Open AccessUltrastructural and chemical assessment of poly‐β‐hydroxybutyric acid in the marine cyanobacterium Trichodesmium thiebautii
Author(s) -
Siddiqui Pirzada J.A.,
Bergman Birgitta,
Björkman PO.,
Carpenter Edward J.
Publication year - 1992
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.1574-6968.1992.tb05304.x
Subject(s) - trichodesmium , morning , ultrastructure , chemistry , cyanobacteria , food science , zoology , botany , biology , bacteria , organic chemistry , nitrogen , nitrogen fixation , genetics , diazotroph
We report here on the occurrence and quantities of poly‐β‐hydroxybutyric acid (PHB) in natural populations of the marine cyanobacterium Trichodesmium thiebautii . A diurnal variation in the shape and size of PHB granules and in PHB content was observed. The highest PHB levels (2.3 ± 0.8 mg g −1 dry wt) were recorded in the early morning and the values decreased thereafter with a minimum at night (1.6 ± 0.9 mg g −1 dry wt). Our data suggest that PHB is a prominent cell constituent in T. thiebautii and that its synthesis takes place in the early morning whereas it is utilized during the rest of the day.