Lena Dahlman

Ammonium uptake in the nitrophytic lichen Xanthoria parietina and its effects on vitality and balance between symbionts

Ammonium uptake in the nitrophytic lichen Xanthoria parietina (L.) Th. Fr. and its effects on vitality and balance between symbionts

Measuring Ergosterol and Chitin in Lichens

Mycobiont biomass dominates in most lichen thalli, and it is generally believed that the fungus acts as a major sink for carbon assimilated by the photobiont, and even nitrogen in cyanobacterial lichens (Rai 1988, Fahselt 1994). However, fungal metabolism within lichens has been poorly studied, and so far there are no studies where fungal respiration, energy or metabolite demand has been separated from photobiont requirements. Even though it has been firmly established that export of assimilates from photo- to mycobiont may be extensive (Richardson and Smith 1966, Tapper 1981, Lines et al. 1989), quantitative measures of carbon and nitrogen distribution patterns between the symbionts of lichens are largely lacking. One important part of such studies would be to find unique cellular components of the myco- and photobiont, that can be related either to their respective metabolism or to their biomass.