Sexual reproduction of the snow alga Chloromonas fukushimae (Volvocales, Chlorophyceae) induced using cultured materials.

ABSTRACT: Snow algae are microalgae, growing in melting snowpacks, and are thought to act as primary producers in the snow ecosystem. Chloromonas (Volvocales, Chlorophyceae) contains more than 15 snow-inhabiting species. Although vegetative cells and zygotes, or asexual cysts, of snow species of the genus are frequently collected in the field, sexual reproduction and zygote formation in culture have only been induced in C. tughillensis. Here we describe the sexual reproduction of another snow-inhabiting species, C. fukushimae, which was induced using both previously examined and newly established Japanese strains. Mating of isogamous gametes began after mixing two different strains, implying that C. fukushimae is an outcrossing species. Motile and nonmotile zygotes of the species were also described

SUBMITTER: Matsuzaki R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7449499 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature