Selection and RAPD analysis of a new spirulina platensisstrain with high phycobiliproteins contents

The contents of phycocyanin (PC), allo-phycocyanin (APC), phycobiliproteins (PBP) and the ratio of PC and APC (PC/APC) of nine Spirulina platensis strains used in pilot plant cultivation were 10.74%-16.26%, 3.67%-5.55%, 14.42%-21.81% and 2.87-3.05, respectively. By mechanical grinding and sedimentation, the single cells or spheroplasts of Sp-CH, whose PBP contents was highest in the nine tested strains, were obtained. They were treated by 0.6% EMS for 30 min and 2.4 kGy 60Co γ-rays, and then cultured by the single filament separating, a high PBP content strain named as Sp-CH32 was obtained. The contents of PC, APC and PBP of Sp-CH32 were about 36%, 89% and 50%, higher than that of Sp-CH, respectively. And the PC/APC of Sp-CH32 were 1.91-2.23. Moreover, RAPD analysis showed that the amplifcation bands of primers S38 revealed significant polymorphisms in Sp-CH32 and Sp-CH. The pilot plant cultivation in 3 consecutive years showed that Sp-CH32 was a perfect high PBP content strain with excellent characteristics, and has been applied in mass cultivation and industrialization. (authors)