Observations in Hemichloris antarctica Tschermak-Woess & Friedmann . . . .

• Main Authors: E. Tschermak-Woess, M. Hua, G. Gärtner, M. Hesse
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 2006
• Subjects: Key words; Algae; Chlorophyceae; Hemichloris antarctica; Hemichloris polyspora Tschermak-Woess; Hua; Ga¨rtner et Hesse; structure; development; plastoglobuli; Victoria Land; Antarc*; Antarctica
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.183.8639; http://www.math.tugraz.at/%7Ewoess/papers/tschermak-woess.pdf

The chlorococcalean genus Hemichloris is characterized by the possession of two chloroplasts per vegetative cell. The occurrence of a second species of the genus is reported (H. polyspora sp. nov.). Just as H. antarctica it grows cryptoendolithically in sandstone in Southern Victoria Land, Antarctica. In H. antarctica propagation by two autospores prevails over four, whilst in the new species H. polyspora in general four or eight (rarely 16 or 32) autospores are produced and Borodinellastages do occur typically. Sexuality and zoosporulation do not exist in both species. Internal structures of chloroplasts can be observed by light microscopy more regularly in H. polyspora than in H. antarctica and under various conditions. Investigations of both Hemichloris species by transmission electron microscopy show them to go back to more or less extended assemblages of plastoglobuli. In both species the plastoglobuli are arranged around tubular inflations of thylakoids and apparently attached to the thylakoids. Keeping the cultures for three (even up to seven) months without light makes them survive and causes coming forth of the chloroplast structure throughout.