Cyanobacterium Anabaena Sp Research Articles

Production of exopolysaccharides by the cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. BTA992 and application as bioflocculants

Article history: Received on: 03/12/2015 Revised on: 28/12/2015 Accepted on: 16/01/2016 Available online: 19/02/2016 Bioflocculant exopolysaccharide (EPS) production by ten (10) cyanobacterial strains comprising of five (05) heterocystous and five (05) non-heterocystous strains during their photoautotrophic growth was investigated. Highest level of EPS was produced by Anabaena sp. BTA992 among the investigated strains with high flocculation capacity. The cyanobacterial EPS consisted of soluble protein and polysaccharide that included substantial amounts of neutral sugars and uronic acid. The flocculant bound a cationic dye, alcian blue, indicating it to be polyanionic. EPS production was maximum during stationary growth phase and late phase of growth at pH 8.5. The strain was identified by 16S rRNA typing and GenBank accession number was obtained as KJ830950. The investigation revealed that this Anabaena sp. could be a potential candidate for the commercial EPS production and might be utilized in applications as an alternative to synthetic flocculants.

Efficient Gene Induction and Endogenous Gene Repression Systems for the Filamentous Cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. PCC 7120.

In the last decade, many studies have been conducted to employ genetically engineered cyanobacteria in the production of various metabolites. However, the lack of a strict gene regulation system in cyanobacteria has hampered these attempts. The filamentous cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. PCC 7120 performs both nitrogen and carbon fixation and is, therefore, a good candidate organism for such production. To employ Anabaena cells for this purpose, we intended to develop artificial gene regulation systems to alter the cell metabolic pathways efficiently. We introduced into Anabaena a transcriptional repressor TetR, widely used in diverse organisms, and green fluorescent protein (GFP) as a reporter. We found that anhydrotetracycline (aTc) substantially induced GFP fluorescence in a concentration-dependent manner. By expressing tetR under the nitrate-specific promoter nirA, we successfully reduced the concentration of aTc required for the induction of gfp under nitrogen fixation conditions (to 10% of the concentration needed under nitrate-replete conditions). Further, we succeeded in the overexpression of GFP by depletion of nitrate without the inducer by means of promoter engineering of the nirA promoter. Moreover, we applied these gene regulation systems to a metabolic enzyme in Anabaena and successfully repressed glnA, the gene encoding glutamine synthetase that is essential for nitrogen assimilation in cyanobacteria, by expressing the small antisense RNA for glnA. Consequently, the ammonium production of an ammonium-excreting Anabaena mutant was significantly enhanced. We therefore conclude that the gene regulation systems developed in this study are useful tools for the regulation of metabolic enzymes and will help to increase the production of desired substances in Anabaena.

Structural insights into HetR-PatS interaction involved in cyanobacterial pattern formation.

The one-dimensional pattern of heterocyst in the model cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. PCC 7120 is coordinated by the transcription factor HetR and PatS peptide. Here we report the complex structures of HetR binding to DNA, and its hood domain (HetRHood) binding to a PatS-derived hexapeptide (PatS6) at 2.80 and 2.10 Å, respectively. The intertwined HetR dimer possesses a couple of novel HTH motifs, each of which consists of two canonical α-helices in the DNA-binding domain and an auxiliary α-helix from the flap domain of the neighboring subunit. Two PatS6 peptides bind to the lateral clefts of HetRHood, and trigger significant conformational changes of the flap domain, resulting in dissociation of the auxiliary α-helix and eventually release of HetR from the DNA major grove. These findings provide the structural insights into a prokaryotic example of Turing model.

Requirement of Fra proteins for communication channels between cells in the filamentous nitrogen-fixing cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. PCC 7120

The filamentous nitrogen-fixing cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. PCC 7120 differentiates specialized cells, heterocysts, that fix atmospheric nitrogen and transfer the fixed nitrogen to adjacent vegetative cells. Reciprocally, vegetative cells transfer fixed carbon to heterocysts. Several routes have been described for metabolite exchange within the filament, one of which involves communicating channels that penetrate the septum between adjacent cells. Several fra gene mutants were isolated 25 y ago on the basis of their phenotypes: inability to fix nitrogen and fragmentation of filaments upon transfer from N+ to N- media. Cryopreservation combined with electron tomography were used to investigate the role of three fra gene products in channel formation. FraC and FraG are clearly involved in channel formation, whereas FraD has a minor part. Additionally, FraG was located close to the cytoplasmic membrane and in the heterocyst neck, using immunogold labeling with antibody raised to the N-terminal domain of the FraG protein.

The filamentous cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. PCC 7120 imports either free Fe(III), shown here coordinated by 6 water molecules (structure provided by G. Galstyan and E-W. Knapp; J Comput Chem. 2015, 36:69-78), or the ferric-schizokinen complex (PDB entry 3

Molecular MicrobiologyVolume 97, Issue 3 p. i-i Front CoverFree Access The filamentous cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. PCC 7120 imports either free Fe(III), shown here coordinated by 6 water molecules (structure provided by G. Galstyan and E-W. Knapp; J Comput Chem. 2015, 36:69–78), or the ferric-schizokinen complex (PDB entry 3TNY) which is produced when iron is limiting. The background is a light microscopic image of Anabaena filaments and the bottom right is based on an electron micrograph of a cross section of an Anabaena cell revealing its internal membrane system as well as three carboxysomes. (Images from M. Rudolf and E. Schleiff, structures prepared by O. Mirus). For details, see the article by Rudolf et al. on pp. 577–588 of this issue. First published: 27 July 2015 https://doi.org/10.1111/mmi.13127AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article. Volume97, Issue3August 2015Pages i-i RelatedInformation

Multiple modes of iron uptake by the filamentous, siderophore-producing cyanobacterium, Anabaena sp. PCC 7120.

Iron is a member of a small group of nutrients that limits aquatic primary production. Mechanisms for utilizing iron have to be efficient and adapted according to the ecological niche. In respect to iron acquisition cyanobacteria, prokaryotic oxygen evolving photosynthetic organisms can be divided into siderophore- and non-siderophore-producing strains. The results presented in this paper suggest that the situation is far more complex. To understand the bioavailability of different iron substrates and the advantages of various uptake strategies, we examined iron uptake mechanisms in the siderophore-producing cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. PCC 7120. Comparison of the uptake of iron complexed with exogenous (desferrioxamine B, DFB) or to self-secreted (schizokinen) siderophores by Anabaena sp. revealed that uptake of the endogenous produced siderophore complexed to iron is more efficient. In addition, Anabaena sp. is able to take up dissolved, ferric iron hydroxide species (Fe') via a reductive mechanism. Thus, Anabaena sp. exhibits both, siderophore- and non-siderophore-mediated iron uptake. While assimilation of Fe' and FeDFB are not induced by iron starvation, FeSchizokinen uptake rates increase with increasing iron starvation. Consequently, we suggest that Fe' reduction and uptake is advantageous for low-density cultures, while at higher densities siderophore uptake is preferred.

Improved Alkane Production in Nitrogen-Fixing and Halotolerant Cyanobacteria via Abiotic Stresses and Genetic Manipulation of Alkane Synthetic Genes.

Cyanobacteria possess the unique capacity to produce alkane. In this study, effects of nitrogen deficiency and salt stress on biosynthesis of alkanes were investigated in three kinds of cyanobacteria. Intracellular alkane accumulation was increased in nitrogen-fixing cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. PCC7120, but decreased in non-diazotrophic cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus PCC7942 and constant in a halotolerant cyanobacterium Aphanothece halophytica under nitrogen-deficient condition. We also found that salt stress increased alkane accumulation in Anabaena sp. PCC7120 and A. halophytica. The expression levels of two alkane synthetic genes were not upregulated significantly under nitrogen deficiency or salt stress in Anabaena sp. PCC7120. The transformant Anabaena sp. PCC7120 cells with additional alkane synthetic gene set from A. halophytica increased intracellular alkane accumulation level compared to control cells. These results provide a prospect to improve bioproduction of alkanes in nitrogen-fixing halotolerant cyanobacteria via abiotic stresses and genetic engineering.

Induction of the Nitrate Assimilation nirA Operon and Protein-Protein Interactions in the Maturation of Nitrate and Nitrite Reductases in the Cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. Strain PCC 7120.

Nitrate is widely used as a nitrogen source by cyanobacteria, in which the nitrate assimilation structural genes frequently constitute the so-called nirA operon. This operon contains the genes encoding nitrite reductase (nirA), a nitrate/nitrite transporter (frequently an ABC-type transporter; nrtABCD), and nitrate reductase (narB). In the model filamentous cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. strain PCC 7120, which can fix N2 in specialized cells termed heterocysts, the nirA operon is expressed at high levels only in media containing nitrate or nitrite and lacking ammonium, a preferred nitrogen source. Here we examined the genes downstream of the nirA operon in Anabaena and found that a small open reading frame of unknown function, alr0613, can be cotranscribed with the operon. The next gene in the genome, alr0614 (narM), showed an expression pattern similar to that of the nirA operon, implying correlated expression of narM and the operon. A mutant of narM with an insertion mutation failed to produce nitrate reductase activity, consistent with the idea that NarM is required for the maturation of NarB. Both narM and narB mutants were impaired in the nitrate-dependent induction of the nirA operon, suggesting that nitrite is an inducer of the operon in Anabaena. It has previously been shown that the nitrite reductase protein NirA requires NirB, a protein likely involved in protein-protein interactions, to attain maximum activity. Bacterial two-hybrid analysis confirmed possible NirA-NirB and NarB-NarM interactions, suggesting that the development of both nitrite reductase and nitrate reductase activities in cyanobacteria involves physical interaction of the corresponding enzymes with their cognate partners, NirB and NarM, respectively. Nitrate is an important source of nitrogen for many microorganisms that is utilized through the nitrate assimilation system, which includes nitrate/nitrite membrane transporters and the nitrate and nitrite reductases. Many cyanobacteria assimilate nitrate, but regulation of the nitrate assimilation system varies in different cyanobacterial groups. In the N2-fixing, heterocyst-forming cyanobacteria, the nirA operon, which includes the structural genes for the nitrate assimilation system, is expressed in the presence of nitrate or nitrite if ammonium is not available to the cells. Here we studied the genes required for production of an active nitrate reductase, providing information on the nitrate-dependent induction of the operon, and found evidence for possible protein-protein interactions in the maturation of nitrate reductase and nitrite reductase.

Characterization of three putative xylulose 5-phosphate/fructose 6-phosphate phosphoketolases in the cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. PCC 7120.

Xylulose 5-phosphate/fructose 6-phosphate phosphoketolase (Xfp) is a key enzyme in the central carbohydrate metabolism in heterofermentative bacteria, in which enzymatic property of Xfps is well characterized. This is not the case in other microbes. The cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. PCC 7120 possesses three putative genes encoding Xfp, all1483, all2567, and alr1850. We purified three putative Xfps as recombinant proteins. The results of gel filtration indicated that these proteins form homomultimer complex. All1483 and All2567 showed phosphoketolase activity, whereas Alr1850 did not show the activity. Kinetic analyses demonstrated that substrates, fructose 6-phosphate and inorganic phosphate, are cooperatively bound to enzymes positively and negatively, respectively.

Amino Acid Transporters and Release of Hydrophobic Amino Acids in the Heterocyst-Forming Cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. Strain PCC 7120.

Anabaena sp. strain PCC 7120 is a filamentous cyanobacterium that can use inorganic compounds such as nitrate or ammonium as nitrogen sources. In the absence of combined nitrogen, it can fix N2 in differentiated cells called heterocysts. Anabaena also shows substantial activities of amino acid uptake, and three ABC-type transporters for amino acids have been previously characterized. Seven new loci encoding predicted amino acid transporters were identified in the Anabaena genomic sequence and inactivated. Two of them were involved in amino acid uptake. Locus alr2535-alr2541 encodes the elements of a hydrophobic amino acid ABC-type transporter that is mainly involved in the uptake of glycine. ORF all0342 encodes a putative transporter from the dicarboxylate/amino acid:cation symporter (DAACS) family whose inactivation resulted in an increased uptake of a broad range of amino acids. An assay to study amino acid release from Anabaena filaments to the external medium was set up. Net release of the alanine analogue α-aminoisobutyric acid (AIB) was observed when transport system N-I (a hydrophobic amino acid ABC-type transporter) was engaged in the uptake of a specific substrate. The rate of AIB release was directly proportional to the intracellular AIB concentration, suggesting leakage from the cells by diffusion.

Characterization of five putative aspartate aminotransferase genes in the N2-fixing heterocystous cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. strain PCC 7120

Aspartate and glutamate are two key amino acids used in biosynthesis of many amino acids that play vital role in cellular metabolism. Aspartate aminotransferases (AspATs) are required for channelling nitrogen (N(2)) between Glu and Asp in all life forms. Biochemical and genetic characterization of AspATs have been lacking in N(2)-fixing cyanobacteria. In this report, five putative AspAT genes (alr1039, all2340, alr2765, all4327 and alr4853) were identified in the N(2)-fixing heterocystous cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. PCC 7120. Five recombinant C-terminal hexahistidine-tagged AspATs (AspAT-H(6)) were overexpressed in Escherichia coli and purified to homogeneity. Biochemical analysis demonstrated that these five putative AspATs have authentic AspAT activity in vitro using aspartate as an amino donor. However, the enzymic activities of the five AspATs differed in vitro. Alr4853-H(6) showed the highest AspAT activity, while the enzymic activity for the other four AspATs ranged from 6.5 to 53.7 % activity compared to Alr4853 (100 %). Genetic characterization of the five AspAT genes was also performed by inactivating each individual gene. All of the five AspAT knockout mutants exhibited reduced diazotrophic growth, and alr4853 was further identified to be a Fox gene (requiring fixed N(2) for growth in the presence of oxygen). Four out of five P(aspAT)-gfp transcriptional fusions were constitutively expressed in both diazotrophic and nitrate-dependent growth conditions. Quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR showed that alr4853 expression was increased by 2.3-fold after 24 h of N(2) deprivation. Taken together, these findings add to our understanding of the role of AspATs in N(2)-fixing within heterocystous cyanobacteria.

Regulation of Genes Involved in Heterocyst Differentiation in the Cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. Strain PCC 7120 by a Group 2 Sigma Factor SigC.

The filamentous cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. strain PCC 7120 differentiates specialized cells for nitrogen fixation called heterocysts upon limitation of combined nitrogen in the medium. During heterocyst differentiation, expression of approximately 500 genes is upregulated with spatiotemporal regulation. In the present study, we investigated the functions of sigma factors of RNA polymerase in the regulation of heterocyst differentiation. The transcript levels of sigC, sigE, and sigG were increased during heterocyst differentiation, while expression of sigJ was downregulated. We carried out DNA microarray analysis to identify genes regulated by SigC, SigE, and SigG. It was indicated that SigC regulated the expression of genes involved in heterocyst differentiation and functions. Moreover, genes regulated by SigC partially overlapped with those regulated by SigE, and deficiency of SigC was likely to be compensated by SigE.

Cadmium removal by Anabaena sp. ATCC 33047 immobilized in polyurethane foam

The nitrogen-fixing cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. ATCC 33047, which generates substantial amounts of exopolysaccharide, was immobilized by entrapment within the reticulate network of polyurethane foam discs. The immobilized Anabaena sp. system has been investigated as a potential biosorbent for the removal of cadmium from aqueous solutions. The results showed that it was a highly fast process, with 80 % of the adsorption taking place in the first 10 min, reaching full equilibrium in about 50 min. Data analysis indicated that the behaviour of the system accurately fits to a monolayer adsorption model (Langmuir isotherm). The maximal biosorption capacity determined for the immobilized Anabaena sp. system was as high as 162 mg Cd (II) per gram dry biomass. The outstanding properties established for immobilized Anabaena sp. in polyurethane foam underline the relevance of such a system as an alternative to current treatments of variety effluents or wastewater contaminated with cadmium.

Role of manganese in protection against oxidative stress under iron starvation in cyanobacterium Anabaena 7120.

The cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. PCC 7120 was grown in presence and absence of iron to decipher the role of manganese in protection against the oxidative stress under iron starvation and growth, manganese uptake kinetics, antioxidative enzymes, lipid peroxidation, electrolyte leakage, thiol content, total peroxide, proline and NADH content was investigated. Manganese supported the growth of cyanobacterium Anabaena 7120 under iron deprived conditions where maximum uptake rate of manganese was observed with lower K(m) and higher V(max) values. Antioxidative enzymes were also found to be elevated in iron-starved conditions. Estimation of lipid peroxidation and electrolyte leakage depicted the role of manganese in stabilizing the integrity of the membrane which was considered as the prime target of oxygen free radicals in oxidative stress. The levels of total peroxide, thiol, proline and NADH content, which are the representative of oxidative stress response in Anabaena 7120, were also showed increasing trends in iron starvation. Hence, the results discerned, clearly suggested the role of manganese in protection against the oxidative stress in cyanobacterium Anabaena 7120 under iron starvation either due to its antioxidative properties or involvement as cofactor in a number of antioxidative enzymes.

Zur (FurB) is a key factor in the control of the oxidative stress response in Anabaena sp. PCC 7120.

Iron and zinc are necessary nutrients whose homeostasis is tightly controlled by members of the ferric uptake regulator (FUR) superfamily in the cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. PCC7120. Although the link between iron metabolism and oxidative stress management is well documented, little is known about the connection between zinc homeostasis and the oxidative stress response in cyanobacteria. Zinc homeostasis in Anabaena is controlled by Zur, also named FurB. When overexpressed in Escherichia coli, Zur (FurB) improved cell survival during oxidative stress. In order to investigate the possible correlation between Zur and the oxidative stress response in Anabaena, zur deletion and zur-overexpressing strains have been constructed, and the consequences of Zur imbalance evaluated. The lack of Zur increased sensitivity to hydrogen peroxide (H2 O2 ), whereas an excess of Zur enhanced oxidative stress resistance. Both mutants displayed pleiotropic phenotypes, including alterations on the filament surfaces observable by scanning electron microscopy, reduced content of endogenous H2 O2 and altered expression of sodA, catalases and several peroxiredoxins. Transcriptional and biochemical analyses unveiled that the appropriate level of Zur is required for proper control of the oxidative stress response and allowed us to identify major antioxidant enzymes as novel members of the Zur regulon.

All1371 is a polyphosphate-dependent glucokinase in Anabaena sp. PCC 7120.

The polyphosphate glucokinases can phosphorylate glucose to glucose 6-phosphate using polyphosphate as the substrate. ORF all1371 encodes a putative polyphosphate glucokinase in the filamentous heterocyst-forming cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. PCC 7120. Here, ORF all1371 was heterologously expressed in Escherichia coli, and its purified product was characterized. Enzyme activity assays revealed that All1371 is an active polyphosphate glucokinase that can phosphorylate both glucose and mannose in the presence of divalent cations in vitro. Unlike many other polyphosphate glucokinases, for which nucleoside triphosphates (e.g. ATP or GTP) act as phosphoryl group donors, All1371 required polyphosphate to confer its enzymic activity. The enzymic reaction catalysed by All1371 followed classical Michaelis–Menten kinetics, with kcat = 48.2 s−1 at pH 7.5 and 28 °C and KM = 1.76 µM and 0.118 mM for polyphosphate and glucose, respectively. Its reaction mechanism was identified as a particular multi-substrate mechanism called the ‘bi-bi ping-pong mechanism’. Bioinformatic analyses revealed numerous polyphosphate-dependent glucokinases in heterocyst-forming cyanobacteria. Viability of an Anabaena sp. PCC 7120 mutant strain lacking all1371 was impaired under nitrogen-fixing conditions. GFP promoter studies indicate expression of all1371 under combined nitrogen deprivation. All1371 might play a substantial role in Anabaena sp. PCC 7120 under these conditions.

Genetically engineering cyanobacteria to convert CO₂, water, and light into the long-chain hydrocarbon farnesene.

Genetically engineered cyanobacteria offer a shortcut to convert CO2 and H2O directly into biofuels and high value chemicals for societal benefits. Farnesene, a long-chained hydrocarbon (C15H24), has many applications in lubricants, cosmetics, fragrances, and biofuels. However, a method for the sustainable, photosynthetic production of farnesene has been lacking. Here, we report the photosynthetic production of farnesene by the filamentous cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. PCC 7120 using only CO2, mineralized water, and light. A codon-optimized farnesene synthase gene was chemically synthesized and then expressed in the cyanobacterium, enabling it to synthesize farnesene through its endogenous non-mevalonate (MEP) pathway. Farnesene excreted from the engineered cyanobacterium volatilized into the flask head space and was recovered by adsorption in a resin column. The maximum photosynthetic productivity of farnesene was 69.1 ± 1.8 μg·L(-1)·O.D.(-1)·d(-1). Compared to the wild type, the farnesene-producing cyanobacterium also exhibited a 60 % higher PSII activity under high light, suggesting increased farnesene productivity in such conditions. We envision genetically engineered cyanobacteria as a bio-solar factory for photosynthetic production of a wide range of biofuels and commodity chemicals.

Photochemical Properties of a Novel Cyanobacteriochrome from Anabaena sp. PCC7120

Cyanobacteriochromes are phytochrome homologues in cyanobacteria that act as photoreceptor sensors. We report the photochemistry of All4261 GAF2, a novel cyanobacteriochrome from the heterocyst-forming cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. PCC 7120. All4261 contains four tandemly arranged GAF domains. The respective chromophore domains were co-expressed in Escherichia coli with the genes for phycocyanobilin biosynthesis enzymes, HO1, and PcyA. The resulting proteins were analyzed by zinc-induced fluorescence, UV-Vis absorption and emission fluorescence spectra. Only All4261 GAF2 binded chromophore covalently, having zinc-induced fluorescence band in SDS-PAGE gel with the zinc acetate solution existed. Absorption spectra analysis showed that All4261 GAF2 had absorption peaks at 340 nm and 590 nm, failing to show photoreversibility. Fluorescence spectra revealed that All4261 GAF2 had a fluorescence emission peak at 645 nm, with high fluorescence quantum yield and molar extinction coefficient.

Relationships between the ABC-exporter HetC and peptides that regulate the spatiotemporal pattern of heterocyst distribution in Anabaena.

In the model cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. PCC 7120, cells called heterocysts that are specialized in the fixation of atmospheric nitrogen differentiate from vegetative cells of the filament in the absence of combined nitrogen. Heterocysts follow a specific distribution pattern along the filament, and a number of regulators have been identified that influence the heterocyst pattern. PatS and HetN, expressed in the differentiating cells, inhibit the differentiation of neighboring cells. At least PatS appears to be processed and transferred from cell to cell. HetC is similar to ABC exporters and is required for differentiation. We present an epistasis analysis of these regulatory genes and of genes, hetP and asr2819, successively downstream from hetC, and we have studied the localization of HetC and HetP by use of GFP fusions. Inactivation of patS, but not of hetN, allowed differentiation to proceed in a hetC background, whereas inactivation of hetC in patS or patS hetN backgrounds decreased the frequency of contiguous proheterocysts. A HetC-GFP protein is localized to the heterocysts and especially near their cell poles, and a putative HetC peptidase domain was required for heterocyst differentiation but not for HetC-GFP localization. hetP is also required for heterocyst differentiation. A HetP-GFP protein localized mostly near the heterocyst poles. ORF asr2819, which we denote patC, encodes an 84-residue peptide and is induced upon nitrogen step-down. Inactivation of patC led to a late spreading of the heterocyst pattern. Whereas HetC and HetP appear to have linked functions that allow heterocyst differentiation to progress, PatC may have a role in selecting sites of differentiation, suggesting that these closely positioned genes may be functionally related.

Assessment of the CO2 fixation capacity of Anabaena sp. ATCC 33047 outdoor cultures in vertical flat-panel reactors

The extent of biological CO2 fixation was evaluated for outdoor cultures of the cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. ATCC 33047. Culture conditions were optimized indoors in bubble-column photochemostats operating in continuous mode, subjected to irradiance cycles mimicking the light regime outdoors. Highest values achieved for CO2 fixation rate and biomass productivity were 1 and 0.6gL−1day−1, respectively. The comparison among different reactors operating simultaneously – open pond, horizontal tubular reactor and vertical flat-panel – allowed to assess their relative efficiency for the outdoor development of Anabaena cultures. Despite the higher volumetric CO2 fixation capacity (and biomass productivity) exhibited by the tubular photobioreactor, yield of the flat-panel reactor was 50% higher than that of the tubular option on a per area basis, reaching values over 35g CO2 fixed m−2d−1. The flat-panel reactor actually represents a most suitable system for CO2 capture coupled to the generation of valuable biomass by Anabaena cultures.