Mechanisms protect airborne green microalgae during long distance dispersal.

ABSTRACT: Viable microalgae occur in the air. Whether they can survive the stresses such as UV, desiccation and freezing temperatures at high altitudes during long distance dispersal is rarely studied. If yes, what mechanisms confer the tolerance? Four freshwater airborne green microalgae were isolated from Dongsha Atoll in the South China Sea, classified as Scenedesmus sp. DSA1, Coelastrella sp. DSA2, Coelastrella sp. DSA3 and Desmodesmus sp. DSA6 based on their morphologies and ITS sequences. Their survival rates under UV stress were tightly correlated with their cell wall thickness. All the four airborne green microalgae survived the air-dry stress on benchtop followed by - 20 °C freeze-desiccation stress for 4 weeks, but not the two waterborne green microalgae Desmodesmus sp. F5 and Neodesmus sp

SUBMITTER: Chiu CS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7438330 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature