Mutants of Anabaena cylindrica altered in heterocyst spacing

Nitrosoguanidine induced mutants of Anabaena cylindrica have been obtained, which are altered in heterocyst spacing. In the wild type organism the pattern is composed of single intercalary heterocysts. The mutant patterns fall into several classes: those with only terminal heterocysts, with both terminal and intercalary heterocysts, with groups of heterocysts and those totally lacking heterocysts. The mutants are described in detail, and the various pattern modications are interpreted in terms of a model we have proposed.