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CELL WALL CONSTITUENTS OF APHANOTHECE HALOPHYTICA (CYANOPHYTA) 1
Author(s) -
Jones Jay H.,
Yopp John H.
Publication year - 1979
Publication title -
journal of phycology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.85
H-Index - 127
eISSN - 1529-8817
pISSN - 0022-3646
DOI - 10.1111/j.1529-8817.1979.tb02963.x
Subject(s) - halophile , biology , cell wall , peptidoglycan , biochemistry , bacteria , cell envelope , polysaccharide , extracellular , amino acid , teichoic acid , strain (injury) , microbiology and biotechnology , escherichia coli , gene , anatomy , genetics
Some aspects of the cell wall and extracellular polysaccharide (ECPS) of the obligate halophile Aphanothece halophytica Frémy (Chroococcales) have been investigated. Extracellular polysaccharide concentration was found to remain constant on a per cell basis in medium containing from 1–3 M NaCl. The rate of ECPS production remained constant during mid‐log growth phase and increased substantially as the culture reached stationary phase. The lipopolysaccharide of this organism was found to possess a low and unusual fatty acid content when compared to other chroococcalean forms. The cell wall appears to contain a typical gram‐negative peptidoglycan. The covalently attached protein resembles the envelope protein of extremely halophilic bacteria in its possession of a similar molar percentage of amino acids with lipophilic R‐groups and a high acidic amino acid fraction. The ECPS and cell wall fractions of A. halophytica were found to chemically more closely resemble those from other non‐halophilic, chroococcalean bluegreen algae than those from the obligately halophilic bacteria.