More than meets the eye: regional specialisation and microbial cover of the blade of Porphyra umbilicalis (Bangiophyceae, Rhodophyta)
Royer CJ, Blouin NA, Brawley SH. 2018. More than meets the eye: regional specialisation and microbial cover of the blade of Porphyra umbilicalis (Bangiophyceae, Rhodophyta). Botanica Marina. 61(5):459-465
From the abstract: "Completion of the Porphyra umbilicalis genome and ongoing research on this species by many investigators suggest the need for wider appreciation of regional specialisation of the P. umbilicalis blade. Here we use light and electron microscopy to describe four distinct regions of the blade: rhizoid cells with abundant floridean starch, vegetative cells, differentiating neutral sporangia, and mature neutral spores. The holdfast, densely covered by microorganisms, presents an intriguing biomechanical structure: thousands of very thin, long rhizoid tips course through the thick, secreted polysaccharide to the substratum. Wild blades in culture have more microorganisms than when collected, including filamentous cyanobacteria."
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Royer, Charlotte; Blouin, Nicolas; Brawley, Susan
- Units
- ACAD
- Keywords
- DNA, Genetic diversity, Genetics, Intertidal zone, Microenvironment