Abstract
The filamentous non-heterocystous cyanobacterium Oscillatoria limosa was subjected to Western blot analyses using two antisera raised against the small subunit (Fe-protein) of the nitrogenase complex. Two polypeptides were recognized in nitrogen-fixing cultures irrespective of the antiserum used while no bands were detectable in nitrate-grown cultures. The apparent molecular weights of the two polypeptides were approximately 40.5 and 39.5 kDa respectively, with the former, probably an inactive form, dominating. In situ immunogold electron microscopy was used to reveal the cellular and subcellular localization on the Fe-protein. All cells of the trichomes of nitrogen-fixing O. limosa showed a dense label. The label was homogeneously distributed throughout the cytoplasm including the thylakoid area. Nitrate-grown cultures contained a very low label.
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Abbreviations
- SDS:
-
sodium dodecyl sulfate
- PAGE:
-
polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis
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This study was supported by the Swedish Natural Science Research Counsil and the M. and M. Wallenberg Fund (to B. Bergman). We are grateful to Dr. S. Nordlund (University of Stockholm, Sweden) for providing us with the antiserum of Rhodospirillum rubrum nitrogenase and to Drs. S. Reich and P. Böger (University of Konstanz, FRG) for the antiserum of Anabaena variabilis. Skilful technical assistence by K. Östlund and E. Danielsson is gratefully acknowledged. We would also like to thank M. Villbrandt (University of Oldenburg, FRG) for providing cultures of Oscillatoria limosa and Dr. P. Lindblad for valuable discussions and suggestions.
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Stal, L.J., Bergman, B. Immunological characterization of nitrogenase in the filamentous non-heterocystous cyanobacterium Oscillatoria limosa . Planta 182, 287–291 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00197123
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00197123