The major chloroplast pigments of chlorobotrys regularis (West) bohlin (eustigmatophyceae) and ophiocytium majus naegeli (xanthophyceae)

Abstract

Examination of the absorption spectra of the total pigment extracts of Chlorobotrys regularis and Ophiocytium majus indicated that the former is a member of the Eustigmatophyceae and the latter the Xanthophyceae sensu stricto. This was confirmed by chromatographic analysis of the extracts. Both of these algae contain 0-carotene and chlorophyll a but the xanthophylls are not identical. Chlorobotrys regularis has violaxanthin as the major xanthophyll with vaucheriaxanthin-ester and a small amount of a pigment which could be neoxanthin, whilst Ophiocytium majus contains diadinoxanthin as the major xanthophyll and also vaucheriaxanthin-ester and a relatively small amount of heteroxanthin. Chlorophyll c was not detected in Ophiocytium majus Pigments were identified on the basis of chromatographic behaviour and electronic spectra. © 1976 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.