Suitable unialgal strains of Gracilariopsis chorda and Gracilaria vermiculophylla for hemagglutinin production

• Published in: Journal of applied phycology Vol. 32; no. 4; pp. 2397 - 2406
• Main Authors: Kakita, Hirotaka, Yanaoka, Naoki, Obika, Hideki
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01.08.2020; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: 23rd INTERNATIONAL SEAWEED SYMPOSIUM; Aeration; Algae; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Ecology; Fertility; Freshwater & Marine Ecology; Gracilaria vermiculophylla; Gracilariopsis chorda; Growth rate; Hemagglutinins; JEJU; Life Sciences; Microbiological strains; Photons; Plant Physiology; Plant Sciences; Rivers; Rhodophyta; Biological production; Growth rate; Culture
• ISSN: 0921-8971; 1573-5176
• DOI: 10.1007/s10811-019-02024-z

The selection of unialgal culture strains suitable as sources of algal hemagglutinins is one of the important factors for success in algal component production. To obtain suitable unialgal culture strains, several Gracilariopsis chorda and Gracilaria vermiculophylla strains were surveyed for hemagglutinating activity, relative growth rates, and fertility difficulty. Fertile tetrasporophyte samples of naturally occurring G. chorda and G. vermiculophylla were collected at each of three different collection sites around Shikoku Island in southwest Japan. Unialgal culture strains were started from isolated tetraspores obtained from each naturally occurring plant. The hemagglutinating activities in algal extracts of the three G. chorda strains (3100–7000 units mg −1 ) were higher than those of the three G. vermiculophylla strains (920–980 units mg −1 ). The daily growth rates of the G. chorda strains (8.0–13.8% day −1 at 22 °C) were higher than those of the G. vermiculophylla strains (4.1–4.4% day −1 at 22 °C). Among the unialgal culture strains tested, the one started from isolated tetraspores from G. chorda growing in the Katsuura River had the highest hemagglutinating activity and relative growth rate. This strain also did not become fertile even after a period of 3 years of culture with aeration at 22 °C, in a 14-h light–10-h dark cycle at 60 μmol photons m −2  s −1 . Thus, the unialgal culture strain started from isolated tetraspores from G. chorda growing in the Katsuura River seems to be a useful source for hemagglutinin production.