Journal of Ecology of Health & Environment
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Journal

Journal of Ecology of Health & Environment


Volume
& Issue

Volume 4, Issue 3


Published
on

September 1, 2016


Pages

103-109


DOI

Article

Iron Regulation of Growth and Heterocyst Formation in the Nitrogen Fixing Cyanobacterium Nostoc sp. PCC 7120

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Authors

Wafaa S. M. Aly* Affiliation:
School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, Whiteknights, Reading, RG6 6AJ, UK
and Simon C. Andrews Affiliation:
School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, Whiteknights, Reading, RG6 6AJ, UK


Abstract

The growth of Nostoc sp. PCC 7120 was found to decrease under low iron conditions. A greater degree of iron restriction was achieved when precultures of Nostoc sp. PCC 7120 were grown under low iron conditions to deplete iron stores. Iron deficiency was also found to delay the formation of heterocysts in Nostoc sp. PCC 7120 grown under nitrogen fixing-conditions. The frequency of heterocysts under high iron was greater than under low iron by up to nearly twofold. These results suggested that iron (as well as nitrogen) regulate heterocyst formation and development in Nostoc sp. PCC 7120 under nitrogen-fixing conditions.


Keywords

cyanobacteria, Nostoc sp. PCC 7120, iron, nitrogen fixation, heterocyst formation


Citation

Aly, W. S. M. & Andrews, S. C. (2016). Iron regulation of growth and heterocyst formation in the nitrogen fixing cyanobacterium nostoc sp. PCC 7120. Journal of Ecology of Health & Environment, 4(3), 103–109. https://doi.org/10.18576/jehe/040301

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