Cold adaptation of snow algae: the role of changes in the composition of fatty acids

Snow algae like typical extermofils are ideal model organisms for study of adaptation for life on the boundary of physiological possibilities. So far, it is not clear how these psychrophilic organisms on the molecular level optimize function of photosynthetic processes in temperatures about 0řC and often in very high radiation. This thesis evaluates growth limits and monitors the composition of fatty acids in selected subclade of psychrophilic and psychrotrophic algae of mainly the Chlamydomonadaceae (Chlorophyta) class isolated from localities in European area (as received from Culture collections UTEX and CCCryo), including the subclade from Czech republic and Slovakia. I found out optimal conditions of growth using cultivation in crossed gradients (temperature/irradiance) for two subclades snow algae. In Chloromonas reticulata Luční (red snow), there is 8-20řC growth optimum and optimal irradiation exceeds 423 µmol.m-2 .s- 1 . I classified this alga as psychrophilic. The second tested alga was Chloromonas pichinchae Meandry. Optimal temperature of growth is in interval 4-10řC. Maximal temperature does not exceed 30řC and in this experiment it is the second psychrophilic algae found in area of the Czech republic. This discovery should be checked and data on growth in temperaturees between 9-20řC..