Abstract
THE factors responsible for the establishment of lichen symbioses involving nitrogen-fixing blue-green algae are poorly understood1,2 and it has not been clear how the algae are modified to remain in association, virtually ceasing to grow and yet fixing N2 at high rates. We report here that in the lichen genus Peltigera morphological, physiological and biochemical modifications of the algae may all be involved in this process.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Fogg, G. E., Stewart, W. D. P., Fay, P., and Walsby, A. E., The Blue-green Algae (Academic, London, 1973).
Millbank, J. W., in The Biology of Nitrogen Fixation (edit. by Quispel, A.) 239–264 (North-Holland, Amsterdam, 1974).
Stewart, W. D. P., Fitzgerald, G. P., and Burris, R. H., Proc. natn. Acad. Sci U.S.A., 58, 2071–2078 (1967).
Hitch, C. J. B., and Millbank, J. W., New Phytol., 74, 473–476 (1975).
Hitch, C. J. B., and Millbank, J. W., New Phytol., 75, 239–244 (1975).
Simon, R. D., Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 68, 265–267 (1971).
Stewart, W. D. P., in Perspectives in Experimental Biology (edit. by Sunderland, N.), 235–246 (Pergamon, Oxford, 1976).
Stewart, W. D. P., Haystead, A., and Dharmawardene, M. W. N., in Nitrogen Fixation by Free-living Micro-organisms (edit. by Stewart, W. D. P.), 129–159 (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1975).
Tubb, R. D., Nature, 251, 481–482 (1974).
Streicher, S. L., Shanmugam, K. T., Ausubel, F., Morandi, C., and Goldberg, R. B., J. Bact., 120, 815–821 (1974).
Dharmawardene, M. W. N., Haystead, A., and Stewart, W. D. P., Arch. Mikrobiol., 90, 281–295 (1973).
Miflin, B. J., and Lea, P. J., Phytochemistry, 15, 873–885 (1976).
Chambers, S., Morris, M., and Smith, D. C., New Phytol., 76, 485–500 (1976).
Stewart, W. D. P., and Rodgers, G. A., New Phytol., 78, 459–471 (1977).
Peters, G. A., in Proc. first Int. Symp. Nitrogen Fixation (edit. by Newton, W. E., and Nyman, C. J.), 592–610 (Washington State University Press, Pullman, 1975).
Rodgers, G. A., and Stewart, W. D. P., New Phytol., 78, 441–458 (1977).
Allen, M. B., and Arnon, D. I., Pl. Physiol., 30, 366–372 (1955).
Solorzano, L., Limnol. Oceanogr., 14, 799–801 (1969).
Mackereth, F. J. H., Some Methods of Water Analysis for Limnologists, Fresh-water Biological Association Scientific Publication No. 21 (1963).
Millbank, J. W., New Phytol., 71, 1–10 (1972).
Kingdon, H. S., Hubbard, J., and Stadtman, E. R., Biochemistry, 7, 2136–2142 (1968).
Rowell, P., and Stewart, W. D. P., Arch. Microbiol., 107, 115–124 (1976).
Burris, R. H., and Wilson, P. W., Meth. Enzymol., 4, 355–365 (1957).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
STEWART, W., ROWELL, P. Modifications of nitrogen-fixing algae in lichen symbioses. Nature 265, 371–372 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1038/265371a0
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/265371a0
- Springer Nature Limited
This article is cited by
-
The Ecological Perspective of Microbial Communities in Two Pairs of Competitive Hawaiian Native and Invasive Macroalgae
Microbial Ecology (2013)
-
Nitrogen-fixation by cyanobacteria associated withCodium fragile (Chlorophyta): Environmental effects and transfer of fixed nitrogen
Marine Biology (1990)
-
Characterization of the glutamate/aspartate-transport system in a symbiotic Nostoc sp.
Planta (1986)
-
Glutamine synthetase: activity and localization in cyanobacteria of the cycadsCycas revoluta andZamia skinneri
Planta (1986)