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Mendonça I, Cunha C, Kaufmann M, Faria M, Cordeiro N. Microplastics reduce microalgal biomass by decreasing single-cell weight: The barrier towards implementation at scale. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 877:162950. [PMID: 36948319 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.162950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2023] [Revised: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Microplastics (MPs) are a widespread environmental threat, especially to aquatic and urban systems. Water quality is vital for biomass production in microalgal-based industries. Here, industrially relevant microalgae Tetraselmis suecica, Scenedesmus armatus, and Nannochloropsis gaditana were exposed to PS- and PE-MPs (polystyrene and polyethylene, respectively - 10-20 μm) contaminated waters (5 and 10 mg/L). Following industrial empirical and ecotoxicological procedures, the production period was established as four days (exponential growth phase). 27-long day experiments were conducted to determine the chronic effects of MPs contamination in microalgal biomass yields. MPs induced different responses in cell density: T. suecica decreased (up to 11 %); S. armatus showed no changes; and N. gaditana increased (up to 6 %). However, all three microalgae exhibited significant decreases in biomass production (up to 24, 48, and 52 %, respectively). S. armatus exposed to PS-MPs and N. gaditana exposed to PE-MPs were the most impacted regarding biomass production. The decrease in biomass yield was due to the reduction in single-cell weight (up to 14, 47, and 43 %), and/or the production of smaller-sized cells (T. suecica). In response to chronic exposure, microalgae showed signs of cell density adaptation. Despite cell density normalizing, biomass production was still reduced compared to biomass production in clean water. Computational modelling highlighted that MPs exposure had a concentration-dependent negative impact on microalgae biomass. The models allow the evaluation of the systematic risks that MPs impose in microalgal-based industries and stimulate actions towards implementing systems to contain/eliminate MPs contamination in the waters used in microalgae production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivana Mendonça
- LB3 - Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Madeira, 9020-105 Funchal, Portugal
| | - César Cunha
- LB3 - Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Madeira, 9020-105 Funchal, Portugal
| | - Manfred Kaufmann
- CIIMAR - Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, 4450-208 Matosinhos, Portugal; Marine Biology Station of Funchal, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Madeira, Funchal, Portugal
| | - Marisa Faria
- LB3 - Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Madeira, 9020-105 Funchal, Portugal; CIIMAR - Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, 4450-208 Matosinhos, Portugal
| | - Nereida Cordeiro
- LB3 - Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Madeira, 9020-105 Funchal, Portugal; CIIMAR - Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, 4450-208 Matosinhos, Portugal.
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Machado M, Vaz MGMV, Bromke MA, Rosa RM, Covell L, Souza LPD, Rocha DI, Martins MA, Araújo WL, Szymański J, Nunes-Nesi A. Metabolic stability of freshwater Nitzschia palea strains under silicon stress associated with triacylglycerol accumulation. ALGAL RES 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.algal.2021.102554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Comprehensive GCMS and LC-MS/MS Metabolite Profiling of Chlorella vulgaris. Mar Drugs 2020; 18:md18070367. [PMID: 32709006 PMCID: PMC7404257 DOI: 10.3390/md18070367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2020] [Revised: 04/07/2020] [Accepted: 04/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The commercial cultivation of microalgae began in the 1960s and Chlorella was one of the first target organisms. The species has long been considered a potential source of renewable energy, an alternative for phytoremediation, and more recently, as a growth and immune stimulant. However, Chlorella vulgaris, which is one of the most studied microalga, has never been comprehensively profiled chemically. In the present study, comprehensive profiling of the Chlorella vulgaris metabolome grown under normal culture conditions was carried out, employing tandem LC-MS/MS to profile the ethanolic extract and GC-MS for fatty acid analysis. The fatty acid profile of C. vulgaris was shown to be rich in omega-6, -7, -9, and -13 fatty acids, with omega-6 being the highest, representing more than sixty percent (>60%) of the total fatty acids. This is a clear indication that this species of Chlorella could serve as a good source of nutrition when incorporated in diets. The profile also showed that the main fatty acid composition was that of C16-C18 (>92%), suggesting that it might be a potential candidate for biodiesel production. LC-MS/MS analysis revealed carotenoid constituents comprising violaxanthin, neoxanthin, lutein, β-carotene, vulgaxanthin I, astaxanthin, and antheraxanthin, along with other pigments such as the chlorophylls. In addition to these, amino acids, vitamins, and simple sugars were also profiled, and through mass spectrometry-based molecular networking, 48 phospholipids were putatively identified.
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Transcriptional reprogramming of intermediate metabolism gene induced by Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase in Phaeodactylum tricornutum. ALGAL RES 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.algal.2020.101848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
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Covell L, Machado M, Vaz MGMV, Soares J, Batista AD, Araújo WL, Martins MA, Nunes-Nesi A. Alternative fertilizer-based growth media support high lipid contents without growth impairment in Scenedesmus obliquus BR003. Bioprocess Biosyst Eng 2020; 43:1123-1131. [PMID: 32020445 DOI: 10.1007/s00449-020-02301-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2019] [Accepted: 01/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Nitrogen (N) sources have been target in microalgae cultivation studies, considering their nutritional impact on growth and high costs. Here, we have evaluated the growth of Scenedesmus obliquus BR003, applying alternative low-cost culture media containing ammonium and urea, or combinations of both N sources. The culture media were applied for indoor and outdoor cultivation, followed by growth analyses and metabolic characterization. The alternative culture media B4 and L4 supported higher biomass production (1.4 g L-1) compared to BG11 (nitrate-based medium). In addition, the lipid percentage was higher for B4 (ammonium-based culture medium), reaching up to 25% DW. High contents of carbohydrates (60%) and proteins (40%) were also obtained in media with ammonium and urea, respectively. Considering the lower costs of alternative fertilizer-based media, using ammonium and/or urea as N sources, and the high lipid content observed, we suggest these media as viable for large-scale production of S. obliquus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lidiane Covell
- Departamento de Biologia Vegetal, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, 36570-900, Brazil
| | - Mariana Machado
- Departamento de Biologia Vegetal, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, 36570-900, Brazil
| | | | - Jimmy Soares
- Departamento de Engenharia Agrícola, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, 36570-900, Brazil
| | - Aline Duarte Batista
- Departamento de Biologia Vegetal, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, 36570-900, Brazil
| | - Wagner L Araújo
- Departamento de Biologia Vegetal, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, 36570-900, Brazil
| | - Marcio Arêdes Martins
- Departamento de Engenharia Agrícola, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, 36570-900, Brazil
| | - Adriano Nunes-Nesi
- Departamento de Biologia Vegetal, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, 36570-900, Brazil.
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Lauritano C, De Luca D, Amoroso M, Benfatto S, Maestri S, Racioppi C, Esposito F, Ianora A. New molecular insights on the response of the green alga Tetraselmis suecica to nitrogen starvation. Sci Rep 2019; 9:3336. [PMID: 30833632 PMCID: PMC6399242 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-39860-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2018] [Accepted: 02/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Microalgae are currently considered one of the most promising resources for biofuel production, aquaculture feedstock and new pharmaceuticals. Among them, green algae of the genus Tetraselmis are extensively studied for their lipid accumulation in nutrient-starvation conditions. In this paper, we present the full-transcriptome of Tetraselmis suecica and differential expression analysis between nitrogen-starved and -repleted conditions (at stationary phase) focusing not only on lipid metabolism but giving new insights on nutrient starvation responses. Transcripts involved in signal transduction pathways, stress and antioxidant responses and solute transport were strongly up-regulated when T. suecica was cultured under nitrogen starvation. On the contrary, transcripts involved in amino acid synthesis, degradation of sugars, secondary metabolite synthesis, as well as photosynthetic activity were down-regulated under the same conditions. Among differentially expressed transcripts, a polyketide synthase and three lipoxygenases (involved in the synthesis of secondary metabolites with antipredator, anticancer and anti-infective activities) were identified, suggesting the potential synthesis of bioactive compounds by this microalga. In addition, the transcript for a putative nitrilase, enzyme used in nitrile bioremediation, is here reported for the first time for T. suecica. These findings give new insights on T. suecica responses to nutrient starvation and on possible biotechnological applications for green algae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Lauritano
- Marine Biotechnology Department, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121, Napoli, Italy.
| | - Daniele De Luca
- Integrative Marine Ecology Department, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121, Napoli, Italy
| | - Mariano Amoroso
- Marine Biotechnology Department, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121, Napoli, Italy
| | - Salvatore Benfatto
- Università degli Studi di Verona, Ca' Vignal 1, Strada Le Grazie 15, 37134, Verona, Italy
| | - Simone Maestri
- Università degli Studi di Verona, Ca' Vignal 1, Strada Le Grazie 15, 37134, Verona, Italy
| | - Claudia Racioppi
- Marine Biotechnology Department, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121, Napoli, Italy.,Center for Developmental Genetics, Department of Biology, College of Arts and Science, New York University, New York, USA
| | - Francesco Esposito
- Marine Biotechnology Department, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121, Napoli, Italy
| | - Adrianna Ianora
- Marine Biotechnology Department, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121, Napoli, Italy.
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Batista AD, Rosa RM, Machado M, Magalhães AS, Shalaguti BA, Gomes PF, Covell L, Vaz MGMV, Araújo WL, Nunes-Nesi A. Increased urea availability promotes adjustments in C/N metabolism and lipid content without impacting growth in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. Metabolomics 2019; 15:31. [PMID: 30830512 DOI: 10.1007/s11306-019-1496-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2018] [Accepted: 02/21/2019] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The use of urea as a nitrogen (N) source by Chlorophytes usually enhances biomass and lipid production when compared to ammonium (NH4+). However, the metabolic shifts displayed by Chlamydomonas reinhardtii growing with this organic N source are not known. OBJECTIVES This study aimed: (i) to characterize the metabolism of C. reinhardtii cultivated in media containing only urea as N source as well as combined with different NH4+ ratios; (ii) to understand how metabolism respond to urea availability. METHODS Specific quantification of metabolites using 96-well microplates, and high-performance liquid chromatography combined with non-targeted metabolite profiling by gas chromatography (GC)-time-of-flight (TOF)-mass spectrometry (MS) were used in this study. In addition, GC analysis was used to determine fatty acid profiling. RESULTS The use of urea did not alter the growth rate in comparison with NH4+. Interestingly, the cell number decreased and the cell size increased proportionally with urea availability. Furthermore, chlorophyll, protein and lipid contents increased with the amount of urea. Regarding the fatty acid profile, oleic acid (C18:1 w8) decreased with amount of urea, while linoleic acid (C18:2 w6) doubled in urea-containing medium. CONCLUSIONS These results indicate that urea promotes remarkable adjustments in metabolism, without drastic changes in biomass, promoting changes in carbohydrate and amino acid metabolism, as well as in lipids production and fatty acid profile.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aline D Batista
- Departamento de Biologia Vegetal, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, 36570-900, Brazil
| | - Rinamara M Rosa
- Departamento de Biologia Vegetal, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, 36570-900, Brazil
| | - Mariana Machado
- Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Goiás - Regional Jataí, Jataí, Goiás, 75801-615, Brazil
| | - Alan S Magalhães
- Departamento de Biologia Vegetal, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, 36570-900, Brazil
| | - Bárbara A Shalaguti
- Departamento de Biologia Vegetal, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, 36570-900, Brazil
| | - Priscilla F Gomes
- Departamento de Biologia Vegetal, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, 36570-900, Brazil
| | - Lidiane Covell
- Departamento de Biologia Vegetal, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, 36570-900, Brazil
| | - Marcelo G M V Vaz
- Departamento de Biologia Vegetal, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, 36570-900, Brazil
| | - Wagner L Araújo
- Departamento de Biologia Vegetal, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, 36570-900, Brazil
- Max-Planck Partner Group at the Departamento de Biologia Vegetal, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, 36570-900, Brazil
| | - Adriano Nunes-Nesi
- Departamento de Biologia Vegetal, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, 36570-900, Brazil.
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Ma NL, Aziz A, Teh KY, Lam SS, Cha TS. Metabolites Re-programming and Physiological Changes Induced in Scenedesmus regularis under Nitrate Treatment. Sci Rep 2018; 8:9746. [PMID: 29950688 PMCID: PMC6021428 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-27894-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2018] [Accepted: 06/11/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Nitrate is required to maintain the growth and metabolism of plant and animals. Nevertheless, in excess amount such as polluted water, its concentration can be harmful to living organisms such as microalgae. Recently, studies on microalgae response towards nutrient fluctuation are usually limited to lipid accumulation for the production of biofuels, disregarding the other potential of microalgae to be used in wastewater treatments and as source of important metabolites. Our study therefore captures the need to investigate overall metabolite changes via NMR spectroscopy approach coupled with multivariate data to understand the complex molecular process under high (4X) and low (1/4X) concentrations of nitrate (\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$${{\bf{NO}}}_{{\bf{3}}}^{{\boldsymbol{-}}}$$\end{document}NO3−). NMR spectra with the aid of chemometric analysis revealed contrasting metabolites makeup under abundance and limited nitrate treatment. By using NMR technique, 43 types of metabolites and 8 types of fatty acid chains were detected. Nevertheless, only 20 key changes were observed and 16 were down regulated in limited nitrate condition. This paper has demonstrated the feasibility of NMR-based metabolomics approach to study the physiological impact of changing environment such as pollution to the implications for growth and productivity of microalgae population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nyuk-Ling Ma
- School of Fundamental Science, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia.
| | - Ahmad Aziz
- School of Fundamental Science, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia
| | - Kit-Yinn Teh
- Institute of Marine Biotechnology, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia
| | - Su Shiung Lam
- Eastern Corridor Renewable Energy Group (ECRE), School of Ocean Engineering, University Malaysia Terengganu, 21030, Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia
| | - Thye-San Cha
- Institute of Marine Biotechnology, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia
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Rocha RP, Machado M, Vaz MGMV, Vinson CC, Leite M, Richard R, Mendes LBB, Araujo WL, Caldana C, Martins MA, Williams TC, Nunes-Nesi A. Exploring the metabolic and physiological diversity of native microalgal strains (Chlorophyta) isolated from tropical freshwater reservoirs. ALGAL RES 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.algal.2017.10.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
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Chen H, Zheng Y, Zhan J, He C, Wang Q. Comparative metabolic profiling of the lipid-producing green microalga Chlorella reveals that nitrogen and carbon metabolic pathways contribute to lipid metabolism. BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR BIOFUELS 2017; 10:153. [PMID: 28630648 PMCID: PMC5471736 DOI: 10.1186/s13068-017-0839-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Microalgae are a promising feedstock for biofuel production. Microalgal metabolic pathways are heavily influenced by environmental factors. For instance, lipid metabolism can be induced by nitrogen-limiting conditions. However, the underlying mechanisms of lipid biosynthesis are unclear. In this study, we analyzed the global metabolic profiles of three genetically closely related Chlorella strains (C1, C2, and C3) with significant differences in lipid productivity to identify the contributions of key metabolic pathways to lipid metabolism. We found that nitrogen obtained from amino acid catabolism was assimilated via the glutamate-glutamine pathway and then stored as amino acids and intermediate molecules (particularly proline, alanine, arginine, succinate, and gamma-aminobutyrate) via the corresponding metabolic pathways, which led to carbon-nitrogen disequilibrium. Excess carbon obtained from photosynthesis or glycolysis was re-distributed into carbon-containing compounds, such as glucose-6-phosphate, fructose-6-phosphate, phosphoenolpyruvate, lactate, citrate, 3-hydroxybutyrate, and leucine, and then diverted into lipid metabolism for the production of storage lipids via the gamma-aminobutyrate pathway, glycolysis, and the tricarboxylic acid cycle. These results were substantiated in the model green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii by analyzing various mutants deficient in glutamate synthase/NADH-dependent, glutamate synthase/Fd-dependent, glutamine synthetase, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, pyruvate kinase, and citrate synthase. Our study suggests that not only carbon but also nitrogen assimilation and distribution pathways contribute to lipid biosynthesis. Furthermore, these findings may facilitate genetic engineering efforts to enhance microalgal biofuel production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Chen
- Key Laboratory of Algal Biology, Institute of Hydrobiology, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072 Hubei China
| | - Yanli Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Algal Biology, Institute of Hydrobiology, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072 Hubei China
- University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100039 China
| | - Jiao Zhan
- Key Laboratory of Algal Biology, Institute of Hydrobiology, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072 Hubei China
| | - Chenliu He
- Key Laboratory of Algal Biology, Institute of Hydrobiology, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072 Hubei China
| | - Qiang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072 Hubei China
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