Vacuolation induced by unfavorable pH in cyanobacteria

Six species or strains of cyanobacteria, Anabaena sp. 595, Plectonema boryanum 246, Scytonema hofmanni 248, Nostoc sp. 96, Oscillatoria animlis 284 and Spirulina maxima 438, were cultured in unfavorable pH conditions for vacuole induction. At pH 5.0, 6.5, or 7.0, vacuoles were observed to form in both Anabaena sp. 595 and Plectonema boryanum 246, especially in the former. The vacuolation took place with some morphological changes, such as the cells being inflated, spherical and vacuolated, and with unequalized division. The induced vacuoles in An- abaena sp. 595 and Plectonema boryanum 246 were in spherical shape and in rather transparent appearance under a phase microscope. For Scytonema hofmanni 248, it was less sensitive to pH, its vacuole formation was found only at pH 6.5. No vacuolization occurred in the cells of Nostoc sp. 96, Oscillatoria animlis 284 and Spirulina maxima 438 at all pH conditions we used. Vacuolization under unfavorable pH provides a new proof for the existence of vacuole in cells of cyanobacteria and reflects the prokaryote's function in ecological environment.