Protoplasts - a powerful tool in genetic manipulation of commercial seaweeds

Protoplast is an important tool for parasexual modification of genetic content of plant cells (Vasil and Vasil, 1980). Production of algal protoplasts and their fusion are relatively new fields and lag far behind that of terrestrial plants (Berliner 1981, 1983; Cheney et af., 1986). To date, protoplasts have been isolated from several algae, most of which are blue green algae and green algae (Adamich and Hemmingsen, 1980). Protoplasts have been obtained from some marine brown algae (Kloareg and Quantrano, 1987).