All 3-10-d-old Oscillatoria salina filaments glide with the speed of 323-330 microm/min (BG 11 medium, pH 7.5, 21 +/- 2 degrees C, continuous light intensity of approximately 30 micromol m(-2) s(-1)) in a culture chamber. However, a time bound progressive decrease in gliding speed and in percentage of gliding filaments occurred, depending upon the severity of different stress factors studied, viz. water stress (2-8% agarized media, liquid media with 0.2-1 mol/L NaCl, blot-dryness of filaments for > or = 5 min), temperature shock (5, 40 degrees C for > or = 5 min; 35 degrees C for > or = 15 min), darkness and low light intensity (2, 10 micromol m(-2) s(-1)), UV exposure (0.96-3.84 kJ/m2), pH extremes (< or = 6.5 and > or = 9.5), lack of all nutrients from liquid medium (double distilled water), presence of 'heavy' metals (1, 25 ppm Fe, Cu, Zn, Ni, Co, Hg) or organic substances in liquid medium (25, 250 ppm 2,4-D, captan, urea, DDT, thiourea). This feature of the alga (i.e. reduction in speed and percentage of gliding filaments depending upon severity of stress conditions) may thus be suggested to be used in assessing water quality.

• MeSH
• Anti-Bacterial Agents pharmacology   MeSH
• Hydrogen-Ion Concentration MeSH
• Organic Chemicals pharmacology   MeSH
• Osmotic Pressure MeSH
• Movement drug effects   radiation effects   MeSH
• Cyanobacteria drug effects   physiology   radiation effects   MeSH
• Light MeSH
• Metals, Heavy pharmacology   MeSH
• Darkness MeSH
• Ultraviolet Rays MeSH
• Hot Temperature MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Names of Substances
• Anti-Bacterial Agents MeSH
• Organic Chemicals MeSH
• Metals, Heavy MeSH

This paper provides a comprehensive overview of metabolites, including lipids and lipid-like compounds, nitrogen metabolites, oligopeptides and amino acid derivatives, produced by cyanobacteria of the genera Anabaenopsis, Aphanizomenon, Aulosira, Cylindrospermopsis, Cylindrospermum, Nodularia, and Richelia of the family Nostocaceae.

• MeSH
• Amino Acids metabolism   MeSH
• Polysaccharides, Bacterial metabolism   MeSH
• Bacterial Toxins metabolism   MeSH
• Hydroxy Acids metabolism   MeSH
• Lipid Metabolism MeSH
• Nostoc chemistry   classification   metabolism   MeSH
• Oligopeptides metabolism   MeSH
• Nitrogen Compounds metabolism   MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
• Review MeSH
• Names of Substances
• Amino Acids MeSH
• Polysaccharides, Bacterial MeSH
• Bacterial Toxins MeSH
• Hydroxy Acids MeSH
• Oligopeptides MeSH
• Nitrogen Compounds MeSH

Terrestrial blue-green algae Scytonema millei, Phormidium bohneri and Lyngbya mesotricha survived to 100 % at atmospheric temperatures of 5-36 degrees C and relative humidity 55-100 % in rainy, winter and spring seasons but the survival was 15-25 % in summer when atmospheric temperature reached 48 degrees C and relative humidity was < or =23 %. Microcoleus chthonoplastes maximum survival was =80 % in rainy season followed by a decrease to =1/2 and 1/4 level in winter and spring, respectively; it disappeared in summer but a few cells and/or trichomes enclosed within sheath may be surviving sticking to soil, not evident microscopically, since the population reappeared at the same place with the onset of rain. Terrestrial green alga Rhizoclonium crassipellitum survived only in spring and died at the onset of summer without forming any dormant cell and/or reproductive structure. Only P. bohneri survived better and longer under submerged conditions in liquid medium than air-exposed on moist soil surface in the culture chamber, while the other algae fared almost equally or slightly better air-exposed on moist soil surface (or even on 2 % agarized medium) than when suspended in liquid medium, indicating that air exposure rather than submerged conditions was needed for most of the terrestrial algae to survive. Water stress imposed on growing algae either on high-agar-solid media or in 0.2-0.6 mol/L NaCl liquid media in the culture chamber reduced vegetative survival in all; it resulted in death without any dormant cell remaining. When stored in desiccators over fused CaCl2, M. chthonoplastes died within 1/2 month, R. crassipellitum and L. mesotricha within 1 month, P. bohneri within 1/2 month, and S. millei not even within 1 1/2 month, indicating their survival pattern against atmospheric dryness to be wide; it also explained the M. chthonoplastes absence in summer and S. millei presence throughout the year. At increased atmospheric humidity the desiccation-sensitive algae (e.g., M. chthonoplastes) survived better than a desiccation-resistant alga (here S. millei). All algae survived considerable darkness (S. millei > 1 1/2 month; P. bohneri, M. chthonoplastes and R. crassipellitum >1 month, and L. mesotricha >1/2 month), and low light intensity of 2 and 10 micromol m(-2)s(-1) which explains their prolific growth in shady places. All algae were differently sensitive to wet heat (45 degrees C for 5-40 min) and to UV shock (0.96-3.84 kJ/m2).

• MeSH
• Chlorophyta physiology   radiation effects   MeSH
• Ecosystem * MeSH
• Saline Solution, Hypertonic MeSH
• Seasons MeSH
• Cyanobacteria physiology   radiation effects   MeSH
• Temperature MeSH
• Ultraviolet Rays MeSH
• Humidity MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
• Names of Substances
• Saline Solution, Hypertonic MeSH