Oscillatoria
Oscillatoria
Genus of bacteria
Oscillatoria is a genus of sugar making microscopic creatures.
It is a filamentous cyanobacterium which is often found in freshwater environments and appears blue-green.[1] Its name refers to the oscillating motion of its filaments as they slide against each other to position the colony facing a light source.[2] Oscillatoria reproduces by fragmentation, facilitated by dead cells which separate a filament into separate sections, or hormogonia, which then grow.[1] Oscillatoria uses photosynthesis to survive and reproduce. Each filament of Oscillatoria consists of trichome[clarification needed] which is made up of rows of cells. The tip of the trichome oscillates like a pendulum. Reproduction takes place by vegetative means only. Usually the filament breaks into a number of fragments called hormogonia. Each hormogonium consist of one or more cells and grows into a filament by cell division in one direction.
Oscillatoria are the subject of research into the natural production of butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT),[3] an antioxidant, food additive, and industrial chemical.
Cyclic peptides called venturamides, which may have anti-malarial activity, have been isolated from bacteria in this genus. They are the first peptides with this activity to have been found in cyanobacteria.[4]
Serinolamide A is a cannabinoid structurally related to Anandamide that has been found to occur in Oscillatoria species.[5]
As a result of recent genetic analyses, several new genera were erected from this genus, e.g. Tenebriella.[6]