Phosphorus limitation for the colony formation, growth and photosynthesis of an edible cyanobacterium, Nostoc sphaeroides

Abstract

The percentage of spherical colonies from the trichomes of Nostoc sphaeroides reached 62-73% after 16 days with 50 and 250 μM P, but only 10-15% at 0.5 and 5 μM P. During colony formation from microcolonies to macrocolonies, the growth rates were 95, 206 and 244% higher, respectively at 5, 50 and 250 μM P than that at 0.5 μM P. The light-saturated photosynthetic rate, maximum electron transport rate and light-limited photosynthetic efficiency at 0.5 μM P decreased, respectively, by 45, 51 and 32% than those at 250 μM P. These indicated that the colony development, growth and photosynthetic capacities were restricted at low P level, suggesting that P might be an important factor limiting the productivity and distribution of N. sphaeroides in the field.

Efficient Semi‐Artificial Photosynthesis of Ethylene by a Self‐Assembled InP‐Cyanobacterial Biohybrid System

“…Based on the studies described above, we selected N. sphaeroides colonies with diameters of 1–1.5 mm to construct the biohybrid system with InP nanomaterial (Figure 2a). Filaments of N. sphaeroides aggregate gradually into the microcolonies during the extended period of free settling, and this property had been utilized to construct the InP‐ N. sphaeroides biohybrid system [28b] . The InP nanomaterial was prepared (see the Experimental Section) and characterized for its morphology and photoelectrical properties.…”

The influence of soil and water physicochemical properties on the distribution of Nostoc sphaeroides (Cyanophyceae) in paddy fields and biochemical comparison with indoor cultured biomass

“…It has also been suggested that P might play an important role in the growth and distribution of the N. sphaeroides in wild habitats (Mandal et al 1993;Qiu et al 2002;Chen et al 2012), and P availability is an important factor controlling phytoplankton productivity and species composition in lakes (Cotner and Wetzel 1992). Available phosphorus (AP) is the soluble PO 4 3− in soil absorbed by seasonal plants (Bao 2000).…”