Identification and characterization of a new strain of the unicellular green alga Dunaliella salina (Teod.) from Korea

• Published in: Journal of microbiology and biotechnology Vol. 18; no. 5; pp. 821 - 827
• Main Authors: Polle, Jurgen E. (Brooklyn College of CUNY, Brooklyn, NY, U.S.A.), Struwe, Lena (Rutgers University - Cook College, New Brunswick, NJ, U.S.A.), Jin, E.S. (Hanyang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea), E-mail: esjin@hanyang.ac.kr
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Seoul Korean Society for Applied Microbiology 01.05.2008
• Subjects: beta Carotene - metabolism; beta-carotene; Biological and medical sciences; Biotechnology; CHLOROPHYCEAE; Chlorophyta - classification; Chlorophyta - genetics; Chlorophyta - isolation & purification; Chlorophyta - metabolism; DNA, Algal - genetics; DNA, Ribosomal Spacer - genetics; Dunaliella salina; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Korea; Molecular Sequence Data; Phylogeny; Salts - metabolism; Asia; Korea; Characterization; Dunaliella salina; Chlorophyta; Algae; β-carotene; Identification; Betacarotene; Green alga; Chlorophyceae
• ISSN: 1017-7825

The unicellular green alga Dunaliella salina is a halotolerant eukaryotic organism. Its halophytic properties provide an important advantage for open pond mass cultivation, since D. salina can be grown selectively. D. salina was originally described by E. C. Teodoresco in 1905. Since that time, numerous isolates of D. salina have been identified from hypersaline environments on different continents. The new Dunaliella strain used for this study was isolated from the salt farm area of the west coastal side of South Korea. Cells of the new strain were approximately oval- or pear-shaped (approximately 16-24 ㎛ long and 10-15 ㎛ wide), and contained one pyrenoid, cytoplasmatic granules, and no visible eyespot. Although levels of β-carotene per cell were relatively low in cells grown at salinities between 0.5 to 2.5 M NaCl, cells grown at 4.5 M NaCl contained about a ten-fold increase in cellular levels of β-carotene, which demonstrated that cells of the new Korean strain of Dunaliella can overaccumulate β-carotene in response to salt stress. Analysis of the ITS1 and ITS2 regions of the new Korean isolate showed that it is in the same clade as D. salina. Consequently, based on comparative cell morphology, biochemistry, and molecular phylogeny, the new Dunaliella isolate from South Korea was classified as D. salina KCTC10654BP.