Phycokey - Tolypothrix

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Name derivation:
From the Greek tolype, a ball of wool, and thrix, the hair
Classification:
Tolypothrix Kützing ex Bornet and Flahault 1886; 72 of 99 species descriptions are currently accepted taxonomically. Order Nostocales; Family Microchaetaceae
Morphology:
Long filaments bearing basal spherical heterocysts at which false branching arises. The many false branches give this genus a wooly appearance, hence its name.
Similar genera:
Scytonema is similar but false branching is usually double and usually occur at the site of formation of necridia (dead cells) and not at heterocysts.
Chromatic adaptation:
Synthesis of phycoerithrin (PE) and phycocyanin (PC) biliproteins in Tolypothrix tenuis occurs in the dark. Control of which pigment is produced occurs during a preillumination period in which red light favors PE and green light favors PC. Short periods of exposure to one and then the other color light cause a reversal of an upstream phytochrome-like protein that switches depending on the last color displayed (Diakoff and Scheibe 1972).
Heterotrophic growth:
Tolypothrix tenuis cultured in the presence of glucose or fructose (C source) and (NH₄)₂SO₄ (as the N source) growth occurred, at a much lower rate than autotrophic growth. Maximum heterotrophic growth occurred when either of the sugars along with either of the amino acids arginine or phenylalanine were employed (Kiyohara et al. 1960). T. tenuis respires various sugars at different rates, the highest rate is glucose that is converted into a polysaccharide in the dark (Cheung and Gibbs 1966).
Anti-fungal and anti-bacterial agents:
Lipophilic extracts from Tolypothrix tjipanasensis containing chlorine called ‘tjipanazoles’, C₂₄H₂₀N₂O₄Cl₂, have moderate fungicidal activity (Bonjouklian et al. 1991). T. tenuis extracts have agents that inhibit growth of Bacillus subtilis ATCC-11774 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC-15442 (Malathi, et al. 2014).
Anti-cancer agents:
Anti-lymphocytic leukemia (in mice) alkenes were found in lipophilic extracts of Tolypothrix conglutinate var. chlorata collected from the wall of a shed near the Cable Station, Fanning Island (Tabuaeran), Kiribati Republic, 1760 km SSW from Hawaii USA (Mynderse and Moore 1979). Tubercidin is an inhibitor of synthesis of DNA, RNA and protein in the KB line of cancer cells, and is effective against P-388 lymphocytic leukemia in mice(Barchi Jr. et al. 1983). Tolyporphin is a lipophilic extract of Tolypothrix nodosa (from a soil sample in Nan Madol, Pohnpei, Micronesia) that reverses multidrug resistance of a human ovarian adenocarcinoma cell line (Prinsep et al. 1992).
Habitat:
Planktonic or entangled in vegetation in freshwater lakes.

References:
Barchi Jr., J.J., T.R. Norton, E. Furusawa, G.M.L. Patterson and R.E. Moore 1983. Identification of a cytotoxin from Tolypothrix byssoidea as tubercidin. Phytochemistry 22(12):2851-2852. Bonjouklian, R., T.A. Smitka, L.E. Doolin, R.M. Molloy, M. Debono, S.A. Shaffer, R.E. Moore, J.B. Stewart and G.M.L. Patterson 1991. Tjipanazoles, new antifungal agents from the blue-green alga Tolypothrix tjipanasensis. Tetrahedron 47(37):7739-7750. Bornet, É. and C. Flahault 1886 '1887'). Revision des Nostocacées hétérocystées contenues dans les principaux herbiers de France. Annales des Sciences Naturelles, Botanique, Septième série 5: 51-129. Cheung, W.Y. and M. Gibbs 1966. Dark and photometabolism of sugars by a blue green alga: Tolypothix tenuis. Plant Physiology 41:731-737. Diakoff, S. and J. Scheibe 1972. Action spectra for chromatic adaptation in Tolypothrix tenuis. Plant Physiology 51:382-385. Guiry, M.D. and G.M. Guiry 2013. AlgaeBase. World-wide electronic publication, National University of Ireland, Galway. http://www.algaebase.org; searched on 28 February 2013. Kiyohara, T., Y. Fujita, A. Hattori and A. Watanabe 1960. Heterotrophic culture of a blue-green alga, Tolypothrix tenuis I. Journal of General Applied Microbiology 6(3):176-182. Malathi, T., M. R. Babu, T. Mounika, D. Snehalatha and B.D. Rao 2014. Screening of cyanobacterial strains for antibacterial activity. Phykos 44(2):6-11. Mynderse, J.S. and R.E. Moore 1979. Isotactic polymethoxy-1-alkenes from the blue-green alga Tolypothrix conglutinate var. chlorata. Phytochemistry 18:1181-1183. Prinsep, M.R., F.R. Caplan, R.E. Moore, G.M.L. Patterson and C.D. Smith 1992. Tolyporphin, a novel multidrug resistance reversing agent from the blue-green alga Tolypothrix nodosa. Journal of the American Chemical Society 114:385-387.
Home / Cyanobacteria / Filaments / Pseudo-branches / Tolypothrix

Name derivation:

Classification:

Tolypothrix Kützing ex Bornet and Flahault 1886; 72 of 99 species descriptions are currently accepted taxonomically.

Order Nostocales; Family Microchaetaceae

Morphology:

Similar genera:

Chromatic adaptation:

Heterotrophic growth:

T. tenuis respires various sugars at different rates, the highest rate is glucose that is converted into a polysaccharide in the dark (Cheung and Gibbs 1966).

Anti-fungal and anti-bacterial agents:

Lipophilic extracts from Tolypothrix tjipanasensis containing chlorine called ‘tjipanazoles’, C₂₄H₂₀N₂O₄Cl₂, have moderate fungicidal activity (Bonjouklian et al. 1991).

T. tenuis extracts have agents that inhibit growth of Bacillus subtilis ATCC-11774 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC-15442 (Malathi, et al. 2014).

Anti-cancer agents:

Anti-lymphocytic leukemia (in mice) alkenes were found in lipophilic extracts of Tolypothrix conglutinate var. chlorata collected from the wall of a shed near the Cable Station, Fanning Island (Tabuaeran), Kiribati Republic, 1760 km SSW from Hawaii USA (Mynderse and Moore 1979).

Tubercidin is an inhibitor of synthesis of DNA, RNA and protein in the KB line of cancer cells, and is effective against P-388 lymphocytic leukemia in mice(Barchi Jr. et al. 1983).

Tolyporphin is a lipophilic extract of Tolypothrix nodosa (from a soil sample in Nan Madol, Pohnpei, Micronesia) that reverses multidrug resistance of a human ovarian adenocarcinoma cell line (Prinsep et al. 1992).

Habitat:

References:

Name derivation:

Classification:

Tolypothrix Kützing ex Bornet and Flahault 1886; 72 of 99 species descriptions are currently accepted taxonomically.

Order Nostocales; Family Microchaetaceae

Morphology:

Similar genera:

Chromatic adaptation:

Heterotrophic growth:

T. tenuis respires various sugars at different rates, the highest rate is glucose that is converted into a polysaccharide in the dark (Cheung and Gibbs 1966).

Anti-fungal and anti-bacterial agents:

Lipophilic extracts from Tolypothrix tjipanasensis containing chlorine called ‘tjipanazoles’, C24H20N2O4Cl2, have moderate fungicidal activity (Bonjouklian et al. 1991).

T. tenuis extracts have agents that inhibit growth of Bacillus subtilis ATCC-11774 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC-15442 (Malathi, et al. 2014).

Anti-cancer agents:

Anti-lymphocytic leukemia (in mice) alkenes were found in lipophilic extracts of Tolypothrix conglutinate var. chlorata collected from the wall of a shed near the Cable Station, Fanning Island (Tabuaeran), Kiribati Republic, 1760 km SSW from Hawaii USA (Mynderse and Moore 1979).

Tubercidin is an inhibitor of synthesis of DNA, RNA and protein in the KB line of cancer cells, and is effective against P-388 lymphocytic leukemia in mice(Barchi Jr. et al. 1983).

Tolyporphin is a lipophilic extract of Tolypothrix nodosa (from a soil sample in Nan Madol, Pohnpei, Micronesia) that reverses multidrug resistance of a human ovarian adenocarcinoma cell line (Prinsep et al. 1992).

Habitat:

References:

Lipophilic extracts from Tolypothrix tjipanasensis containing chlorine called ‘tjipanazoles’, C₂₄H₂₀N₂O₄Cl₂, have moderate fungicidal activity (Bonjouklian et al. 1991).