Nostoc sp. J-1

History of Receipt and Isolation

• Country of origin: Republic of Kazakhstan
• Place of isolation: village of Avangard, Zhanakorgan District, Kyzylorda Region
• Habitat: rice fields and aquatic ecosystems
• Isolator(s): Sadvakasova A.K., Zayadan B.K., Kossalbayev B.D., Bauenova M.O. at the Biotechnology Laboratory of Al-Farabi Kazakh National University
• Year of accession to the collection: 2022
• Last identification: Sadvakasova A.K., Zayadan B.K., Kossalbayev B.D., Bauenova M.O., 2023
• Method of obtainment: Isolated from an enrichment culture obtained from a natural sample by sequential microbiological streaking onto solid nitrogen-free nutrient medium
• Genetic features: Wild type (WT)
• Strain condition: Axenic

Morphology and Structure

Trichomes are solitary, straight, and filamentous. Vegetative cells are blue-green, spherical, 6–8 × 3–5 µm. Heterocysts are intercalary, solitary, and light brown. Akinetes are rare, oval, and contain granular material. Reproduction occurs by hormogonia. On solid medium, the growth is spreading; in liquid medium, the culture forms a film on the surface and at the bottom. Under nitrogen starvation, the formation of heterocysts and akinetes increases.

Cultivation

• Nutrient media: BG-11, Gromov's, Bold's, Allen's (liquid and agarized)
• Temperature: 23–28 °C
• Light intensity: 30–40 µmol photons/m²/s
• Photoperiod: 16:8 h (light/dark)
• pH: 7.0–7.5

Physiological Characteristics

Mesophilic phototrophic heterocystous cyanobacterium. The strain is capable of forming heterocysts and akinetes under nitrogen deficiency. It is promising as a nitrogen-fixing strain for agrobiotechnological studies.

Long-term Preservation Conditions

stored on agarized BG-11 medium at 12–14 °C under low illumination of 4–6 µmol photons/m²/s. Maximum storage period without subculturing: 2–3 months.

Deposition Information

The strain was deposited in the Republican Collection of Microorganisms of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Date of deposition: 20.10.2021. Collection number: RKM-0965.

Genetic Information

A fragment of the 16S rRNA gene was amplified. BLAST similarity: Nostoc muscorum HF678508.1 — 99.38%; Nostoc sp. KM019921.1 — 99.45%. The phylogenetic tree was constructed in MEGA 6 using the Neighbor-Joining method and the Kimura-2-Parameter model; the outgroup was Chlorella antarctica KU291887.1. GenBank accession numbers: MZ079360 (sequence registered under the designation Nostoc sp. J-14); PZ233676 (Nostoc sp. J-1).

Field of Application

The strain is used in experimental studies. It is promising for the development of biofertilizers, bioremediation, wastewater biotreatment, and algal-cyanobacterial biofilms. It is also claimed as a strain for increasing crop yields and protecting plants against phytopathogenic fungi.

Bibliography

1. Sadvakasova A.K. et al. Influence of Mo and Fe on Photosynthetic and Nitrogenase Activities of Nitrogen-Fixing Cyanobacteria under Nitrogen Starvation. Cells. 2022; 11(5):904. DOI: 10.3390/cells11050904.

Patents and Other Intellectual Property

Utility model patent No. 7880. Application No. 2022/1119.2, filing date 20.12.2022, publication date 10.03.2023. Title: “Cyanobacteria strain Nostoc sp. J-1 as a producer of biohydrogen for biofuel production.” Patent holder: Kossalbayev Bekzhan Duisenbiuly (KZ). Authors: Kossalbayev Bekzhan Duisenbiuly, Sadvakasova Asemgul Kalyikumarovna, Bauenova Meruert Omirbaykyzy, Kamshybayeva Gulzhanay Kolganatkyzy.