Sample characteristics and pigment concentration of arctic snow and permafrost algal strains

The Culture Collection of Cryophilic Algae at Fraunhofer IBMT in Potsdam served as the bioresource for this study. Eight of the strains belong to the Chlorophyceae and two strains are affiliated to the Trebouxiophyceae.

While under low light, all 10 strains produced the normal spectrum of primary pigments known to be present in Chlorophyta, only the eight chlorophyceaen strains were able to synthesize secondary carotenoids under stress conditions, namely canthaxanthin, echinenone and astaxanthin; seven of them were also able to synthesize minor amounts of adonixanthin and an unidentified hydroxyechinenone. The two trebouxiophyceaen species of Raphidonema exhibited an unusually high pool of primary xanthophyll cycle pigments, possibly serving as a buffering reservoir against excessive irradiation.