Nitrogen-fixing inhibition by KCl in a blue-green algaAnabaena cylindrica

Growing in the medium containing 0.10 mol/L KCl for three days, the nitrogen-fixing activity ofAnabaena cylindrica decreased by 95%. Extent of the inhibition was enchanced with increased KCl concentrations. The biggest decrease of nitrogen-fixing activity was between 0.02–0.05 mol/L KCl. The same decline on growth was between 0.05–0.10 mol/L KCl. The longer treating-time was, the lower nitrogen-fixing activity was. A short time of KCl-treatment (for 4 h) resulted in 66.4% decrease of the activity. Under effecting of KCl for three days, the frequency of heterocyst differentiation decreased from 7.2% to 2.1%. Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China Yi Ping: born in 1974, Graduate student