PHYSIOLOGICAL AND PHOTOSYNTHETIC CHANGES DURING THE FORMATION OF RED APLANOSPORES IN THE CHILOROPHYTE HAEMATOCOCCUS PLUVIALIS

Changes in physiological and photosynthetic parameters were followed in the freshwater chorophyte Haematococcus pluvialis Flotow (Volvocales) during the transformation of green vegetative cells to red aplanospores.Formation of aplanospores was induced by exposure to a nitrogen‐deficient medium. In spite of an increase in cellular volume (from 6.6 to 41 pL) and amassive accumulation of astaxanthin, chlorophyll content of the mature aplanospore decreased only slightly (from 16 to 14.8 pg'cell⁻¹)as compared to the vegetative cell. Aplanospore formation was characterized by a gradual reduction in the maximal photosynthetic rate and increases in the photosynthetic quantum requirement and minimal turnover time for photosynthetic O₂ evolution.Respiration rate increased (4.2 times)and excretion rate decreased (up to 8.8 times) during aplanospore formation. Measurements of photosynthetic unit “size” and estimation of the cellular content of photosystem II reaction centers suggest that the photosynthetic complex remains relatively centers stable during the formation process and in the mature aplanospore.A functional relationship between the describe changes in the physiology of the cells and their photosynthetic parameters is proposed.