HETEROCYST DIFFERENTIATION AND CELL DIVISION IN THE CYANOBACTERIUM ANABAENA CYLINDRICA: EFFECT OF HIGH

Heterocyst differentiation in the cyanobacterium Anabaena cylindrica is initiated by the removal of fixed nitrogen from the medium. These specialized cells occur singly at regular intervals within filaments of vegetative cells. Incubation of cultures for periods of up to 12 h immediately prior to or following removal of fixed nitrogen, at a light intensity (500 /iEinsteins cm~2 s"1) approximately 10-fold higher than that required for optimum growth, resulted in the differentiation of pairs of adjacent (double) heterocysts. The frequency of double heterocysts was proportional to the length of the period of high light intensity. During growth at normal light intensity approximately 5 % of cell divisions were symmetrical, but this increased more than 3-fold during 10-h incubation at high light intensity. The frequency of dividing cells remained constant during this period, but increased rapidly on return to normal light. The frequency of double heterocysts was reduced if a period of incubation at normal light intensity was interposed between the 12-h period at high light intensity and transfer to nitrogen-free medium. A period of 8 h normal light was required to reduce the frequency of double heterocysts to control values, and this corresponded to the length of time needed for the frequency of symmetrical divisions to return to control levels following 12 h at high light intensity. W