Cellulose accumulation and a cellulose synthase gene are responsible for cell aggregation in the cyanobacterium Thermosynechococcus vulcanus RKN.

A thermophilic cyanobacterium, Thermosynechococcus vulcanus RKN, exhibits cell aggregation under low temperature illuminated conditions as a means of physiological acclimation to avoid excess light stress. The cell aggregation was dispersed with cellulase treatment. We developed a method to quantify small amounts of cellulose by partial cellulose purification followed by quantitation of liberated glucose by cellulase.