A Correlation between Detergent Tolerance and Cell Wall Structure in Green Algae

12 strains o f the geni Chlorella, Scenedesmus, Chlamydomonas, and Dunaliella were tested for their tolerance against the anionic detergent “L A S” (linear alkylbenzene sulfonate). Cellular parameters (cell titer and chlorophyll content) were monitored for 28 days after addition o f LAS (0 .0 1 —2 m M ) . A 100-fold difference in sensitivity toward LAS was detected for the algal strains analyzed. Electron microscopic investigations revealed that LAS-resistance is correlated with both, the presence of thick cell walls and sporopollenin layers. It is speculated that this structure acts as a protecting coat preventing the chemical attack of detergents on algal cells. An application for selecting algae by detergents is proposed.