COMPOSITION AND CONTENT OF PHYCOBILIPROTEINS IN CELLS OF THE SYMBIOTIC NITROGEN-FIXING BACTERIUM ANABAENA-AZOLLAE FROM DIFFERENT SPECIES OF THE FERN AZOLLA

Phycobilisomes were isolated from the symbiotic nitrogen-fixing cyanobacterium Anabaena azollae from five species of Azolla (Az. pinnata, Az. filliculoides, Az. mexicana, Az. caroliniana, and Az. microphylla. The absorption and fluorescence spectra of native phycobilisomes in the presence of denaturing agents indicated that C-phycoerythrin, phycoerythrocyanin, phycocyanin, allophycocyanin, and allophycocyanin B are synthesized in cells of An. azollae. Comparative investigation of the absorption spectra of cells and phycobilisomes in An. azollae from different species of Azolla growing under the same conditions indicated different content of C-phycoerythrin and phycocyanin in relation to the chlorophyll of cyanobacterial cells. Depreciation of C-phycoerythrin and phycocyanin in cyanobacterial cells from the same species of Azolla is recorded in proportion to shortening of the doubling time of fern biomass. It is hypothesized that differences of phycobiliprotein content in cells of An. azollae are determined by different growth rates of the fern.