Photoautotrophic growth in suspension culture of cells from the moss, Barbula unguiculata

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Abstract
Chlorophyllous cells in suspension culture from the moss, Barbula unguculata Hedw., grown under photoheterotrophic conditions were transferred to photoautotrophic conditions. The cells started to grow photoautotrophically without selection. Maximum growth was observed under irradiances of more than 5 W m2 and in an atmosphere enriched with 1% (v/v) CO2. Under optimum growth conditions, dry weight and chlorophyll content in the culture had increased 20‐fold after 20 days of cell growth. High concentration of chlorophyll [10–20 μg (mg dry weight)−1] and high photosynthetic actively [30–70 μmol O2 evolved (mg chlorophyll)−1 h−1] were observed throughout the culture period. In sugar‐free culture medium, cell growth did not occur in the dark or in the presence of 3‐(3,4‐dichlorophenyl)‐1,1‐dimethylurea (DCMU) under light, although cell growth was observed in glucose‐containing medium under those conditions. When cells that were grown photoautotrophically for one year were transferred to glucose‐containing medium under ordinary air, they started to grow heterotrophically both in the light and in the dark.