Phycokey - Gloeothece

Home / Cyanobacteria / Colonies / Gloeothece









Click on images for larger format
Name derivation:
From the Greek gloios , glutinous substance, gelatinous, sticky, and theke , a case, a box, in reference to the cells' shape and thick mucilage.
Classification:
Gloeothece Nägeli 1849; 34 of 48 species descriptions are currently accepted taxonomically (Guiry and Guiry 2013). Order Chroococcales; Family Cyanobacteriaceae The 2001 taxonomic scheme according to Bergey's Manual of Systematic Bacteriology includes the genus Merismopedia into Gloeothece. Merismopedia forms flat (one layer) and square, free living colonies of cells organized in perpendicular rows.
Morphology:
Colonies of ovoid or rod-shaped cells each with its own well-delimited and lamellated (layered) mucilaginous sheath, the group of cells sometimes surrounded by common mucilage.
Nitrogen fixation:
Gloeothece fixes nitrogen in its vegetative cells (no heterocysts), either in light or dark. In cultures with alternating light and dark periods, N-fixation occurs in the dark (Mullineaux et al. 1980). In continuous light, N-fixation and photosynthesis co-occur (Gallon et al. 1974). Energy for N-fixation measured as ethylene production in Gloeothece comes from respiration in both dark and light. Even at saturating light conditions (~418 quanta) N-fixation was not reduced, unless the initial dissolved oxygen level was increased (Maryan et al. 1986).
Similar genera:

Habitat:
Meso- to eutrophic lakes in southern Norway and Sweden, Denmark, northern Germany and Slovakia.

References:
Gallon, J.R., T.A. Larue and W.G.W. Kurz 1974. Photosynthesis and nitrogenase activity in the blue-green alga Gloeocapsa. Canadian Journal of Microbiology 20:1633-1637. Guiry, M.D. and G.M. Guiry 2013. AlgaeBase. World-wide electronic publication, National University of Ireland, Galway. http://www.algaebase.org; searched on 04 September 2013. Maryan, P.S., R.R. Eady, A.E. Chaplin and UJ.R. Gallon 1986. Journal of General Microbiology 132:789-796. Mullineaux, P.M, A.E. Chaplin and J.R. Gallon 1980. Effects of a light to dark transition on carbon reserves, nitrogen fixation and ATP concentrations in cultures of Gloeocapsa (Gloeothece) sp. 1430/3. Journal of' Cenerul Microbiology 120, 227-232. Nägeli, C. 1849. Gattungen einzelliger Algen, physiologisch und systematisch bearbeitet. Neue Denkschriften der Allg. Schweizerischen Gesellschaft für die Gesammten Naturwissenschaften 10(7): i-viii, 1-139, pls I-VIII.
Home / Cyanobacteria / Colonies / Gloeothece

Name derivation:

Classification:

Gloeothece Nägeli 1849; 34 of 48 species descriptions are currently accepted taxonomically (Guiry and Guiry 2013).

Order Chroococcales; Family Cyanobacteriaceae

Morphology:

Gloeothece fixes nitrogen in its vegetative cells (no heterocysts), either in light or dark. In cultures with alternating light and dark periods, N-fixation occurs in the dark (Mullineaux et al. 1980). In continuous light, N-fixation and photosynthesis co-occur (Gallon et al. 1974).

Energy for N-fixation measured as ethylene production in Gloeothece comes from respiration in both dark and light. Even at saturating light conditions (~418 quanta) N-fixation was not reduced, unless the initial dissolved oxygen level was increased (Maryan et al. 1986).

Similar genera:

Habitat:

References: