Alleviation of vitamin B12 requirement by chloramphenicol in Chlorella kabini growing as a contaminant in Spirulina ponds
Abstract
Vitamin B12 was found to be necessary for the growth of Chlorella kabini. Cells grown in the absence of vitamin B12 were unable to release autospores. Cells precultured in vitamin B12 accumulated some metabolite(s) necessary for autospore release that were sufficient for a few cycles of asexual reproduction in the absence of vitamin B12. Vitamin B2 prevented the reproductive cycle in the vitamin B12 precultured cells. C. kabini was relatively resistant to growth inhibition by chloramphenicol. In fact, chloramphenicol facilitated transition of cells through the cell cycle, even in the absence of vitamin B12
Keywords
Asexual growth, autospore release, chloramphenicol, Chlorella kabini, minimal medium, vitamin B12, vitamin B2