Toxicity of selenium to the blue-green algae, Anacystis nidulans and Anabaena variabilis

Abstract

Selenate, selenite, selenomethionine, and selenopurine are toxic to Anacystis nidulans and Anabaena variabilis. These compounds are less toxic in culture medium containing sulphate than in sulphur-free medium, thus suggesting a protective role of sulphur against selenium toxicity. Selenite is more toxic in agar plate cultures and less toxic in liquid cultures than selenate. Cells grown in the highest growth-permitting concentration of selenite in liquid medium form a variable number of red granules No such granulation occurs in cells treated with other seleno-compounds, indicating thereby that the mode of selenite action in blue-green algae differs from that of other selenium compounds.