Studies on phycobiliproteins in Algae. VI. Light-harvesting phycobiliprotein pigments in some Rhodophyta from the Adriatic Sea

The phycobiliprotein content in 5 species of red algae from the coast of the Adriatic Sea' was studied by chromatography on Sephadex G-100. The phycobiliproteins, R-phycoerythrin, C-phycocyanin and allophycocyanin were identified. The total content of phycobiliproteins ranged from 0.152 (Phyllophora nervosa) to 1.874 mg•g-1 dry wt. (Plocamium cartilagineum). The dominant phycobiliproteins were found to belong to the phycocyanin group, this resulting from complementary chromatic adaptation.