Open AccessSelection and Characterization of Dunaliella salina Mutants Defective in Haloadaptation
Author(s) -
Edith Chitlaru,
Uri Pick
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
plant physiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.554
H-Index - 312
eISSN - 1532-2548
pISSN - 0032-0889
DOI - 10.1104/pp.91.2.788
Subject(s) - mutant , dunaliella salina , dunaliella , osmotic concentration , biology , selection (genetic algorithm) , intracellular , osmotic pressure , tonicity , osmotic shock , microbiology and biotechnology , biophysics , botany , biochemistry , algae , gene , artificial intelligence , computer science
A technique for selection of Dunaliella mutants defective in their capacity to recover from osmotic shocks has been developed. The selection is based on physical separation of mutants on density gradients. This technique takes advantage of the fact that Dunaliella cells, when exposed to osmotic shocks, initially change volume and density due to water gain or loss and subsequently recover their volume and density by readjusting their intracellular glycerol. Eight mutants that do not recover their original density following hyperosmotic shocks have been isolated. The mutants grow similar to wild type cells in 1 molar NaCl, and recover like the wild type from hypotonic shocks but are defective in recovering from hypertonic shocks. A partial characterization of one of the mutants is described.