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Updated: Mar 6, 2026

Determination of the Glycogen Content in Cyanobacteria
Published on: July 17, 2017
Recovery of adenine-nucleotide pools in terrestrial blue-green algae after prolonged drought periods
Siegfried Scherer1, Ting-Wei Chen2, Peter Böger1
1Lehrstuhl für Physiologie und Biochemic der Pflanzen, Universität Konstanz, D-7750, Konstanz, Federal Republic of Germany.
Abstract:
The response of Nostoc commune and Nostoc flagelliforme (terrestrial blue-green algae), grown in their natural habitat, towards rewetting after prolonged drought periods (2 weeds up to five years) has been investigated. In Nostoc flagelliforme, the energy charge (EC) about 0.18 in dry condition increases rapidly (EC=0.7 after 1 h) and more slowly in a second phase (EC=0.8 after 6 h). The total content of AXP (=ATP+ADP+AMP) apparently increases due to de novo synthesis of adenine nucleotides. ATP-build-up after a drought period is probably provided by oxidative phosphorylation. It has been found to be about the same, regardless of whether the foregoing drought period had been extended over 6 months or 5 years.Dry samples of colony mats of N. commune exhibit very low ATP-, but high ADP-contents. Within 6 h after rewetting, the final level of extractable ATP (60-100 nmol/mg chlorophyll) is recovered.
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