Production of indole-3-acetic acid by the cyanobacterium Arthrospira platensis strain MMG-9

Abstract

The filamentous cyanobacterium Arthrospira platensis strain MMG-9 was isolated from a rice field. The ability of this strain to synthesize the bioactive compound indole- 3-acetic acid (IAA) was demonstrated. IAA was extracted from the culture of A. platensis strain MMG-9 and its identity was confirmed by thin-layer chromatography (TLC) as well as by high- erformance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The IAA precursor L-tryptophan was required for IAA biosynthesis. Released IAA increased with the increase of the initial concentration of L-tryptophan in the medium and with the incubation time. A. platensis strain MMG-9 accumulated more IAA than it released into the medium. The bioactivity of the secreted IAA was shown by its effect on the formation of roots by Pisum sativum. There was a significant positive effect of the supernatant of cultures of A. platensis strain MMG-9 on the number of lateral roots of P. sativum, whereas a negative effect on root length was observed.