Structural Variations of Polyphosphate Bodies in Blue-Green Algae

Abstract

Polyphosphate appears to be a ubiquitous component of all microorganisms. Electron microscopic examination of blue-green algae reveals bodies which are usually spherical, and have a wide range of electron densities. From work conducted in our laboratory, it appears that the image of the polyphosphate bodies varies with the culture conditions as well as the stage of development under constant culture conditions. The following report describes the various images one can observe.For most experiments, the blue-green algae were fixed by the method of Pankratz and Bowen. The algae were pelleted, the culture media poured off, and the pellet was resuspended in 1% OsO4 buffered at pH 6.2 for 3 hours at room temperature.