EFFECT OF LIGHT QUALITY ON THE ACETYLENE REDUCING ACTIVITY OF THE ISOLATED HETEROCYSTS OF ANABAENA SP. STRAIN CA

Abstract

Metabolically active heterocysts isolated from Anabaena sp, strain CA showed high rates of light-dependent nitrogenase activity. When these active heterocysts were incubated under light of various wavelengths, they were most active under blue light, followed by yellow and red light respectively. Involvement of phycobiliproteins in transferring light energy to photosystem I in isolated heterocysts is discussed. Aldolase, phosphofructokinase and catalase activities were also studied in extracts of vegetative cells as were heterocysts from Anabaena sp. strain CA.