Survival of Protosiphon botryoides (Chlorophyceae, Chlorophyta) from a Connecticut soil dried for 43 years

Abstract

Lewis L.A. and Trainor F.R. 2012. Survival of Protosiphon botryoides (Chlorophyceae, Chlorophyta) from a Connecticut soil dried for 43 years. Phycologia 51: 662–665. DOI: 10.2216/11-108.1

Following a series of long-term studies of algae that survive desiccation, we reported the presence of the green alga Protosiphon botryoides from liquid preparations of soil dried for 43 years and its absence from cultures prepared with soils dried for 50 years. The identity of this alga was verified using phylogenetic analysis of data from the 18S rDNA and rbcL genes. Mechanisms used by green algae to survive long-term desiccation were discussed.

Key Words::

• Aplanospore
• Cyst
• Phylogeny
• Vegetative desiccation tolerance
• Zygote

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We thank S. Olm for technical assistance and Drs B. Parker, P. Lewis and two anonymous reviewers for helpful comments. This work was supported by NSF DEB-0529737 awarded to L.L.