Abstract
Five fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-labeled lectins and Calcofluor white ST were tested for their binding abilities to vegetative cells and heterocysts of culturedAnabaena variabilis (AVA) and toA. azollae from four species ofAzolla; toAnabaena azollae freshly isolated fromAzolla pinnata (AP),A. caroliniana (AC),A. mexicana (AX), andA. filiculoides (AF); and to cultured akinetes ofAnabaena variabilis and four isolates ofA. azollae. Heterocysts of cultured cells of threeAnabaena isolates (APC, ACC, AXC) were most intensively surface-stained with soybean agglutinin fromGlycine max (SBA)-FITC; those of AX and AC were dimly stained with wheat germ agglutinin fromTriticum vulgaris (WGA); and only heterocysts of AX were dimly stained withDolichos biflorus agglutinin (DBA). Akinetes of cultured cells stained only with ConA. Vegetative cells and heterocysts of all four fresh isolates stained with Jack Beam aglutinin fromCanavalia ensiformis (ConA). None of the cell types were stained with either peanut agglutinin fromArachis hypogea (PNA) or Calcofluor.
Similar content being viewed by others
Literature Cited
Allen M, Arnon ED (1955) Studies on nitrogen-fixing blue green algae. I. Growth and nitrogen-fixation byAnabaena cylindrica Lemm. Plant Physiol 30:366–372
Arad H, Keysari A, Tel-Or E, Kobiler D (1985) A comparison between cell antigens in different isolates ofAnabaena azollae. Symbiosis 1:195–205
Berliner MD, Neely-Fisher D, Rosen BH, Fisher RW (1987) Spheroplast induction inAnabaena variabilis Kütz andA. azollae Stras. Protoplasma (in press)
Bubrick P, Galun M (1980) Symbiosis in lichen: differences in cell wall properties of freshly isolated and cultured phycobionts. FEMS Microbiol Lett 7:311–313
Gates JE, Fisher RW, Goggin TW, Azrolan NL (1980) Antigenic differences betweenAnabaena azollae fresh from theAzolla fern leaf cavity and free-living cyanobacteria. Arch Microbiol 128:126–129
Giloh H, Sedat JW (1982) Reduced photobleaching of rhodamine and fluorescein protein conjugate byn-propylgallate. Science 217:1252
Herd YR, Cutter EG, Watanabe I (1986) An ultrastructural study of post-meiotic development in the megasporocarp ofAzolla microphylla. Can J Bot 64:822–833
Kobiler D, Cohen-Sharon A, Tel-Or E (1981) Recognition between the N2-fixingAnabaena and the water fernAzolla. FEBS Lett 133:157–160
Kobiler D, Cohen-Sharon A, Tel-Or E (1982) Lectins are involved in the recognition betweenAnabaena andAzollae. Isr J Bot 31:324–328
Ladha JK, Watanabe I (1984) Antigenic analysis ofAnabaena azollae and the role of lectin in theAzolla-Anabaena symbiosis. New Phytol 98:295–300
McCowen SM, MacArthur L, Gates JE (1987)Azolla fern lectins that specifically recognize endosymbiotic cyanobacteria. Curr Microbiol 14:329–333
Mellor RB, Gadd GM, Rowell P, Stewart WDP (1981) A phytohemagglutinin from theAnabaena-Azolla symbiosis. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 99:1348–1353
Peters GA, Mayne BC (1974) TheAzolla-Anabaena relationship. I. Initial characterization of the relationship. Plant Physiol 53:813–819
Rosen BH, Johnson RC, Fisher RW, Gates JE (1987) Ultrastructural localization of cell surface immunospecificity inAnabaena azollae using indirect fluorescent antibody staining. Am J Bot (in press)
Sengbusch PV, Mix M, Wachholz I, Manshard E (1982) FITC-labeled lectins and Calcofluor White ST as probes for the investigation of molecular architecture of cell surfaces. Studies on Conjugatophycean species. Protoplasma 111:38–52
Sengbusch PV, Muller U (1983) Distribution of glycoconjugates at algal cell surfaces as monitored by FITC-conjugated lectins. Studies on selected species from Cyanophyta, Pyrrhophyta, Raphidophyta, Euglenophyta, Chromophyta and Chlorophyta. Protoplasma 114:103–113
White WB (1983) Isolation and culture ofAnabaena azollae. The effects of light and nutritional conditions on nitrogenase activity. M.Sc. thesis, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia
Wolk CP (1965) Control of sporulation in a blue-green alga. Dev Biol 12:15–35
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Berliner, M.D., Fisher, R.W. Surface lectin binding toAnabaena variabilis and to cultured and freshly isolatedAnabaena azollae . Current Microbiology 16, 149–152 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01568394
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01568394