• ALGAE
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.225-234
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• 2012

Zygnema is a conjugating filamentous green algal genus that is distributed in a broad range of freshwater habitats, from sea level to alpine summits. Although more than 150 species have been described worldwide, their taxonomy remains unclear, probably owing to their relatively simple morphology. We investigated the detailed morphology of Korean Zygnema species, combined with analysis of the plastid psbA gene from 22 specimens of the genus and putative relatives, in order to develope a key to their identification and isolation, and to determine their relationships. We recognized two species of Zygnema; Z. insigne and Z. leiospermum, based on morphological characters such as width of the vegetative cell, position of zygospores, dimensions and form of spores, shape of female gametangia, and color of mesospores. The analysis of psbA data was consistent with morphological comparison. The pairwise divergence between two species was 3.7-4.1% (34-38 bp) in psbA sequences. The phylogeny of psbA revealed the monophyly of Z. insigne and Z. leiospermum together with two isolates of Z. circumcarinatum from Germany and Scotland. This is the first report on the psbA gene phylogeny of Zygnema.

• ALGAE
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.57-60
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• 2009

We described a freshwater filamentous zygnematacean species, Zygnema cruciatum (Vaucher) Agardh in Korea,based on light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Zygnema cruciatum is characterized by unbranched fil-amcnts of short cylindrical cells, two stellate chloroplasts per cell, a pyrenoid in each chloroplast. Cells are 32-39 $\mu$m in width and 35-50 $\mu$m in length, Conjugation is scalariform and female gametangia are cylindrical or slightlyenlarged. Zygospores are yellow-brown, spherical or broadly ovoid, 35-44 $\mu$m wide and 40-47 $\mu$m long. Under SEM, wall of zygospore has pitted mesospore and pits are 1.4-1.8 $\mu$m in diameter and 3-4 $\mu$m apart from each other.

• ALGAE
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.125-129
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• 2007

Conventional methods for the isolation and purification of mRNA from Zygnema were unsuccessful because of its high amount of pigments and RNA interactive molecules. In particular, pigments were difficult to remove using conventional protocols because they interacted with RNA during pulverization of the materials. This resulted in total degeneration of RNA in two to three hours. To alleviate this problem, we developed an isolation method that utilized DEAE-cellulose resin. The pigments bound to DEAE anion exchange resin and separated from the RNA. Purified total RNA showed an yield of 50 μg per 100 mg of tissue with this method. The amplified 2nd strand cDNA was distributed 300 bp and over.

• Journal of environmental and Sanitary engineering
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.11-21
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• 2007

The recent investigation indicates that the kinetic constants for anionic ions were merely the result of ion exchange between the algae cell wall surface and the anionic ion. In this study, Zygnema sterile and Lepocinclism textra, floating flagellate alga as the dominant algae strains, were cultivated using HRABR(High Rate Algae Biomass Reactor) and the cultivation conditions were 24 hrs. and 12 hrs. irradiation and it was studied how this algal biomass acts on the biosorption mechanism of anionic N and P. Results are as follows : 1. Calculating the specific chl.-a growth rate using Michaelis-Menten model, the one of 24hrs. irradiation was about 55 times higher than the one of 12 hrs. irradiation 2. Calculating the specific chl.-a growth rate using Kuo model, the one of 24 hrs. irradiation was about 2.26 times higher than the one of 12 hrs. irradiation 3. Langmuir model can apply to the biosorption mechanism of anionic N and P in HRABP. 4. Regarding the chlorophyll-a concentration as unit weight of sorbent, the ion selectivity coefficients for N and P are as follows : $(NH_3-N)+(NO_3-N)$ in 24 hrs. irradiation ; 44.984 $PO_4-P$ in 24 hrs. irradiation ; 24.237 $(NH_3-N)+(NO_3-N)$ in 12 hrs. irradiation ; 1432.851 $PO_4-P$ in 12 hrs. irradiation ; 599.076

• ALGAE
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.197-204
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• 2010

Cytoskeletal changes were observed during cell division of the green alga Zygnema cruciatum using flourescein isothiocynate (FITC)-conjugated phallacidin for F-actin staining and FITC-anti-$\alpha$-tubulin for microtubule staining. Z. cruciatum was uninucleate with two star-shaped chloroplasts. Nuclear division and cell plate formation occurred prior to chloroplast division. Actin filaments appeared on the chromosome and nuclear surface during prophase, and the F-actin ring appeared as the cleavage furrow developed. FITC-phallacidin revealed that actin filaments were attached to the chromosomes during metaphase. The F-actin ring disappeared at late metaphase. At telophase, FITC-phallacidin staining of actin filaments disappeared. FITC-anti-$\alpha$-tubulin staining revealed that microtubules were arranged beneath the protoplasm during interphase and then localized on the nuclear region at prophase, and that the mitotic spindle was formed during metaphase. The microtubules appeared between dividing chloroplasts. The results indicate that a coordination of actin filaments and microtubules might be necessary for nuclear division and chromosome movement in Z. cruciatum.