NUTRITIONAL STUDIES OF THE EDIBLE SEAWEED PORPHYRA TENERA I. THE INFLUENCE OF DIFFERENT B12 ANALOGUES, PLANT HORMONES, PURINES AND PYRIMIDINES ON THE GROWTH OF CONCHOCELIS

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Abstract
The red alga Porphyra tenera has been obtained in axenic culture by the “dip and drag” technique in an agarized medium containing antibiotics. In the axenic culture, the Conchocelis of P. tenera needs vitamin B12 for growth. The addition of other vitamins does not increase growth further. The pattern of specificity is similar to that of Escherichia coli 113-3. Factor B, pseudovitamin B12 and Factor Z2 support as much growth as vitamin B12, while 2-methylmercaptoadenine and 5-methyl benzimidazole cobalamine increase the growth more than B12. All the analogues containing benzimidazole can replace B12. Kinetin, adenine, indoleacetic acid and especially gibberellic acid increase growth. Three purines, (xanthine, hypoxanthine and guanine) and three pyrimidines (uracil, methylcytosine and thymine) also promote growth in the presence of vitamine B12.