Lecture ‐2‐
Cyanophyta
Cyanobacteria also known as blue-green bacteria, blue-green algae,
and Cyanophyta, is obtain their energy through photosynthesis.
1-General Characteristics
1-Prokaryotic, no true nucleus, amorphous interior. ~1350 freshwater
species.
2-Sometimes specialize in extreme environments (pH, temperature,
nutrients), reflecting extraordinary structural and functional
heterogeneity of group.
3-Some capable of Nitrogen-fixation, buoyancy regulation, toxin
production.
4- form large colonies that are resistant to grazing; generally lower
nutritional value than other algal groups.
Figure 1: Cyanophyta forms
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2- Ecology
Cyanobacteria can be found in almost every terrestrial and aquatic
habitat: in oceans, fresh water - even bare rock and soil. They can occur
as planktonic cells or form phototrophic biofilms in fresh water and
marine environments, they occur in damp soil, or even on temporarily
moistened rocks in deserts. A few are endosymbionts in lichens, plants,
various protists, or sponges and provide energy for the host.
3-Nitrogen fixation
The climate-resistant spores that may form when environmental
conditions become unfavorable, and thick-walled heterocysts, which
contain the enzyme nitrogenase is so necessary for nitrogen fixation.
Heterocysts may also form under the appropriate environmental
conditions (anoxic) when fixed is scarce. Heterocyst-forming species are
specialized for nitrogen fixation and are able to fix nitrogen gas
into ammonia (NH3), nitrites (NO−2) or nitrates (NO−3) which can be
absorbed by plants and converted to protein and nucleic acids.
4-Metabolism and organelles
As with any prokaryotic organism, cyanobacteria do not have nuclei or
an internal membrane system. However, many cyanobacteria species
have folds on their external membranes which function in photosynthesis.
Cyanobacteria get their color from the bluish pigment phycocyanin,
which they use to capture light for photosynthesis. Photosynthesis in
cyanobacteria generally uses water as an electron donor and
produces oxygen as a by-product, though some may also use hydrogen a
process which occurs among other photosynthetic bacteria. Carbon
dioxide is reduced to form carbohydrates via the Calvin cycle. In most
forms the photosynthetic machinery is embedded into folds of the cell
membrane, called thylakoids.
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Many cyanobacteria are able to reduce nitrogen and carbon dioxide
under aerobic conditions, a fact that may be responsible for their
evolutionary and ecological success. The water-oxidizing photosynthesis
is accomplished by coupling the activity of photosystem (PS) II and I.
Figure 2: General Structure of Cyanophyta
5- Classification
The cyanobacteria were traditionally classified by morphology into five
sections, referred to by the numerals I-V. The first three
Chroococcales,Pleurocapsales, and Oscillatoriales – are not supported by
phylogeneticstudies.However,thelattertwo Nostocales and Stigonematales
are monophyletic, and make up the heterocystous cyanobacteria. The
members of Chroococales are unicellular and usually aggregate in
colonies. The classic taxonomic criterion has been the cell morphology
and the plane of cell division.
A-The classes Chroobacteria, Hormogoneae and Gloeobacteria
B-The orders Chroococcales, Gloeobacterales, Nostocales, Oscillatoriales,
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Pleurocapsales and Stigonematales
C- The families Prochloraceae and Prochlorotrichaceae
D-The genera Halospirulina, Planktothricoides, Prochlorococcus,
Prochloron, Prochlorothrix.
6-Reproduction
Reproduction:
A-Vegetative Reproduction:
1) Binary fission – dividing in two
2) Fragmentation of colonies
B-Asexual reproduction through:
1) Endospores/Exospores
2) Hormogonia
3) Akinetes
4) Heterocyst.
Asexual reproduction occurs by the formation of thick walled cells
called akinites, which can also store reserve food material.
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Figure 3: The germination of an akinetes
Figure 4: Types of Reproduction tools inCyanophyta
Figure 5: The ultrastructure of a heterocyst
7- life cycle of cyanophyta
They are photosynthetic, like most other plants, but lack most of the
structures of terrestrial plant life, such as stalks, leaves and rhizomes. All
algae goes through a haploid life cycle of development, starting with a
diploidzygote, or spore, and ending up with a fully mature algae for
example, NostocalesVegetative cells grow only until nitrogen depletion
forces them to build heterocysts, thus enabling the cells to grow further
by nitrogen fixation. At the end of summer ,a few light prevents further
growth; some of the cells differentiate into akinetes, the resting spores
which sink to the bottom where they take up nutrients and mature during
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winter and spring. Finally, if the conditions are sufficiently favorable the
cells germinate and begin to rise to the surface with the help of gas
vacuoles. Here, light is abundant and growth of vegetative cells takes
place, starting the life cycle again.
Figure 6: Life cycle of Cyanophyta (Nostocales)
8- Cyanophyta Toxin
Cyanobacteria can produce neurotoxins, cytotoxins, endotoxins and
hepatotoxins (i.e. the microcystin producing bacteria species microcystis),
and are called cyanotoxins.
8-1 What are microcystins?
One group of toxins produced and released by cyanobacteria are
called microcystinsbecause they were isolated from a cyanobacterium
called Microcystis aeruginosa. Microcystins are the most common of the
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9- Biological Remediation by Algae
Throughout the world’s ever growing population and industrial
advancement results in environmental pollution problem e.g., heavy
metal, pesticides that are not easily biodegraded and persist in the
environment. The removal of such pollutants from wastes prior to
disposal, are absolutely essential. The success of bioremediation is
dependent on the selection of appropriate micro-organism with precise
ecological state. Cyanobacteria (especially those capable of diazotrophic
growth) offer distinct advantages as potential biodegradation organism,
since their survival is not dependent on the presence of high
concentration of organic compounds.
References
Afreen S, Fatma T (2013) Laccase production and simultaneous
decolourization of synthetic dyes by cyanobacteria. Inter. J. Innovative
Research Sci. Eng. Tech. 2:3563–3568
Ali Laila KM, Mostafa Soha SM (2009) Evaluation of potassium humate
and Spirulina platensis as a bio-organic fertilizer for sesame plants grown
under salinity stress. The 7th International
Conference of Organic Agriculture. 13–15 December, Egypt. J Aquat Res
871369388
Aly MHA, Abd El-All Azza AM, Mostafa Soha SM (2008) Enhancement
of sugar beet seed germination, plant growth, performance and
biochemical compounds as contributed by algal extracellular products. J
Agric Sci Mansoura Univ 33(12):8429–8448
Sahoo, D.& Seckbach, J.(2015) The Algae World, Springer, London,pp:597.
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