Observation of female gamete (Carpogonia) germination of Porphyra yezoensis and P. oligospermatangia

Several papers have reported that part or whole leafy thallus seemingly consisting of zygotospores can give rise to both blades and conchocelis in the same culture ofPorphyra. Study on samples of wild and cultivatedPorphyra yezoensis andP. oligospermatangia were conducted to clarify the origination of the young blades in the culture. It is confirmed that single cells on the blade of both species, which normally intermixed with zygotospores, germinated into young blades. TEM and SEM observation has shown that the single cells ofPorphyra yezoensis had typical features of female gamete (carpogonia) but archeospore. Therefore, the female gametes are responsible in developing leafy thalli.