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Environmental and Stress Physiology

Raffinose Synthesis in Chlorella vulgaris Cultures after a Cold Shock ¹

Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas, Fundación para Investigaciones Biológicas Aplicadas (F.I.B.A.) and Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Casilla de Correo 1348, 7600 Mar del Plata, Argentina

Chlorella vulgaris cultures have been submitted to a chilling shock, bringing down the growing temperature from to 24°C to 4°C. Growth was stopped immediately, and concomitantly there was an accumulation of sucrose and a decrease in the starch content. The enzymes involved in sucrose metabolism were differentially affected by the chilling shock. Sucrose phosphate synthase activity increased while sucrose synthase was not affected. Simultaneously with the chilling shock, raffinose began to accumulate. When algal cultures were returned at 24°C, raffinose disappeared. The presence of raffinose in algal cells has not been reported before.