Axenic A. platensis strain PCC 7345 obtained from the Pasteur Culture Collection (PCC) of the Institt Pasteur, Paris, was grown photoautotrophically at 27 บวกลบ 1 องศา in BG-11 and ASN-III medium (1:1, v/v) on an orbital incubator shaker (125 rpm) continuously illuminated by fluorescent tubes (15 μmol m−2 s−1) as reported in detail previously (Lochab et al. 2010).