Gall structure and specificity in Bostrychia culture isolates (Rhodomelaceae, Rhodophyta)

Abstract

The descriptions of galls, or tumors, in red algae have been sparse. Kützing (1865) observed possible galls of Bostrychia but only presented a drawing. Intensive culture observations of hundreds of specimens of the genus Bostrychia over many years have revealed that galls appeared in only a small subset of our unialgal cultures of B. kelanensis, Bostrychia moritziana / radicans, B. radicosa, B. simpliciuscula, and B. tenella and continued to be produced intermittently or continuously over many years in some cultures but were never seen in field specimens. Galls appeared as unorganized tissue found primarily on males and bisexuals, but occasionally on females and tetrasporophytes. The gall cells usually were less pigmented than neighboring tissue, but contained cells with fluorescent plastids and nuclei. The galls were not transferable to other potential hosts. Galls could be produced from gall-free tissue of cultures that originally had galls even after transfer to new culture dishes. Electon microscopy of galls on one isolate (3895) showed that virus-like particles are observed in some gall cells. It is possible that a virus is the causative agent of these galls. © The Korean Society of Phycology.