Trebouxia flava

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Trebouxia flava
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Clade: Viridiplantae
Division: Chlorophyta
Class: Trebouxiophyceae
Order: Trebouxiales
Family: Trebouxiaceae
Genus: Trebouxia
Species:
T. flava
Binomial name
Trebouxia flava
Archibald, 1975

Trebouxia flava is a species of green alga in the family Trebouxiaceae. First described in 1975 by Patricia Ann Archibald, it features spherical cells containing multiple nuclei and a single chloroplast with a small pyrenoid. The species is characterized by its distinctive dull-shiny, sulphurous yellow cultures, which differ from the typical shiny yellow-green appearance of most other Trebouxia species. It can reproduce both through motile zoospores and non-motile aplanospores, and was originally isolated from the foliose lichen species Physconia pulverulenta .

Contents

Taxonomy

The alga was formally described as a new species in 1975 by the American biologist Patricia Ann Archibald. [1] The type specimen was originally isolated (as Cystococcus humicola) from the foliose lichen now known as Physconia pulverulenta , and it is preserved in the Indiana Culture Collection under the accession number 181. The species epithet, flava, is Latin for "yellow". [2]

Description

In active (logarithmic) growth, the vegetative cells of Trebouxia flava are spherical and measure approximately 7–15 micrometers (μm) in diameter, with a typical size of about 10 μm. The cell walls are relatively thin, around 0.5 μm or less in thickness. Unlike some other algae, T. flava cells do not become significantly larger or develop thicker cell walls when entering stationary (non-growing) phases in culture. Unlike most cultures of Trebouxia algae, which are shiny and yellow-green, cultures of T. flava are dull-shiny with a sulphurous yellow color. [1]

Each cell contains a single chloroplast equipped with a very small and often difficult-to-distinguish pyrenoid—a structure involved in carbon fixation. The cells are multinucleate, meaning they contain multiple nuclei rather than just one. [1]

Originally isolated from Physconia pulverulenta, this alga has also been found to associate with the lichens Physconia distorta and P. grisea . [3] Trebouxia flava is one of several Trebouxia species known to form symbiotic relationships with lichens in the genus Parmelia , specifically associating with species in the Parmelia sulcata group. Research has shown that P. sulcata group lichens display high specificity in their symbiotic relationships, associating only with Trebouxia species from clade I, including T. flava, whereas other Parmelia groups associate with different Trebouxia clades. [4]

Reproduction

Trebouxia flava reproduces both by zoospore s (motile spores) and aplanospores (non-motile spores). The zoospores are relatively small, about 3 μm wide by 7 μm long. They contain a single nucleus positioned toward their anterior (front) end, as well as a minute stigma (eye-spot) also located near the front. This stigma likely helps the zoospore orient itself toward light, a crucial factor for photosynthesis. Aplanospores, on the other hand, lack motility and rely on passive dispersal. [1]

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chlorophyta</span> Phylum of green algae

Chlorophyta is a division of green algae informally called chlorophytes.

Neochloris oleoabundans is a microalga belonging in the class Chlorophyceae. Due to its high lipid content, it has been considered as a candidate organism for cosmetics and biofuel production, as well as feed stock for freshwater mussels.

Ankyra is a genus of green algae in the family Characiaceae. This genus of algae is closely related to Atractomorpha and Sphaeroplea. They are found in stagnant waters.

<i>Asterococcus</i> Genus of algae

Asterococcus is a genus of green algae in the order Chlamydomonadales. It is planktonic in freshwater ponds and lakes, or benthic within mires and swamps. It is a common and widespread genus, but is rarely abundant.

<i>Bracteacoccus</i> Genus of algae

Bracteacoccus is a genus of green algae, the sole genus of the family Bracteacoccaceae. It is a terrestrial alga commonly found in soils, from the tropics to the poles.

Characiosiphon is a genus of green algae in the family Characiosiphonaceae. It contains a single species, Characiosiphon rivularis.

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<i>Planktosphaeria</i> Genus of algae

Planktosphaeria is a genus of Chlorophyceae of the green algae. It was first described by the phycologist Gilbert Morgan Smith in 1918, with Planktosphaeria gelatinosa as its type species. Species of Planktosphaeria are commonly found in freshwater plankton around the world.

Pseudomuriella is a genus of green algae, specifically of the class Chlorophyceae. It is the sole genus of the family Pseudomuriellaceae. It is a terrestrial alga that inhabits soils.

<i>Trebouxia</i> Genus of algae

Trebouxia is a unicellular green alga. It is a photosynthetic organism that can exist in almost all habitats found in polar, tropical, and temperate regions. It can either exist in a symbiotic relationship with fungi in the form of lichen or it can survive independently as a free-living organism alone or in colonies. Trebouxia is the most common photobiont in extant lichens. It is a primary producer of marine, freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems. It uses carotenoids and chlorophyll a and b to harvest energy from the sun and provide nutrients to various animals and insects.

Deuterocharacium is a genus of green algae in the family Characiaceae. It is found in freshwater habitats, attached to algae or detritus. It is rare and has only been recorded from Europe.

<i>Chlorotetraedron</i> Genus of algae

Chlorotetraedron is a genus of green algae, in the family Neochloridaceae. The name may also be written as Chlorotetraëdron. It is found as freshwater plankton or in soil.

Follicularia is a genus of green algae, in the family Schizochlamydaceae. It is found in terrestrial habitats, mainly soil.

Bracteamorpha is a genus of green algae in the order Sphaeropleales, and is the only genus in the family Bracteamorphaceae. It contains a single species, Bracteamorpha trainorii.

Trebouxia decolorans is a widespread and common symbiotic species of green alga that is found in association with different species of lichen-forming fungi. Some lichens in which it is the photobiont partner are Xanthoria parietina and Anaptychia ciliaris.

Trebouxia gelatinosa is a common symbiotic species of green alga in the family Trebouxiaceae. Formally described as new to science in 1975, it is usually found in association with different species of lichen-forming fungi.

Asterochloris is a genus of green algae in the family Trebouxiophyceae. It is a common photobiont in lichen, occurring in the thalli of more than 20 lichen genera worldwide. Asterochloris is distinguishable from the morphologically similar genus Trebouxia, primarily due to its deeply lobed chloroplast, the placement of the chloroplast along the cell's periphery before the initiation of zoospore or aplanospore formation, and its tendency to primarily reproduce asexually through the production of aplanospores.

Asterochloris italiana is a species of green alga in the family Trebouxiaceae. It was first formally described by the phycologist Patricia A. Archibald in 1975, as a species of Trebouxia. It was transferred to the genus Asterochloris in 2010.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Archibald, Patricia A. (1975). "Trebouxia de Pulmaly (Chlorophyceae, Chlorococcales) and Pseudotrebouxia gen. nov. (Chlorophyceae, Chlorosarcinales)". Phycologia. 14 (3): 125–137. doi:10.2216/i0031-8884-14-3-125.1.
  2. ↑ Guiry, M.D.; Guiry, G.M. "Trebouxia flava". AlgaeBase . World-wide electronic publication, National University of Ireland, Galway.
  3. ↑ Sanders, William B.; Masumoto, Hiroshi (2021). "Lichen algae: the photosynthetic partners in lichen symbioses". The Lichenologist. 53 (5): 347–393. doi: 10.1017/S0024282921000335 .
  4. ↑ Moya, Patricia; Molins, Arantzazu; Škaloud, Pavel; Divakar, Pradeep K.; Chiva, Salvador; Dumitru, Cristina; Molina, Maria Carmen; Crespo, Ana; Barreno, Eva (2021). "Biodiversity Patterns and ecological preferences of the photobionts associated with the lichen-forming genus Parmelia". Frontiers in Microbiology. 12: 1–14. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.765310 . PMC   8739953 . PMID   35003003.
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