Screening of halophilic or salt tolerant lichen mycobionts cultured on sodium chloride enriched media

Halophilic or salt tolerant lichen mycobionts were screened for 77 species on an NaCl enriched medium. Only the Niebla homalea mycobiont collected fro m the North American Pacific seashore showed evident halophilic growth: 145 % growth on malt-yeast extract agar-medium supplemented with 0.9 M NaCl and 129% growth at 1.2 M NaCl in comparison with that of the zero NaCl medium. In addition, mycobionts of Arthonia cinnabarina, Chaenotheca brunneola, Ca loplaca scopularis, Ramalina subbreviuscula and Vermilacinia combeoides har vested from seashore showed relatively better growth on NaCl enriched mediu m; however, some mycobionts are sensitive to salt. These selected mycobiont s were also tolerant to KCl and glycerol added.