A terrestrial green microalga was isolated at Ås, in Akershus County, Norway. The strain corresponded to a coccoid chlorophyte. Morphological characteristics by light and electron microscopy, in conjunction with DNA amplification and sequencing of the 18 s rDNA gene and ITS sequences, were used to identify the microalgae. The characteristics agree with those of the genus Coelastrella defined by Chodat, and formed a sister group with the recently described C. thermophila var. globulina. Coelastrella is a relatively small numbered genus that has not been observed in continental Norway before; there are no previous cultures available in collections of Norwegian strains. Gas chromatography analyses of the FAME-derivatives showed a high percentage of polyunsaturated fatty acids (44-45%) especially linolenic acid (C18:3n3; 30-34%). After the stationary phase, the cultures were able to accumulate several carotenoids as neoxanthin, pheophytin a, astaxanthin, canthaxanthin, lutein, and violaxanthin. Due to the scarcity of visual characters suitable for diagnostic purposes and the lack of DNA sequence information, there is a high possibility that species of this genus have been neglected in local environmental studies, even though it showed interesting properties for algal biotechnology.

Department of Plant Sciences Faculty of Biosciences Norwegian University of Life Sciences P O Box 5003 1432 Ås Norway

Laboratory of Photosynthesis Centre Algatech Institute of Microbiology The Czech Academy of Sciences Třeboň Czech Republic

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