ROLE OF INORGANIC-PHOSPHATE AND ALKALINE-PHOSPHATASE IN SPORULATION OF ANABAENA-DOLIOLUM

The effect of inorganic phosphate on the growth and sporulation of Anabaena doliolum Bhardwaja revealed that increase in phosphate concentration delayed spore initiation with less frequency. The phosphate uptake pattern did not differ markedly in wild type and its MNNG (N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine) derived non-sporulating mutant indicating that latter was not altered in uptake of this ion. However, the level of alkaline phosphatase activity was higher in the wild type strain compared to non-sporulating mutant. The alkaline phosphatase was induced in both parent and non-sporulating mutant during vegetative growth whereas induction in enzyme activity during the course of sporulation in wild-type was not observed in the mutant. The result suggests that increased enzyme activity and its induction during sporulation in parent strain has some functional linkage with sporulation rather than phosphate starvation.