Skip Navigation

This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Cited by other online articles
Right arrow Request Permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Boussiba, S.
Right arrow Articles by Vonshak, A.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow Articles by Boussiba, S.
Right arrow Articles by Vonshak, A.
Agricola
Right arrow Articles by Boussiba, S.
Right arrow Articles by Vonshak, A.

Plant and Cell Physiology, 1991, Vol. 32, No. 7 1077-1082
© 1991

Article

Astaxanthin Accumulation in the Green Alga Haematococcus pluvialis1

Sammy Boussiba and Avigad Vonshak

Microalgal Biotechnology Laboratory, The Jacob Blaustein Institute for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev Sede-Boker Campus, Israel 84990

Cells of the green microalga Haematococcus pluvialis were induced to accumulate the ketocarotenoid pigment, astaxanthin. This induction was achieved by the application of the following environmental conditions: light intensity (170 µmol m~–2s–1), phosphate starvation and salt stress (NaCl 0.8%). These conditions retarded cell growth as reflected by a decrease in cell division rate, but led to an increase in astaxanthin content per cell. Accumulation of astaxanthin required nitrogen and was associated with a change in the cell stage from biflagellate vegetative green cells to non-motile and large resting cells. It is suggested that environmental or nutritional stresses, which interfere with cell division, trigger the accumulation of astaxanthin. Indeed, when a specific inhibitor of cell division was applied, a massive accumulation of astaxanthin occurred.

1 Contribution No. 55 of The Microalgal Biotechnology Laboratory

(Received April 22, 1991; Accepted August 6, 1991)


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USAHome page
Z. Sun, F. X. Cunningham Jr., and E. Gantt
Differential expression of two isopentenyl pyrophosphate isomerases and enhanced carotenoid accumulation in a unicellular chlorophyte
PNAS, September 15, 1998; 95(19): 11482 - 11488.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 J. Biol. Chem.Home page
P. D. Fraser, Y. Miura, and N. Misawa
In Vitro Characterization of Astaxanthin Biosynthetic Enzymes
J. Biol. Chem., March 7, 1997; 272(10): 6128 - 6135.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Cite 4: General

Disclaimer:
Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.