Discovery of an endophytic alga in Ginkgo biloba

摘要: Although intracellular associations with mycorrhizal fungi are known for Ginkgo biloba, no other endosymbiotic relationships have ever been reported this "living fossil." A protoplast culture derived from haploid explants has now revealed the existence of a green alga in vitro, whose eukaryotic status was confirmed by transmission electron microscopic studies. Phylogenetic 18S rDNA sequence analyses showed to be closely related lichen photobiont Coccomyxa. Algae, which host cells exist as more or less undifferentiated "precursor" forms, proliferated within necrosing G. biloba subculture zygotic embryo and were finally released into medium. Light observations that rapidly filled up countless particles number increased bursting hypertrophic cells. At beginning reproduction algae visible nutritive medium, demonstrating proliferation started inside excluding possibility an exogenous contamination. Occasionally, mature together their precursor forms detected microscopy intact callus. The easily identified similarity cultured algae. Eukaryotic never date reside higher plant cells, whereas several algal well animal kingdom.