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Temperature induced changes in the heterocyst glycolipid composition of N2 fixing heterocystous cyanobacteria
Bauersachs, T.; Stal, L.J.; Grego, M.; Schwark, L.; Schwark, L. (2014). Temperature induced changes in the heterocyst glycolipid composition of N2 fixing heterocystous cyanobacteria. Org. Geochem. 69: 98-105. dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.orggeochem.2014.02.006
In: Organic Geochemistry. Elsevier: Oxford; New York. ISSN 0146-6380; e-ISSN 1873-5290, more
Peer reviewed article  

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  • Bauersachs, T.
  • Stal, L.J., more
  • Grego, M.
  • Schwark, L.
  • Schwark, L.

Abstract
    We investigated the effect of temperature on the heterocyst glycolipid (HG) composition of the diazotrophic heterocystous cyanobacteria Anabaena sp. strain CCY9613 and Nostoc sp. strain CCY9926 grown at 9, 12, 16, 20 and 24 degrees C. Both strains contained an overall similar composition of heterocyst glycolipids, with 1-(O-hexose)-3,25-hexacosanediols (HG(26) diols) and 1-(O-hexose)-3-keto-25-hexacosanols (HG(26) keto-ols) dominating minor quantities of 1-(O-hexose)-3,27-octacosanediols (HG(28) diols) and 1-(O-hexose)-3-keto-27-octacosanols (HG(28) keto-ols). The relative proportion of HG diols vs. HG keto-ols increased with increasing growth temperature, which was quantitatively expressed as HGI(26) (heterocyst glycolipid index of 26 carbons). Values of the index decreased from 0.30 to 0.12 in Nostoc CCY9926 and from 0.18 to 0.10 in Anabaena CCY9613 over the temperature interval investigated. Likewise, HGI(28) (heterocyst glycolipid index of 28 carbons) values decreased from 0.33 to 0.10 in Nostoc CC9926 and from 0.12 to 0.07 in Anabaena CCY9613 with increasing temperature. Our results thus provide the first evidence that changes in the composition of the heterocyst cell envelope as a function of temperature occur systematically in different heterocystous cyanobacteria and may constitute a mechanism for allowing optimum N-2 fixation by regulating the rate of gas diffusion into the heterocyst.

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