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Electronic Journal of Biotechnology ISSN: 0717-3458 Vol. 11 No. 4, Issue of October 15, 2008
© 2008 by Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso -- Chile Received August 30, 2007 / Accepted May 22, 2008
DOI: 10.2225/vol11-issue4-fulltext-2
RESEARCH ARTICLE

Characterization of Dunaliella salina strains by flow cytometry: a new approach to select carotenoid hyperproducing strains

Héctor Mendoza*
Departamento de Biotecnología
División de Investigación y Desarrollo Tecnológico
Instituto Tecnológico de Canarias
Pozo Izquierdo, 35119 Sta. Lucía, Canary Islands, Spain
Tel: 34928727555
Fax: 34928727517
E-mail: hmendoza@itccanarias.org

Adelina de la Jara
Departamento de Biotecnología
División de Investigación y Desarrollo Tecnológico
Instituto Tecnológico de Canarias
Pozo Izquierdo, 35119 Sta. Lucía, Canary Islands, Spain
Tel: 34928727544
Fax: 34928727517
E-mail: adelajara@itccanarias.org

Karen Freijanes
Departamento de Biotecnología
División de Investigación y Desarrollo Tecnológico
Instituto Tecnológico de Canarias
Pozo Izquierdo, 35119 Sta. Lucía, Canary Islands, Spain
Tel: 34928727544
Fax: 34928727517
E-mail: kfreijanes@itccanarias.org

Laura Carmona
Departamento de Biotecnología
División de Investigación y Desarrollo Tecnológico
Instituto Tecnológico de Canarias
Pozo Izquierdo, 35119 Sta. Lucía, Canary Islands, Spain
Tel: 34928727544
Fax: 34928727517
E-mail: lcarmona@itccanarias.org

Ana Alexandra Ramos
Centre of Marine Sciences
Campus de Gambelas
8005-139 Faro, Portugal
Tel: 35196518375
Fax: 351299818353
E-mail: xramos@ualg.pt

Vanessa de Sousa Duarte
Centre of Marine Sciences
Campus de Gambelas
8005-139 Faro, Portugal
Tel: 35196518375
Fax: 351299818353
E-mail: vsousa@ualg.pt

João Carlos Serafim Varela
Centre of Marine Sciences
Campus de Gambelas
8005-139 Faro, Portugal
Tel: 35196518375
Fax: 351299818353
E-mail: jvarela@ualg.pt

Websites: http://www.itccanarias.org

http://www.ccmar.ualg.pt/institucional.htm

*Corresponding author

Financial support: This research was partially supported by Interreg IIIB European programme, Project 159-SAL, the FCT research project OVERCAROTEN POCTI/MAR/15237/99 and the Portuguese national budget.

Keywords: carotene, carotenogenesis, Dunaliella salina, flow cytometry, Nile red.

Abbreviations:

Chl/Car: chlorophyll to carotenoid ratio
EMS: ethyl methane sulphonate
FSC: forward scatter
NR: Nile red
OD: optical density
SSC: side scatter

Abstract   Full Text

In the present work the characterization of different strains of Dunaliella salina from established cell culture collections and various isolates from solar saltworks located in the Canary Island, as well as one mutant, was carried out in order to assess the existence of intraspecific differences and to determine the potential productivity of each one. Morphological characteristics such as cellular size and cellular complexity and parameters linked to cellular physiology, such as pigment content or cellular growth rate, were determined by means of traditional techniques as well as flow cytometry. Results showed a high morphological and physiological intraspecific variability among the studied strains. Results suggest that the application of the lipidic dye Nile red allowed the development of a cytometric method faster than the traditional techniques to select carotenoid hyperproducing strains of microalgae.

Supported by UNESCO / MIRCEN network