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Effect of gibberellic acid on the cyanobacterium Nostoc linckia

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Abstract

We investigated the influence of gibberellic acid (GA3; 0, 1, 10, and 100 μM) on Nostoc linckia culture at 7, 14, and 21 days. The fresh and dry weight of N. linckia was increased considerably by the 10 and 100 μM GA3 treatments. A reduction in heterocyst frequency was observed in cultures treated with 1 and 10 μM GA3. Adding GA3 to N. linckia culture had a little effect on cell size. The amount of chlorophyll a and carotenoids decreased at all concentrations of GA3. The amount of phycocyanin increased up to twofold in 7-day-old culture treated with 1 μM GA3, and similar changes were observed for allophycocyanin and phycoerythrin content after 7 days. The effect of GA3 on reducing sugar content was different and was dependent on the growth period. A reduction in soluble sugar content was detected after GA3 application in 7- and 14-day-old cyanobacteria. Cultures treated with GA3 had a higher protein content after 14 days and a lower protein content after 7 and 21 days, and reduced nitrogenase activity after 7, 14, and 21 days. Our data show that GA3 application can be a suitable and inexpensive way to increase N. linckia biomass and phycobiliprotein production.

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  1. Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran

    Hakimeh Mansouri & Bahareh Talebizadeh

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  1. Hakimeh Mansouri
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  2. Bahareh Talebizadeh
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Correspondence to Hakimeh Mansouri.

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Mansouri, H., Talebizadeh, B. Effect of gibberellic acid on the cyanobacterium Nostoc linckia . J Appl Phycol 28, 2187–2193 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10811-015-0756-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10811-015-0756-5

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