Colonial microalgae

The microalga genus Phaeocystis has a worldwide distribution and is known to develop massive blooms in polar and temperate waters (Riebesell et al. 1995). Spring blooms of Phaeocystis often follow diatom blooms, after the decline of dissolved silicate (Lancelot et al. 2005 Wassman et al. 2005). This colony-forming alga is an important source of the volatile organic sulphur compound dimethyl sulphide (DMS) and its... 

Figure 1 Micrographs of (A) Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, (B) dumbell-shaped Syn-echocystis sp. cell free floating and immediately after cell division (inset), (C) Anabaenopsis sp., (D) Anabaena cylindrica, (E) a colony of the microalgae B. braunii, and (F) Pleodorina californica. Panels (B-D) and (F) are reproduced with permission from Prof. Yuuji Tsukii, Hosei University (httpy/protisti.hoseixicjp/).

The green microalga B. braunii grows as colonies of individual cells held together by a colony matrix that contains a large mixture of liquid hydrocarbons. B. braunii is further classified into four races namely races A, B, L, and S, depending on the type of hydrocarbons synthesized. The B race produces triterpenoid hydrocarbons, squalene (Figure 2.7) and botryococcene, both of which are putative condensation products of farnesyl diphosphate as the major matrix components. ... 

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