Journal of Coastal Zone Management

Abstract

SPECIES DETERMINATION OF GREEN ALGAE ISOLATED FROM JEPARA COASTAL REGION BASED ON MICROBIOLOGICAL, ECOPHYSIOLOGICAL AND MOLECULAR CHARACTERIZATION FOR IMPROVEMENT OF CAROTENOID PRODUCTION

Hermin Pancasakti Kusumaningrum, Endang Kusdiyantini, Triwibowo Yuwono,and Joedoro Soedarsono

A local isolate of green algae called C1 from Jepara waters is usually used as a source for
carotenoid supplement for animal fisheries in the local area. This indigenous algae has been
successfully purificated. Although the local isolate was known as eucaryotic green algae Dunaliella,
our previous molecular study by 18S rDNA analysis to determine the species of this organisms showed
negative result. In order to improve carotenoid production especially detection of biosynthetic pathway
from the organisms investigated in this study, the main purpose of this study was species determination
of local isolate of green algae based on microbiologycal, ecophysiologycal and molecular
characterization.
The results of this research indicated that local isolate of green algae posseses Cyanobacteria
characteristic, especially Synechocystis. Analyses with 16S rDNA sequence from genome of green
algae isolates were also in accordance with these results, showing close similarities with Synechocystis
16S rDNA sequence. However, it should be noted that, instead of having Synechocystis dominant
feature, it was also found that local isolate of green algae exhibit different characteristic in having
chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b and lack of phycobillins. This character was typical for abberant
Cyanophyta, Prochlorophyta.