biologia plantarum

Biologia plantarum 10:374-384, 1968 | DOI: 10.1007/BF02921286

Influence of low doses of mutagens on growth of algae on a solid medium

J. Nečas¹

¹ Laboratory of Algology of Microbiological Institute of Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences, Třeboň

The effects of low doses of two mutagens (UV-light and ethyl methansulphonate) on the growth of algae on a solid minimal (anorganic) medium were studied. It was supposed that low doses of mutagens will be more suitable for the induction of growth mutations.
The UV-light had an inhibitory effect in the whole range of the applied doses on the growth of colonies of algae from the cells inoculated on the solid medium immediately after irradiation.
Ethyl methansulphonate produced growth stimulation if applied in the lowest doses. The growth was inhibited in a further range of doses and then there appeared the range of lethal doses.
The growth responses to the influence of these mutagens were different in all the three algal species used and to the previous cultivation conditions before their exposure to the mutagens. It is certain that most of these growth responses are only modifications.
The influence of ethyl methansulphonate differed according to the method of application. If it affected the algae for a long time (it means if they were inoculated directly on the solid medium containing mutagens), or, if the algae were exposed to its influence immediately before their inoculation on the solid medium, the growth responses of colonies were quite different.
Growth responses with the single studied strains differed quantitatively only.

Received: February 14, 1968; Published: September 1, 1968  Show citation