible terrestrial cyanobacterium Nostoc flagelliforme, in liquid suspension cultures. Folia Microbiol 48(5):619–626

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Marquez FJ, Sasaki K, Kakizono T, Nishio N, Nagai S (1993) Growth characteristics of Spirulina platensis in mixotrophic and heterotrophic conditions. J Ferment Bioeng 76:408–410

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Martinez F, Orus MI (1991) Interactions between glucose and inorganic carbon metabolism in Chlorella vulgaris strain UAM 101. Plant Physiol 95:1150–1155

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ogawa T, Aiba S (1981) Bioenergetic analysis of mixotrophic growth in Chlorella vulgaris and Scenedesmus acutus. Biotechnol Bioeng 23:1121–1132

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Orus ML, Marco E, Martinez F (1991) Suitability of Chlorella vulgaris UAM 101 for heterotrophic biomass production. Bioresour Technol 38:179–184

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rippka R (1972) Photoheterotrophy and chemoheterotrophy among unicellular blue-green algae. Arch Microbiol 87:303–322

    Google Scholar 

  • Shi XM, Zhang XW, Chen F (2000) Heterotrophic production of biomass and lutein by Chlorella protothecoides on various nitrogen source. Enzyme Microb Technol 27:312–318

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Shi XM, Wu ZY, Chen F (2006) Kinetic modeling of lutein production by heterotrophic Chlorella at various pH and temperatures. Mol Nutr Food Res 50:763–768

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Stal LJ, Moezelaar R (1997) Fermentation in cyanobacteria. FEMS Microbiol Rev 21:179–211

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Su JY (2006) Study on the photoautotrophic cultivation of Nostoc flagelliforme cells. Dissertation. Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin,China

  • Su JY, Jia SR, Qiao CS, Jung GK (2005) Culture of Nostoc flagelliforme on solid medium. Korean J Environ Biol 23:135–140

    Google Scholar 

  • Su JY, Jia SR, Chen XF, Yu HF (2008) Morphology, cell growth, and polysaccharide production of Nostoc flagelliforme in liquid suspension culture at different agitation rates. J Appl Phycol 20:213–217

    Google Scholar 

  • Vonshak A, Cheung SM, Chen F (2000) Mixotrophic growth modifies the response of Sprulina (Arthrospira) platensis (cyanobacteria) cells to light. J Phycol 36:675–679

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wang YH, Ye JY, Mi HL (2000) Relationship between the growth of Synechocystis sp. PCC6803 on medium with glucose and the photosynthetic energy transformation. J Integr Plant Biol 42:1122–1125

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang YH, Li YG, Shi DJ, Shen GM, Ru BG, Zhang SL (2002) Characteristics of mixotrophic growth of Synechocystis sp. in an enclosed photobioreactor. Biotechnol Lett 24:1593–1598

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Xu H, Miao XL, Wu QY (2006) High quality biodiesel production from a microalga Chlorella protothecoides by heterotrophic growth in fermenters. J Biotechnol 126:499–507

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yu HF (2007) Study on the high cell density culture of Nostoc flagelliforme cells. Dissertation. Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin,China

  • Yu GC, Xin XF, Cai ZL, Shi DJ, OU YF (2000) Mixotrophic cultures of Anabaena sp. PCC7120 (in Chinese with English abstract). Eng Chem Metallurgy 21:53–59

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 20376061) and by the Science and Technology Commission of Tianjin municipality (No. 043801611).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Tianjin Key Lab of Industrial Microbiology, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin, 300222, China

    Haifeng Yu, Shiru Jia & Yujie Dai

  2. College of Food and Bioengineering, Shandong Institute of Light Industry, Shandong Jinan, 250353, China

    Haifeng Yu

Authors
  1. Haifeng Yu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Shiru Jia
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Yujie Dai
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Shiru Jia.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Yu, H., Jia, S. & Dai, Y. Growth characteristics of the cyanobacterium Nostoc flagelliforme in photoautotrophic, mixotrophic and heterotrophic cultivation. J Appl Phycol 21, 127–133 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10811-008-9341-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10811-008-9341-5

Keywords

Search

Navigation