Kunshan Gao

CALCIFICATION IN THE ARTICULATED CORALLINE ALGA CORALLINA-PILULIFERA, WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THE EFFECT OF ELEVATED CO2 CONCENTRATION

Calcification in Corallina pilulifera Postels et Ruprecht displayed diurnal variations in aerated (350 ppm CO2) culture media, with faster rates during the light than during the dark period. Addition of CO2 (air+1250 ppm) inhibited calcification. This was attributable to the decreased pH resulting from CO2 addition. Both photosynthesis and calcification were enhanced in seawater, with elevated dissolved inorganic carbon concentrations at a constant pH of 8.2.

Rising CO2 and increased light exposure synergistically reduce marine primary productivity

Carbon dioxide and light are two major prerequisites of photosynthesis. Rising CO2 levels in oceanic surface waters in combination with ample light supply are therefore often considered stimulatory to marine primary production(1-3). Here we show that the combination of an increase in both CO2 and light exposure negatively impacts photosynthesis and growth of marine primary producers. When exposed to CO2 concentrations projected for the end of this century(4), natural phytoplankton assemblages of the South China Sea responded with decreased primary production and increased light stress at light intensities representative of the upper surface layer. The phytoplankton community shifted away from diatoms, the dominant phytoplankton group during our field campaigns. To examine the underlying mechanisms of the observed responses, we grew diatoms at different CO2 concentrations and under varying levels (5-100%) of solar radiation experienced by the phytoplankton at different depths of the euphotic zone. Above 22-36% of incident surface irradiance, growth rates in the high-CO2-grown cells were inversely related to light levels and exhibited reduced thresholds at which light becomes inhibitory. Future shoaling of upper-mixed-layer depths will expose phytoplankton to increased mean light intensities(5). In combination with rising CO2 levels, this may cause a widespread decline in marine primary production and a community shift away from diatoms, the main algal group that supports higher trophic levels and carbon export in the ocean.

Solar UV Radiation Drives CO2 Fixation in Marine Phytoplankton: A Double-Edged Sword

Photosynthesis by phytoplankton cells in aquatic environments contributes to more than 40% of the global primary production (Behrenfeld et al., 2006). Within the euphotic zone (down to 1% of surface photosynthetically active radiation [PAR]), cells are exposed not only to PAR (400-700 nm) but also to UV radiation (UVR; 280-400 nm) that can penetrate to considerable depths (Hargreaves, 2003). In contrast to PAR, which is energizing to photosynthesis, UVR is usually regarded as a stressor (Hader, 2003) and suggested to affect CO2-concentrating mechanisms in phytoplankton (Beardall et al., 2002). Solar UVR is known to reduce photosynthetic rates (Steemann Nielsen, 1964; Helbling et al., 2003), and damage cellular components such as D1 proteins (Sass et al., 1997) and DNA molecules (Buma et al., 2003). It can also decrease the growth (Villafane et al., 2003) and alter the rate of nutrient uptake (Fauchot et al., 2000) and the fatty acid composition (Goes et al., 1994) of phytoplankton. Recently, it has been found that natural levels of UVR can alter the morphology of the cyanobacterium Arthrospira (Spirulina) platensis (Wu et al., 2005b). On the other hand, positive effects of UVR, especially of UV- A (315-400 nm), have also been reported. UV- A enhances carbon fixation of phytoplankton under reduced (Nilawati et al., 1997; Barbieri et al., 2002) or fast-fluctuating (Helbling et al., 2003) solar irradiance and allows photorepair of UV- B-induced DNA damage (Buma et al., 2003). Furthermore, the presence of UV-A resulted in higher biomass production of A. platensis as compared to that under PAR alone (Wu et al., 2005a). Energy of UVR absorbed by the diatom Pseudo-nitzschia multiseries was found to cause fluorescence (Orellana et al., 2004). In addition, fluorescent pigments in corals and their algal symbiont are known to absorb UVR and play positive roles for the symbiotic photosynthesis and photoprotection (Schlichter et al., 1986; Salih et al., 2000). However, despite the positive effects that solar UVR may have on aquatic photosynthetic organisms, there is no direct evidence to what extent and howUVR per se is utilized by phytoplankton. In addition, estimations of aquatic biological production have been carried out in incubations considering only PAR (i. e. using UV-opaque vials made of glass or polycarbonate; Donk et al., 2001) without UVR being considered (Hein and Sand-Jensen, 1997; Schippers and Lurling, 2004). Here, we have found that UVR can act as an additional source of energy for photosynthesis in tropical marine phytoplankton, though it occasionally causes photoinhibition at high PAR levels. While UVR is usually thought of as damaging, our results indicate that UVR can enhance primary production of phytoplankton. Therefore, oceanic carbon fixation estimates may be underestimated by a large percentage if UVR is not taken into account.

Chinese studies on the edible blue-green alga, Nostoc flagelliforme: a review

Nostoc flagelliforme, which is distributed in arid or semiarid steppes of the west and west-northern parts of China, has been used by the Chinese as a food delicacy and for its herbal values for hundreds of years. However, the resource is being over-exploited and is diminishing, while the market demands are increasing with the economic growth. This review deals mainly with the Chinese studies on the ecology, physiology, reproduction, morphology and culture of this species in an attempt to promote research and development of its cultivation technology.

EFFECTS OF LOWERING TEMPERATURE DURING CULTURE ON THE PRODUCTION OF POLYUNSATURATED FATTY ACIDS IN THE MARINE DIATOM PHAEODACTYLUM TRICORNUTUM (BACILLARIOPHYCEAE)

The composition of fatty acids and contents of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) of the economically important marine diatom, Phaeodactylum tricornutum (Bohlin), were investigated to see whether reducing the culture temperature enhances the production of EPA and PUFAs. The contents of EPA and PUFAs of P. tricornutum were found to be higher at lower temperature when cultured at 10, 15, 20, or 25°C. When the cells grown at 25°C were shifted to 20, 15, or 10°C, the contents per dry mass of PUFAs and EPA increased to the maximal values in 48, 24, and 12 h, respectively. The highest yields of PUFAs and EPA per unit dry mass (per unit volume of culture) were 4.9% and 2.6% (12.4 and 6.6 mg·L−1), respectively, when temperature was shifted from 25 to 10°C for 12 h, both being raised by 120% compared with the control. The representative fatty acids in the total fatty acids, when temperature was lowered from 25 to 10°C, decreased proportionally by about 30% in C16:0 and 20% in C16:1(n−7) but increased about 85% in EPA. It was concluded that lowering culture temperature of P. tricornutum could significantly raise the yields of EPA and PUFAs.

Effects of solar UV radiation on morphology and photosynthesis of filamentous cyanobacterium Arthrospira platensis.

ABSTRACT To study the impact of solar UV radiation (UVR) (280 to 400 nm) on the filamentous cyanobacterium Arthrospira (Spirulina) platensis, we examined the morphological changes and photosynthetic performance using an indoor-grown strain (which had not been exposed to sunlight for decades) and an outdoor-grown strain (which had been grown under sunlight for decades) while they were cultured with three solar radiation treatments: PAB (photosynthetically active radiation [PAR] plus UVR; 280 to 700 nm), PA (PAR plus UV-A; 320 to 700 nm), and P (PAR only; 400 to 700 nm). Solar UVR broke the spiral filaments of A. platensis exposed to full solar radiation in short-term low-cell-density cultures. This breakage was observed after 2 h for the indoor strain but after 4 to 6 h for the outdoor strain. Filament breakage also occurred in the cultures exposed to PAR alone; however, the extent of breakage was less than that observed for filaments exposed to full solar radiation. The spiral filaments broke and compressed when high-cell-density cultures were exposed to full solar radiation during long-term experiments. When UV-B was screened off, the filaments initially broke, but they elongated and became loosely arranged later (i.e., there were fewer spirals per unit of filament length). When UVR was filtered out, the spiral structure hardly broke or became looser. Photosynthetic O2 evolution in the presence of UVR was significantly suppressed in the indoor strain compared to the outdoor strain. UVR-induced inhibition increased with exposure time, and it was significantly lower in the outdoor strain. The concentration of UV-absorbing compounds was low in both strains, and there was no significant change in the amount regardless of the radiation treatment, suggesting that these compounds were not effectively used as protection against solar UVR. Self-shading, on the other hand, produced by compression of the spirals over adaptive time scales, seems to play an important role in protecting this species against deleterious UVR. Our findings suggest that the increase in UV-B irradiance due to ozone depletion not only might affect photosynthesis but also might alter the morphological development of filamentous cyanobacteria during acclimation or over adaptive time scales.

INFLUENCE OF ENHANCED CO2 ON GROWTH AND PHOTOSYNTHESIS OF THE RED ALGAE GRACILARIA SP AND G-CHILENSIS

The influence of elevated CO2 concentrations on growth and photosynthesis ofGracilaria sp. andG. chilensis was investigated in order to procure information on the effective utilization of CO2. Growth of both was enhanced by CO2 enrichment (air + 650 ppm CO2, air + 1250 ppm CO2, the enhancement being greater inGracilaria sp. Both species increased uptake of NO3− with CO2 enrichment. Photosynthetic inorganic carbon uptake was depressed inG. chilensis by pre-culture (15 days) with CO2 enrichment, but little affected inGracilaria sp. Mass spectrometric analysis showed that O2 uptake was higher in the light than in the dark for both species and in both cases was higher inGracilaria sp. The higher growth enhancement inGracilaria sp. was attributed to greater depression of photorespiration by the enrichment of CO2 in culture.

ENHANCED GROWTH OF THE RED ALGA PORPHYRA-YEZOENSIS UEDA IN HIGH CO2 CONCENTRATIONS

Leafy thalli of the red algaPorphyra yezoensis Ueda, initiated from conchospores released from free-living conchocelis, were cultured using aeration with high CO2. It was found that the higher the CO2 concentration, the faster the growth of the thalli. Aeration with elevated CO2 lowered pH in dark, but raised pH remarkably in light with the thalli, because the photosynthetic conversion of HCO3− to OH− and CO2 proceeded much faster than the dissociation of hydrated CO2 releasing H+. Photosynthesis of the alga was found to be enhanced in the seawater of elevated dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC, CO2 + HCO3− + CO3−). It is concluded that the increased pH in the light resulted in the increase of DIC in the culture media, thus enhancing photosynthesis and growth. The relevance of the results to removal of atmospheric CO2 by marine algae is discussed.

Effects of CO2 concentrations on the freshwater microalgae, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, Chlorella pyrenoidosa and Scenedesmus obliquus (Chlorophyta)

In order to investigate the possible impacts of increased atmospheric CO2 levels on algal growth and photosynthesis, the influence of CO2 concentration was tested on three planktonic algae (Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, Chlorella pyrenoidosa, and Scenedesmus obliquus). Increased CO2 concentration enhanced significantly the growth rate of all three species. Specific growth rates reached maximal values at 30, 100, and 60 μM CO2 in C. reinhardtii, C. pyrenoidosa, and S. obliquus, respectively. Such significant enhancement of growth rate with enriched CO2 was also confirmed at different levels of inorganic N and P, being more profound at limiting levels of N inC. pyrenoidosa and P in S. obliquus. The maximal rates of net photosynthesis, photosynthetic efficiency and light-saturating point increased significantly (p < 0.05) in high-CO2-grown cells. Elevation of the CO2 levels in cultures enhanced the photoinhibition of C. reinhardtii, but reduced that of C. pyrenoidosa and S. obliquus when exposed to high photon flux density. The photoinhibited cells recovered to some extent (from 71% to 99%) when placed under dim light or in darkness, with better recovery in high-CO2-grownC. pyrenoidosa and S. obliquus. Although pH and pCO2 effects cannot be distinguished from this study, it can be concluded that increased CO2 concentrations with decreased pH could affect the growth rate and photosynthetic physiology of C. reinhardtii, C. pyrenoidosa, and S. obliquus.

Effects of elevated CO2 on the red seaweed Gracilaria lemaneiformis (Gigartinales, Rhodophyta) grown at different irradiance levels

Zou D. and Gao K. 2009. Effects of elevated CO2 on the red seaweed Gracilaria lemaneiformis (Gigartinales, Rhodophyta) grown at different irradiance levels. Phycologia 48: 510–517. DOI: 10.2216/08-99.1. The red seaweed Gracilaria lemaneiformis (Bory) Weber-van Bosse (Gigartinales, Rhodophyta) from Nanao Island, Shantou, China, was cultured at 370 and 700 µl l−1 CO2 in aeration and at intermediate (160 µmol photons m−2 s−1) and low (30 µmol photons m−2 s−1) irradiance levels in order to examine the influences of the elevated atmospheric CO2 concentrations on growth, photosynthetic performance and some biochemical components in this commercially important species. Relative growth rate (RGR) was significantly higher in G. lemaneiformis thalli grown using CO2-enriched air with respect to nonenriched air when the algae were subjected to intermediate irradiance. However, RGR was similar between these two CO2 treatments when the algae were grown under the low-irradiance condition. Extra CO2 in the culture decreased phycobiliprotein (PB, including phycoerythrin, PE, and phycocyanin, PC) contents of G. lemaneiformis thalli at the higher growth irradiance. However, chlorophyll a (Chl a) and soluble protein contents were unchanged by the CO2 levels in culture. Both PB and Chl a contents were higher in G. lemaneiformis thalli grown at the lower irradiance than at the higher irradiance, regardless of the CO2 levels in culture. The parameters for photosynthetic responses to irradiance and inorganic carbon were mostly not altered with the increase of CO2 concentrations in culture. However, light-saturated photosynthetic rates (Pmax) and apparent carboxylating efficiencies (ACE), expressed per unit Chl a, were significantly higher in algae grown at the intermediate irradiance compared to the low irradiance. Photosynthetic rate was reduced by an increase in pH of seawater from 8.2 to 9.1, and it was also strongly inhibited by the external carbonic anhydrase inhibitor acetazolamide (AZ) in G. lemaneiformis thalli grown at each CO2 and irradiance condition. Moreover, pH compensation points were not affected by the growth conditions. These results suggested that G. lemaneiformis under both growth conditions had a similar capacity of the photosynthetic utilization of external pool in seawater. However, ACE decreased in G. lemaneiformis thalli grown at the low irradiance with respect to the higher irradiance implied that the transport of Ci towards Rubisco within the cell was weakened. Taken together, the data showed that an increase of CO2 was less effective on G. lemaneiformis than the irradiance levels. We concluded that CO2 affected photosynthesis and growth performance when light was not the limiting factor.