Cysts of the Snow Alga <i>Chloromonas krienitzii</i> (Chlorophyceae) Show Increased Tolerance to Ultraviolet Radiation and Elevated Visible Light.

ABSTRACT: Melting mountainous snowfields are populated by extremophilic microorganisms. An alga causing orange snow above timberline in the High Tatra Mountains (Poland) was characterised using multiple methods examining its ultrastructure, genetics, life cycle, photosynthesis and ecophysiology. Based on light and electron microscopy and ITS2 rDNA, the species was identified as Chloromonas krienitzii (Chlorophyceae). Recently, the taxon was described from Japan. However, cellular adaptations to its harsh environment and details about the life cycle were so far unknown. In this study, the snow surface population consisted of egg-shaped cysts containing large numbers of lipid bodies filled presumably with the secondary carotenoid astaxanthin. The outer, spiked cell wall was shed during cell mat

SUBMITTER: Prochazkova L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7773729 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature