The effect of nickel on the growth, photosynthesis, and nitrogenase activity of Anabaena inaequalis

Abstract

Anabaena inaequalis was sensitive to nickel ion in the order of decreasing sensitivity of growth, photosynthesis, and acetylene reduction. At a culture density of 9 x 10(4) cells per millilitre, growth after 12 days was completely inhibited by 0.125 ppm (microgram/mL) Ni2+. Nickel caused the increase of both the lag phase of growth and the culture doubling time, and caused the retardation phase to be sooner. Photosynthesis and acetylene reduction were completely inhibited by 10 and 20 ppm Ni2+, respectively, at a cell concentration of 1.3 x 10(6) cells per millilitre. Preincubation for 24 h in the presence of nickel ion significantly increased the sensitivity of photosynthesis and acetylene reduction. Under these conditions acetylene reduction was more sensitive than photosynthesis. Nickel ion reduced culture growth by 35% at a level of 0.05 ppm and inhibited that culture's acetylene-reducing ability by 29% while leaving photosynthesis unaffected. Nickel caused some damage to filament apical cells and induced pigment bleaching in aged cultures. Nickel toxicity was proposed to be due to poisoning of intracellular enzyme systems by nickel ions.

The evolution of glutathione metabolism in phototrophic microorganisms

“…Plectonema boryanium UTEX 59 1 * was photoautotrophically grown as described by Stratton et al (1979). Chlorella pyernoidosa UTEX 1230 and Scenedesmus obliquus UTEX ih^O were cultured photoautotrophically as described by Sorokin and Krauss (1958).…”

Cadmium induced inhibition of nitrate Uptake in Anacystis nidulans: Interaction with other divalent cations.

“…Cyanobacteria, however, appear to have been little explored in this respect (4)(5)(6)(7)(8)(9)(10) and overall observations suggest that heavy metals induce formative changes and inhibition of algal metabolism through depletion of ATP and reductant pools; the site of inhibition/interaction still remains obscure. Recently, we demonstrated that the acquisition of Cd2+ tolerance in Nostoc calcicola resulted in cross-resistance to other metals and antibiotics (11).…”

Inhibition of photosynthetic electron transport in Nostoc muscorum by Ni2+ and Ag+.

“…Inhibition of growth by the metal cations appears to be due to overall inhibition of photosynthesis (5) as demonstrated by the inhibition of 02-evolution, 14C02-fixation and photosynthetic electron transport (Table 1). Since photosynthetic carbon fixation requires ATP and NADPH, it appears that the inhibition of 14C02-fixation by Ni2+ and Ag+ may be due partly to the reduction in cellular ATP content (Table 1) as already known for Anabaena inaequalis with mercury (17).…”