Open AccessAbsence of the nitrogen reserve polymer cyanophycin from marine Synechococcus species
Author(s) -
Newman Julie,
Wyman Michael,
Carr Noel G.
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
fems microbiology letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.899
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1574-6968
pISSN - 0378-1097
DOI - 10.1111/j.1574-6968.1987.tb02271.x
Subject(s) - synechococcus , cyanobacteria , nitrogen , chemistry , arginine , environmental chemistry , botany , biology , biochemistry , bacteria , amino acid , organic chemistry , genetics
Cyanophycin is a high molecular weight co‐polymer of aspartate and arginine, hitherto considered characteristic of all cyanobacteria. Chemical analysis and radioisotopic incorporation procedures have shown that precipitable cyanophycin is absent from the five species of Synechococcus tested, including the marine Synechococcus WH7803 (type DC2). The implications with respect to the role of cyanobacterial nitrogen reserves are discussed.