Cyanobacterial Heterocysts
- 1Division of Biological Sciences, University of California-San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093
- 2Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843
- Correspondence: jwgolden{at}ucsd.edu
Abstract
Many multicellular cyanobacteria produce specialized nitrogen-fixing heterocysts. During diazotrophic growth of the model organism Anabaena (Nostoc) sp. strain PCC 7120, a regulated developmental pattern of single heterocysts separated by about 10 to 20 photosynthetic vegetative cells is maintained along filaments. Heterocyst structure and metabolic activity function together to accommodate the oxygen-sensitive process of nitrogen fixation. This article focuses on recent research on heterocyst development, including morphogenesis, transport of molecules between cells in a filament, differential gene expression, and pattern formation.
- Copyright © 2010 Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press; all rights reserved
