Abstract
Summary The effects of cadmium on the fine structure of the nitrogen-fixing cyanobacterium Nostoc UAM208 have been studied. Cells were treated with final free ion Cd 2+ concentrations of 4.89 and 6.36 μM. Posible cell damage was examined at 6, 24, 48 and 96 h of heavy metal exposure. The main alterations induced by cadmium included the development of large areas of intrathylakoidal spaces, thylakoid disorganization and degradation, increase in the number and size of polyphosphate bodies, appearance of large cyanophycin granules and, eventually, cell lysis, leaving a much larger proportion of heterocysts. Finally, the physiological relevance of these observations is discused.
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