nature letters article

Published: 01 June 1976

Prochlorophyta as a proposed new division of algae

RALPH A. LEWIN 

Nature  261, 697–698 (1976)

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Abstract

UNICELLULAR algae associated with ascidians from tropical Pacific shores

have been reported by various biologists1–5. They are bright green, generally
spherical and about 10–20 µm in diameter, and they seem to have no clearly
delimited nucleus or plastids. Such cells (identified as Synechocystis
didemni), found associated with surfaces of Didemnum colonies on the
Pacific coast of Mexico, have been shown by electron microscopy to be
prokaryotic6,7, which suggests that they are cyanophytes, that is, blue-green
algae. Although all known blue-green algae (other than a few apochlorotic
types)
Your contain phycoerythrin, phycocyanin, or both, however, these ascidian
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Furthermore, like the eukaryotic algae in the divisions Chlorophyta and
use our site. By accepting some or all optional cookies you give consent to the processing of your
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References

1 Smith, H. G., Ann. Mag. nat. Hist., 15, 615 (1935).

2 Eldredge, L. G., Micronesica, 2, 161 (1967).

3 Tokioka, T., U.S. natn. Mus. Bull., 251, 247pp (1967).

4 Newcomb, E. H., and Pugh, T.D., Nature, 253, 533 (1975).

5 Lewin, R. A., and Cheng, L., Phycologia, 14, 149 (1975).

6 Lewin, R. A., Phycologia, 14, 153 (1975).

7 Schulz-Baldes, M., and Lewin, R. A., Phycologia, 15 (1976).

8 Lewin, R. A., and Withers, N. W., Nature, 256, 735 (1975).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, La Jolla, California, 92093
RALPH A. LEWIN
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Cite this article

LEWIN, R. Prochlorophyta as a proposed new division of algae. Nature 261, 697–
698 (1976). https://doi.org/10.1038/261697b0

Received Accepted Published

02 April 1976 26 April 1976 01 June 1976

Issue Date
24 June 1976

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/261697b0

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