Mutants with impaired photosynthesis in [formula omitted

Abstract

A mutant strain unable to carry out photosynthetic phosphorylation has been described for the unicellular green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardi ( Levine, 1960a). Recently, additional mutant strains with impaired photosynthesis have been obtained by induction with ultraviolet light and subsequent screening ( Levine, 1960b) for their ability to fix carbon dioxide. The purpose of the present communication is to report some initial findings which relate to seven of these strains. Further work is in progress and a detailed report will be published. Since each of the mutant with impaired photosynthesis will not grow on minimal medium ( Levine and Ebersold, 1958) unless it is supplemented with sodium acetate, they have been referred to as acetate-requiring mutants (abbreviated ac ). For the experiments reported here the wild-type strain ( 137 c ) and the mutants were grown at 25°C in shake cultures of minimal medium supplemented with sodium acetate and at a light intensity of 2500 lux from daylight fluorescent lamps. Cells were harvested when the cultures were in the logarithmic phase of growth.