Effects of salinity on growth and content of intracellular solutes in Heterococcus sp. (Tribonennatales, Xanthophyceae) from Antarctica

• Published in: Phycological Research
• Main Authors: Fujii, Shuhei, Yamamoto, Ryoichi, Nakayama, Shin, Yasui, Shinro, Broady, Paul A.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 1999
• Subjects: Antarc*; Antarctica
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1046/j.1440-1835.1999.47220153.x; https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1046%2Fj.1440-1835.1999.47220153.x; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1046/j.1440-1835.1999.47220153.x

SUMMARY The growth and osmoregulation of Heterococcus sp. isolated from dry soil collected in Antarctica were investigated in relation to salinity. This alga was able to grow over a wide range of saline conditions from 0 to 0.8 mol L ‐1 NaCI, although growth was suppressed in proportion to the increase in extracellular concentration of NaCI. This indicates that the alga is halotolerant. Using gas‐liquid chromatography‐mass spectroscopy, it was found to contain mannitol as an osmoticum. The intracellular content of mannitol increased with increase in concentration of extracellular NaCI, suggesting that mannitol acts as an osmoregulatory substance.