Selection and characterization of an improved strain (ST‐2) of Pyropia haitanensis by 60Co‐γ ray irradiation

Abstract

Although the improved strain HR‐5 of Pyropia haitanensis has improvement in yield and quality, it shows earlier maturation and shortened growth period. In this study, blades of HR‐5 strain were treated with ⁶⁰Co‐γ ray irradiation, and a mutant strain ST‐2 was selected and characterized. The blade length of ST‐2 strain was 401.4\xa0cm on day 70 post‐culture, which was 1.9‐fold longer than that of the parental strain HR‐5. The blades of HR‐5 strain matured earlier and most were matured on day 55, while the ST‐2 strain was not matured until day 90. When blades of HR‐5 and ST‐2 strains were firstly cultured at 23°C for 40\xa0days and their blade discs cultured at 29°C for another 30\xa0days, the mean length of ST‐2 strain was 2.0‐fold longer than that of HR‐5 strain. Besides, the contents of Chl. a and phycobiliprotein and the conchospore numbers in ST‐2 were comparable to that in HR‐5 strain. In summary, compared with HR‐5, we observed delayed maturation, increased length, weight and high‐temperature resistance of the blades, high content of photosynthetic pigments, and high production of conchospores in ST‐2, suggesting it might be a better strain for large‐scale production.