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Articles

Accumulation of Cyanophycin Granules as a Result of Phosphate Limitation in Agmenellum quadruplicatum¹

David L. Balkwill

Department of Microbiology, Cell Biology, Biochemistry and Biophysics, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, Department of Microbiology, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire 03824

Phosphate-limited growth of the blue-green alga Agmenellum quadruplicatum resulted in the accumulation of cyanophycin granule polypeptide (CGP), which is a 1:1 co-polymer of aspartic acid and arginine. The progressive accumulation of CGP began after depletion of phosphate from the medium. CGP increased in concentration much faster than the increase in cell number. Electron microscopy indicated that both the number of cyanophycin granules per cell section and the diameter of each granule increased as phosphate starvation progressed. A marked decrease in the electron density of the inter-thylakoidal areas took place concurrently with the accumulation of CGP. At the same time a progessive decrease in the pigment concentration of cells and in the rate of nitrate uptake was observed. Thirty-two hours after phosphate depletion from the medium up to 28% of total cellular nitrogen was found in CGP.

¹ This study was supported by grant GM 23524 from the National Institutes of Health to S.E.S. and by the Central University Research Fund of the University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, to D.L.B.

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