Bibliographic Detail
West, J.A., Zuccarello, G.C., Scott, J., Pickett-Heaps, J. & Kim, G.H., 2005
Reference:
West, J.A., Zuccarello, G.C., Scott, J., Pickett-Heaps, J. & Kim, G.H. (2005). Observations on Purpureofilum apyrenoidigerum gen. et sp. nov. from Australia and Bangiopsis subsimplex from India (Stylonemates, Bangiophyceae, Rhodophyta). Phycological Research 53: 49-66.
Abstract:
Purpureofilum apyrenoidigerum gen et sp. nov. was
obtained from a mangrove habitat in New South Wales,
Australia. It had unbranched uniseriate to multiseriate
filaments less than 1 mm tall, with a unicellular base.
Each cell had a single multilobed parietal chloroplast
without a pyrenoid. During reproduction vegetative
cells were discharged directly as monospores that
remained motile for several hours after release. Spores
with long tails moved more slowly (0.053-0.195 µm s-
1) than spores without tails (0.43-1.76 µm s-1). Phylogenetic
analysis of sequences of the small subunit of
the nuclear-encoded rRNA and plastid-encoded ribulose
bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase genes
revealed that Purpureofilum is a member of the
Stylonematales and is most closely related to the filamentous
genus Bangiopsis. Bangiopsis differs from
Purpureofilum by having longer (to 5 mm) multiseriate
filaments, cells containing a stellate chloroplast, a conspicuous
central pyrenoid, and monospores often
formed in packets. Monospores of Bangiopsis were also
motile. Transmission electron microscopy investigation
of Purpureofilum and Bangiopsis revealed that the
Golgi complexes are associated only with rough endoplasmic
reticulum and that the plastid contains a
peripheral thylakoid; this combination of features being
the same as in all other multicellular members of the
Stylonematales. The low molecular weight carbohydrates
of Purpureofilum and Bangiopsis were digeneaside
and sorbitol, which were present in most other
Stylonematales.
