Comparison of Ultrastructures between the Ultra-small Eukaryote Cyanidioschyzon merolae and Cyanidium caldarium.

Ultrastructures of the Golgi Body and Cell Surface in Cyanidioschyzon merolae.

“…However, when C. merolae and C. caldarium RK-1 were mixed, fixed and stained under the same conditions to avoid obtaining faulty results due to technical differences, a typical cell wall was seen in C. caldarium RK-1, but not in C. merolae as described previously ( Fig. 2A, Kuroiwa et al 1994). When we re-examined the fine structures of these cells, we noticed that there were many filamentous structures on the exterior surface of the cell membrane (large arrow in Fig.…”

Genome sequence of the ultrasmall unicellular red alga Cyanidioschyzon merolae 10D

“…This alga also has the smallest genome of all photosynthetic eukaryotes, and contains a minimal set of small membrane-bounded compartments; for example, a microbody (peroxisome), a single Golgi apparatus with two cisternae, coated vesicles, a single endoplasmic reticulum, and a few lysosome-like structures, as well as a small volume of cytosol ( Fig. 1) 6 . One of the main points of interest that we discuss regarding this alga focuses on the origin, evolution and fundamental traits (for example, multiplication and differentiation) of single-as well as double-membrane-bounded organelles in plant cells.…”

Optimization of cryopreservation conditions for the unicellular red alga Cyanidioschyzon merolae

“…However, C. merolae is highly sensitive to mechanical injury because of the absence of a cell wall (Kuroiwa et al, 1994), and thus the usual freezing process is deleterious to cell viability (our unpublished observations). In this study, we have developed a successful cryopreservation method for C. merolae.…”

“…Cyanidioschyzon merolae, a unicellular red alga, has a simple cell structure, one nucleus, one mitochondrion, one plastid and a minimal set of membrane-bound organelles: one microbody (peroxisome), one Golgi apparatus and a small number of vacuoles (Kuroiwa et al, 1994). Phylogenetic analyses have demonstrated that C. merolae diverged very early in the eukaryotic lineage , and it is thought that C. merolae retains primitive but essential cellular functions.…”