Protoplast Isolation and Photosynthetic Characteristics of Zostera marina L. (Eel Grass)

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Abstract
Protoplasts of epidermal and parenchyma cells of Z. marina L. were prepared by enzymatic digestion of leaf tissue. Epidermal protoplasts accounted for the majority of chlorophyll and contained 8-10 chloroplasts/cell. Leaf discs from Zostera showed low net O2 evolution rates on an area basis (1.0 .mu.mol O2 dm-2 min-1) and on a chlorophyll basis (0.5 .mu.mol mg chlorophyll-1 min-1). The photosynthetic unit size based on O2 yield using short repetitive light flashes was 2150, similar to other marine species, while the photosynthetic unit size based on the ratio of chlorophyll to P700 was 525, also similar to other marine and terrestrial species. The presence of a low density of photosynthetic units per unit leaf area, thin leaves and the localization of the bulk of the photosynthetic machinery in the epidermal layer can account for the low photosynthetic activity of Zostera on a leaf area basis.