FORMATION OF HORMOGONIA AND THEIR TAXIS DURING THE INTERACTION OF CYANOBACTERIA AND PLANTS

This work studied the influence of plants and their in vitro-cultured tissues on the formation and taxis of cyanobacterial hormogonia, which ensure, during the formation of symbiotic associations, spatial drawi ng together of the partners, primary infection, and reinfection of pla nt tissues. The study was conducted in model systems (joint cultures) in which the interaction of the partners occurred via the diffusion of metabolites through agarized medium. A relationship was established b etween hormogonia formation and spreading and the species and strain a ffiliation of the partners, their age, the distance between them, and illumination. Positive chemotaxis of cyanobacteria in relation to the plant object was found in those model systems whose components were ab le to form stable associations that retained the viability and balance d growth of the partners for at least several months under laboratory conditions. It was concluded that stimulation (inhibition) of hormogon ia formation and their chemotaxis may be due to the action of distinct agents differing in their chemical nature and degree of specificity.