The effects of boron deficiency on the ultrastructure and envelope composition of heterocysts in the filamentous cyanobacterium Anabaena PCC 7119 were studied. Microscopic examination of boron-deficient cultures showed changes in heterocyst morphology. When these cells were isolated and their glycolipid content determined, this specific component of the laminated layer of the heterocyst envelope was found to be lacking. The evidence presented supports the view that boron plays an essential role in the structure and function of the heterocyst envelope.
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García‐González et al. (1991) studied this question.