Superoxide dismutase in vegetative cells, heterocysts and akinetes of Anabaena cylindrica Lemm |
| |
Authors: | M. Grilli Caiola A. Canini F. Galiazzo G. Rotilio |
| |
Affiliation: | Dipartimento di Biologia, Università"Tor Vergata", Roma, Italy |
| |
Abstract: | Abstract: Superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity was assayed in vegetative cells, heterocysts and akinetes of Anabaena cylindrica Lemm. The iron-containing isoenzyme (Fe-SOD) was in all cases predominant over the manganese-containing isoenzyme (Mn-SOD). Differentiated cells maintained the same relative content of the two enzymes as in vegetative cells. However, heterocysts and akinetes contained only 20 and 35%, respectively, of the total SOD activity present in vegetative cells. Both Mn-SOD and Fe-SOD activities increased in all types of cells isolated from A. cylindrica grown at high light intensity. The increase of SOD in heterocysts paralleled that of nitrogenase, suggesting a role of SOD in the protection mechanism of nitrogenase. |
| |
Keywords: | Anabaena cylindrica Superoxide dismutase Heterocyst Nitrogenase activity |
|
|