Potassium requirement for cell division in Anacystis nidulans

A potassium requirement for growth can be readily demonstrated in the autotrophic blue-green bacterium Anacystis nidulans strain TX20 equivalent to 0.7% of the cellular dry weight. Starvation of this organism for potassium partially dissociates growth from cell division, thereby inducing 50% of the population to form filaments.