• ALGAE
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.185-193
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• 2009

Geothermal springs in India, formed as a result of volcanic or tectonic activities, are characterized by high temperature and relatively abundant reduced compounds. These thermal springs are inhabited by characteristic thermophilic organisms including cyanobacteria. Cyanobacteria are among the few organisms that can occupy high temperature aquatic environments including hot springs. In alkaline and neutral hot springs and streams flowing from them cyanobacteria can form thick colourful mats that exhibit banding patterns. The present investigation involves study of mat forming cyanobacterial flora from hot springs located in Bakreswar, West Bengal, India. The important species found are Synechococcus bigranulatus, S. lividus, Gloeocapsa gelatinosa, G. muralis, Phormidium laminosum, P. frigidum, Oscillatoria princes, O. fragilis, Lyngbya lutea, Pseudanabaena sp., Calothrix thermalis, and Fischerella thermalis. Their distribution pattern in relation to physico-chemical parameters of spring water has also been studied. Three cyanobacterial strains of the above mentioned list were grown in culture and their pigment content and nitrogen fixing capacity were also studied. Nitrogen fixing capacities of Calothrix thermalis, Nostoc sp. (isolated in culture) and Fischerella thermalis are 5.14, 0.29, and 2.60 n mole $C_2H_4/{\mu}g$ of Chl-${\alpha}$/hr respectively. Carotenoid : Chlorophyll-${\alpha}$ ratio of four mat samples collected from Kharkunda, Suryakunda, Dudhkunda and bathing pool are 2.45, 1.60, 1.48, and 1.34, respectively. Higher value of Carotenoid : Chlorophyll-${\alpha}$ ratio coincided with higher temperature.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.51-56
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• 1998

It is very difficult to separate and purify the microcystins, cyanobacterial toxins since it exist in a trace level in natural lakes. In this paper, we developed a new analytical method to separate and purify the microcystin RR and LR from the freeze-dried cyanobacterial cells in natural lakes. We used 7.5 g silica gel as a stationary phase and ethyl acetate: isopropanol: water (30: 45: 25) as a mobile phase and microcystins were eluted using an open column. The eluting solvent was collected in a small bottle at the intervals of 3 mL and the fractions were chromatographed with HPLC to confirm the microcystin RR and LR.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.946-951
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• 2008

The opd gene, encoding organophosphorus hydrolase (OPH) from Flavobacterium sp. capable of degrading a wide range of organophosphate pesticides, was surface- and intracellular-expressed in Synechococcus PCC7942, a prime example of photoautotrophic cyanobacteria. OPH was displayed on the cyanobacterial cell surface using the truncated ice nucleation protein as an anchoring motif. A minor fraction of OPH was displayed onto the outermost surface of cyanobacterial cells, as verified by immunostaining visualized under confocal laser scanning microscopy and OPH activity analysis; however, a substantial fraction of OPH was buried in the cell wall, as demonstrated by proteinase K and lysozyme treatments. The cyanobacterial outer membrane acts as a substrate (paraoxon) diffusion barrier affecting whole-cell biodegradation efficiency. After freeze-thaw treatment, permeabilized whole cells with intracellular-expressed OPH exhibited 14-fold higher bioconversion efficiency ($V_{max}/K_m$) than that of cells with surface-expressed OPH. As cyanobacteria have simple growth requirements and are inexpensive to maintain, expression of OPH in cyanobacteria may lead to the development of a low-cost and low-maintenance biocatalyst that is useful for detoxification of organophosphate pesticides.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.491-498
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• 2011

We investigated the ranges of total cellular microcystins content of cyanobacterial blooms collected in Korean lakes and rivers from 2005 to 2009. The amount and composition of microcystins of Korean cyanobacteria varied depending on the sampling water bodies and dominant cyanobacterial genera. Toxic cyanobacterial cell numbers equivalent to $1{\mu}g$ MCYSTs/L using total cellular microcystin content of Korean cyanobacteria were in the range of 2,348 to 66,980,638 cells/mL. Only four samples among forty nine samples showed less cell numbers than current criterion of Harmful Algae Alert System, 5,000 cells/mL indicating current criterion do not reflect properly the microcystins content of Korean cyanobacteria. Anabaena and Aphanizomenon spp. showed three to six times higher cell numbers equivalent to $1{\mu}g$ MCYSTs/L than Microcystis spp. To propose criteria of Harmful Algae Alert System for Korean toxic cyanobacteria, we calculated about 50% selective geometrical means of cyanobacterial cell numbers equivalent to $1{\mu}g$ MCYSTs/L in order of toxic content. The proposed criteria for Microcystis, Oscillatoria, Anabaena, and Aphanizomenon spp., are 10,000, 20,000, 40,000, and 80,000 cells/mL, respectively.

• 한국생태학회:학술대회논문집
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• 1999.05a
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• pp.75-75
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• 1999

• Proceedings of the Korea Society of Environmental Biology Conference
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• 2004.12a
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• pp.85-85
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• 2004

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Potoscience Conference
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• 2005.06a
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• pp.19-19
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• 2005

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.284-289
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• 1997

A Gram (-), rod-shaped bacterium $2.3{\sim}2.8{\times}0.45{\mu}m$ in size which exhibited growth-inhibiting effects against a cyanobacterium (Anabaena cylindrica) was isolated from Daechung Dam Reservoir. This isolate was identified as Moraxella sp. and designated Moracella sp. CK-1. Hollow zones formed around bacterial colonies on the cyanobacterial lawn. In a mixed-culture of A. cylindrica and the isolate, each microorganism grew inverse-proportionally, and the cyanobacterial vegetative cells completely disappeared within 24 hours. On treatment with Moraxella sp. CK-1, cell walls of A. cylindrica disappeared, but sheathes remained in a more electron dense form. The unit membrane such as thylakoidal membrane was stable to bacterial lysing activity. This bacterium showed a broad action spectrum against cyanobacteria. The growth-inhibiting activity of Moracella sp. CK-1 against A. cylindrica is believed to be performed through the excretion of active substances.

• Proceedings of the Korean Environmental Health Society Conference
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• 2005.06a
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• pp.11-44
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• 2005

The occurrence of toxic cyanobacterial blooms has been reported worldwide and pose a threat to human health through drinking water exposure. The toxins they produced are highly water soluble and can leach into the water body. To eliminate any risk of drinking water exposure, removal of these toxins is essential before the water is consumed. Conventional water treatment techniques such as chlorination, if managed well, can be effectively used to remove some of these toxins, however, saxitoxin and derivatives pose a problem. Little toxicological data are available to evaluate the real threat of these toxins.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.1090-1094
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• 2008

In this article, we show that the orf slr1471 from Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 codes for a functional member of the YidC/Alb3/Oxa1 protein family, and the encoded protein has a transmembrane topology with a common core structure. Using specific antibodies raised against the Synechocystis YidC homologous protein, we further show that the Synechocystis YidC protein appears to be predominantly localized in the cyanobacterial cytoplasmic membrane. The impact of the described findings for synthesis of membrane proteins and for protein sorting within cyanobacterial cells is discussed.