CELL RESPONSES OF DUNALIELLA-SALINA FACHB-435 (GREEN-ALGA) TO MICROGRAVITATIONAL STIMULATION BY CLINOROTATION

Clinorotation experiments were established to simulate microgravity on ground. It was found that there were obvious changes of Dunaliella sa lina FACHB435 cells and their metabolic characteristics during clinoro tation. The changes included the increases of glycerol content, the ra te of H+ secretion and PM H+-ATPase activity, and the decrease of rati o of the plasma membrane (PM) phospholipid to PM protein. These result s indicated that microgravity was a stress environment to Dunaliella s alina. It is deduced that it would be possible to attribute the effect of microgravity on algal cells to the secondary activation of water s tress.