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Cited by 425Microbial Community Ecology and PhysiologyAquatic Ecosystems and Phytoplankton DynamicsBiocrusts and Microbial Ecology

Physiological ecology of cyanobacteria in microbial mats and other communities

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STAL, LUCAS J.·1995·New Phytologist
DOI 10.1111/j.1469-8137.1995.tb03051.x
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Abstract

summary: In this review some aspects of the physiological ecology of cyanobacteria are discussed by taking a microbial mat as an example. The majority of microbial mats are built and dominated by cyarsobacteria which are primary producers at the basis of the microbial foodweb in microbial mats. These micro‐scale ecosystems are characterized by steep and fluctuating physico‐chemical gradients of which those of light, oxygen and sulphide are the most conspicuous. Light is strongly attenuated in the sediment, and owing to constant sedimentation, the mat‐forming cyanobacteria have to move upwards towards the light. However, at the sediment surface, light intensity, particularly in the u.v. part of the spectrum, is often deleterious. The gliding movement of the cyanobacteria, with photo‐ and chemotaxis, allows the organism to position itself in a thin layer at optimal conditions. The organic matter produced by cyanobacterial photosynthesis is decomposed by the ruicrobial community. Sulphate‐reducing bacteria are important in the end‐oxidation of the organic matter. These organisms are obligate anaerobes and produce sulphide. Gradients of sulphide and oxygen move up and down in the sediment as a response to diurnal variations of light intensity. Cyanobacteria, therefore, are sometimes exposed to large concentrations of the extremely toxic sulphide. Some species are capable of sulphide‐dependent anoxygenic photosynthesis. Other cyanobacteria show increased rates of oxygenic photosynthesis in the presence of sulphide and have mechanisms to oxidize sulphide while avoiding sulphide toxicity. Iron might play an important role in this process. Under anoxic conditions in the dark, mat‐forming cyanobacteria switch to fermentative metabolism. Many species are also capable of fermentative reduction of elemental sulphur to sulphide. The gradients of sulphide and oxygen are of particular importance for nitrogen fixation. Very few microbial mats are formed by heterocystous cyanobacteria, which are best adapted to diazntrophic growth. However, these organisms probably cannot tolerate greater concentrations of sulphide or anoxic conditions or both. Under such conditions non‐heterocystous cyanobacteria become dominant as diazotrophs. These organisms avoid conditions of oxygen supersaturation. In the ecosystem, nitrogen fixation and photosynthesis might be separated temporally as well as spatially. In addition, non‐heterocystous diazotrophic cyanobacteria have mechanisms at the subcellular level to protect the oxygen‐sensitive nitrogenase from inaction. CONTENTS Summary 1 I. Introduction 2 II. Microbial mats 3 III. Cyanobacteria in light gradients 7 IV. Dark metabolism 10 V. Interactions with sulphide 13 VI. Nitrogen fixation 16 VII. References 28

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  • Exploring habitability and diversity within a single location consisting of multiple environments has been a rewarding approach in microbial ecology, and targeting environmental gradients for detection of life has been promising.

    “Exploring habitability and diversity within a single location consisting of multiple environments, e.g., the layers of microbial mats or within ocean sediments, has been a rewarding approach in microbial ecology (e.g., Jangir et al. 2016;Stal 1995), and targeting environmental gradients for detection of life has been promising (Cabrol et al. 2007).”

    From Environmental Adaptation from the Origin of Life to the Last Universal Common Ancestor (2018) · cites this paper as Stal 1995

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  1. Whale GF, Walsby AE. 1984. Motility of the cyanobacterium Microcoleus chthonoplastes in mud. British Phycological Journal 19:117-123.

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Authors
STAL, L. J.
Affiliations
University of Amsterdam (NL)
Corresponding author
STAL, LUCAS J.
ORCID
STAL, LUCAS J.
Venue
New Phytologist
Publisher
Wiley
Published
1995-09
Volume
131
Issue
1
Pages
1-32
ISSN
  • 0028-646X (ISSN-L)
  • 1469-8137
DOI
10.1111/j.1469-8137.1995.tb03051.x
OpenAlex
W1963993817
Cited by
425
References
170
Citations by year
2026: 7 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 12 · 2023: 14 · 2022: 11 · 2021: 17 · 2020: 13 · 2019: 10 · 2018: 23 · 2017: 14 · 2016: 19 · 2015: 24 · 2014: 14 · 2013: 16 · 2012: 16
FWCI
11.51
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor (vor, 3892 d)
Locations
  • New Phytologist (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • UvA-DARE (University of Amsterdam) (publishedVersion)
  • UvA-DARE (University of Amsterdam) (submittedVersion)
  • Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecology › Microbial Community Ecology and Physiology
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Environmental Chemistry › Aquatic Ecosystems and Phytoplankton Dynamics
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics › Biocrusts and Microbial Ecology
Keywords
cyanobacteria, microbial mats, ecophysiology, light gradient, oxygen gradients, chemotaxis, gliding motility, sulfide toxicity, sulfate-reducing bacteria, sulfide oxidation, fermentative metabolism, nitrogen fixation, diazotrophic cyanobacteria, heterocystous cyanobacteria, photosynthesis

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