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Morphological transformation in a freshwater Cyanobium sp. induced by grazers
Author(s) -
Jezberová Jitka,
Komárková Jaroslava
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
environmental microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.954
H-Index - 188
eISSN - 1462-2920
pISSN - 1462-2912
DOI - 10.1111/j.1462-2920.2007.01311.x
Subject(s) - biology , protist , 16s ribosomal rna , phycocyanin , transformation (genetics) , gene sequence , ecology , zoology , ribosomal rna , botany , bacteria , gene , cyanobacteria , genetics
Summary We document a remarkable morphological transformation, attributable to grazing by nanoflagellate Ochromonas sp. DS , of a phycocyanin‐rich freshwater Cyanobium sp. (10‐NR 98.2% similar 16S rRNA gene sequence to the type species Cyanobium gracil e) . The single cells aggregated into microcolonies (average size 40 μm) in the presence of the protist. Colonies were characterized by hundreds of tubes (spinae), 100 nm to 1 μm long and 63 ± 6 nm wide, on the surfaces of the Cyanobium cells co‐cultured with Ochromonas . Spinae production, previously unknown for the freshwater Cyanobium species, suggests that picocyanobacterial life strategies are more flexible than previously thought.