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Schomaker RA, Richardson TL, Dudycha JL. Consequences of light spectra for pigment composition and gene expression in the cryptophyte Rhodomonas salina. Environ Microbiol 2023; 25:3280-3297. [PMID: 37845005 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.16523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/18/2023]
Abstract
Algae with a more diverse suite of pigments can, in principle, exploit a broader swath of the light spectrum through chromatic acclimation, the ability to maximize light capture via plasticity of pigment composition. We grew Rhodomonas salina in wide-spectrum, red, green, and blue environments and measured how pigment composition differed. We also measured expression of key light-capture and photosynthesis-related genes and performed a transcriptome-wide expression analysis. We observed the highest concentration of phycoerythrin in green light, consistent with chromatic acclimation. Other pigments showed trends inconsistent with chromatic acclimation, possibly due to feedback loops among pigments or high-energy light acclimation. Expression of some photosynthesis-related genes was sensitive to spectrum, although expression of most was not. The phycoerythrin α-subunit was expressed two-orders of magnitude greater than the β-subunit even though the peptides are needed in an equimolar ratio. Expression of genes related to chlorophyll-binding and phycoerythrin concentration were correlated, indicating a potential synthesis relationship. Pigment concentrations and expression of related genes were generally uncorrelated, implying post-transcriptional regulation of pigments. Overall, most differentially expressed genes were not related to photosynthesis; thus, examining associations between light spectrum and other organismal functions, including sexual reproduction and glycolysis, may be important.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Tammi L Richardson
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, USA
- School of the Earth, Ocean, & Environment, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, USA
| | - Jeffry L Dudycha
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, USA
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Pelagatti M, Mori G, Falsini S, Ballini R, Lazzara L, Papini A. Blue and Yellow Light Induce Changes in Biochemical Composition and Ultrastructure of Limnospira fusiformis (Cyanoprokaryota). Microorganisms 2023; 11:1236. [PMID: 37317210 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11051236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2023] [Revised: 04/23/2023] [Accepted: 04/28/2023] [Indexed: 06/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Limnospira fusiformis (also known as Spirulina) is a cyanobacterium that is widely cultivated due to its economic importance. It has specific pigments such as phycocyanin that allow it to grow at different light wavelengths compared to other cultivated algae. Our study investigated the effect of yellow (590 nm) and blue (460 nm) light fields on various biochemical features, including the pigment concentration, protein content, dry weight, and cell ultrastructure of L. fusiformis. Our findings revealed that biomass growth was faster in yellow light compared to blue light, with a higher relative amount of proteins even after one day of exposure. However, after eight days, the relative protein content in yellow versus blue light was not statistically different. Furthermore, in yellow light, we observed a decrease in chlorophyll a, an increase in cyanophycin granules, and an increase in the amount of dilated thylakoids. On the other hand, in blue light, there was an increase in phycocyanin after one day, along with an increase in electron-dense bodies, which are attributable to carboxysomes. However, after eight days, the differences in pigment content compared to the control were not statistically significant. Our study showed that using specific wavelengths during the harvesting phase of spirulina growth can enhance phycocyanin content with blue light (after one day) and biomass, growth rates, and protein content with yellow light after six days. This highlights the biotechnological potential of this approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matilde Pelagatti
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Via P.A. Micheli, 1-3, 50121 Firenze, Italy
| | - Giovanna Mori
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Via P.A. Micheli, 1-3, 50121 Firenze, Italy
| | - Sara Falsini
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Via P.A. Micheli, 1-3, 50121 Firenze, Italy
| | - Raffaello Ballini
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Via P.A. Micheli, 1-3, 50121 Firenze, Italy
| | - Luigi Lazzara
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Via P.A. Micheli, 1-3, 50121 Firenze, Italy
| | - Alessio Papini
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Via P.A. Micheli, 1-3, 50121 Firenze, Italy
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Derbel H, Elleuch J, Tounsi L, Nicolo MS, Rizzo MG, Michaud P, Fendri I, Abdelkafi S. Improvement of Biomass and Phycoerythrin Production by a Strain of Rhodomonas sp. Isolated from the Tunisian Coast of Sidi Mansour. Biomolecules 2022; 12:biom12070885. [PMID: 35883441 PMCID: PMC9312907 DOI: 10.3390/biom12070885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2022] [Revised: 06/17/2022] [Accepted: 06/18/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Microalgae are photoautotrophic microorganisms known as producers of a large variety of metabolites. The taxonomic diversity of these microorganisms has been poorly explored. In this study, a newly isolated strain was identified based on the 18S rRNA encoding gene. The phylogenetic analysis showed that the isolated strain was affiliated with the Rhodomonas genus. This genus has greatly attracted scientific attention according to its capacity to produce a large variety of metabolites, including phycoerythrin. Growth and phycoerythrin production conditions were optimized using a Plackett–Burman design and response surface methodology. An expression profile analysis of the cpeB gene, encoding the beta subunit of phycoerythrin, was performed by qRT-PCR under standard and optimized culture conditions. The optimization process showed that maximum cell abundance was achieved under the following conditions: CaCl2 = 2.1328 g/L, metal solution = 1 mL/L, pH = 7 and light intensity = 145 μmol photons/m2/s, whereas maximum phycoerythrin production level occurred when CaCl2 = 1.8467 g/L, metal solution = 1 mL/L, pH = 7 and light intensity = 157 μmol/m2/s. In agreement, positive transcriptional regulation of the cpeB gene was demonstrated using qRT-PCR. This study showed the successful optimization of abiotic conditions for highest growth and phycoerythrin production, making Rhodomonas sp. suitable for several biotechnological applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hana Derbel
- Laboratoire de Génie Enzymatique et Microbiologie, Equipe de Biotechnologie des Algues, Ecole Nationale d’Ingénieurs de Sfax, University of Sfax, 3038 Sfax, Tunisia; (H.D.); (J.E.); (L.T.)
| | - Jihen Elleuch
- Laboratoire de Génie Enzymatique et Microbiologie, Equipe de Biotechnologie des Algues, Ecole Nationale d’Ingénieurs de Sfax, University of Sfax, 3038 Sfax, Tunisia; (H.D.); (J.E.); (L.T.)
| | - Latifa Tounsi
- Laboratoire de Génie Enzymatique et Microbiologie, Equipe de Biotechnologie des Algues, Ecole Nationale d’Ingénieurs de Sfax, University of Sfax, 3038 Sfax, Tunisia; (H.D.); (J.E.); (L.T.)
| | - Marco Sebastiano Nicolo
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Viale F. Stagno d’Alcontres, 31, 98166 Messina, Italy; (M.S.N.); (M.G.R.)
| | - Maria Giovanna Rizzo
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Viale F. Stagno d’Alcontres, 31, 98166 Messina, Italy; (M.S.N.); (M.G.R.)
| | - Philippe Michaud
- Institut Pascal, Université Clermont Auvergne, CNRS, Clermont Auvergne INP, 63178 Clermont-Ferrand, France
- Correspondence: (P.M.); (S.A.); Tel.: +33-475407425 (P.M.); +216-97-458-923 (S.A.)
| | - Imen Fendri
- Laboratory of Plant Biotechnology, Faculty of Sciences of Sfax, University of Sfax, 3038 Sfax, Tunisia;
| | - Slim Abdelkafi
- Laboratoire de Génie Enzymatique et Microbiologie, Equipe de Biotechnologie des Algues, Ecole Nationale d’Ingénieurs de Sfax, University of Sfax, 3038 Sfax, Tunisia; (H.D.); (J.E.); (L.T.)
- Correspondence: (P.M.); (S.A.); Tel.: +33-475407425 (P.M.); +216-97-458-923 (S.A.)
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Michel-Rodriguez M, Lefebvre S, Crouvoisier M, Mériaux X, Lizon F. Underwater light climate and wavelength dependence of microalgae photosynthetic parameters in a temperate sea. PeerJ 2021; 9:e12101. [PMID: 34707925 PMCID: PMC8496463 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.12101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2021] [Accepted: 08/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Studying how natural phytoplankton adjust their photosynthetic properties to the quantity and quality of underwater light (i.e. light climate) is essential to understand primary production. A wavelength-dependent photoacclimation strategy was assessed using a multi-color pulse-amplitude-modulation chlorophyll fluorometer for phytoplankton samples collected in the spring at 19 locations across the English Channel. The functional absorption cross section of photosystem II, photosynthetic electron transport (PETλ) parameters and non-photochemical quenching were analyzed using an original approach with a sequence of three statistical analyses. Linear mixed-effects models using wavelength as a longitudinal variable were first applied to distinguish the fixed effect of the population from the random effect of individuals. Population and individual trends of wavelength-dependent PETλ parameters were consistent with photosynthesis and photoacclimation theories. The natural phytoplankton communities studied were in a photoprotective state for blue wavelengths (440 and 480 nm), but not for other wavelengths (green (540 nm), amber (590 nm) and light red (625 nm)). Population-detrended PETλ values were then used in multivariate analyses (partial triadic analysis and redundancy analysis) to study ecological implications of PETλ dynamics among water masses. Two wavelength ratios based on the microalgae saturation parameter Ek (in relative and absolute units), related to the hydrodynamic regime and underwater light climate, clearly confirmed the physiological state of microalgae. They also illustrate more accurately that natural phytoplankton communities can implement photoacclimation processes that are influenced by in situ light quality during the daylight cycle in temporarily and weakly stratified water. Ecological implications and consequences of PETλ are discussed in the context of turbulent coastal ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica Michel-Rodriguez
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, Univ. Littoral Côte d'Opale, UMR 8187 LOG, Laboratoire d'Océanologie et de Géosciences, Lille, France
| | - Sebastien Lefebvre
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, Univ. Littoral Côte d'Opale, UMR 8187 LOG, Laboratoire d'Océanologie et de Géosciences, Lille, France
| | - Muriel Crouvoisier
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, Univ. Littoral Côte d'Opale, UMR 8187 LOG, Laboratoire d'Océanologie et de Géosciences, Lille, France
| | - Xavier Mériaux
- Univ. Littoral Côte d'Opale, CNRS, Univ. Lille, UMR 8187-LOG-Laboratoire d'Océanologie et de Géosciences, Wimereux, France
| | - Fabrice Lizon
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, Univ. Littoral Côte d'Opale, UMR 8187 LOG, Laboratoire d'Océanologie et de Géosciences, Lille, France
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Effects of light intensity on the production of phycoerythrin and polyunsaturated fatty acid by microalga Rhodomonas salina. ALGAL RES 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.algal.2021.102397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
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Greenwold MJ, Cunningham BR, Lachenmyer EM, Pullman JM, Richardson TL, Dudycha JL. Diversification of light capture ability was accompanied by the evolution of phycobiliproteins in cryptophyte algae. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 286:20190655. [PMID: 31088271 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2019.0655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Evolutionary biologists have long sought to identify phenotypic traits whose evolution enhances an organism's performance in its environment. Diversification of traits related to resource acquisition can occur owing to spatial or temporal resource heterogeneity. We examined the ability to capture light in the Cryptophyta, a phylum of single-celled eukaryotic algae with diverse photosynthetic pigments, to better understand how acquisition of an abiotic resource may be associated with diversification. Cryptophytes originated through secondary endosymbiosis between an unknown eukaryotic host and a red algal symbiont. This merger resulted in distinctive pigment-protein complexes, the cryptophyte phycobiliproteins, which are the products of genes from both ancestors. These novel complexes may have facilitated diversification across environments where the spectrum of light available for photosynthesis varies widely. We measured light capture and pigments under controlled conditions in a phenotypically and phylogenetically diverse collection of cryptophytes. Using phylogenetic comparative methods, we found that phycobiliprotein characteristics were evolutionarily associated with diversification of light capture in cryptophytes, while non-phycobiliprotein pigments were not. Furthermore, phycobiliproteins were evolutionarily labile with repeated transitions and reversals. Thus, the endosymbiotic origin of cryptophyte phycobiliproteins provided an evolutionary spark that drove diversification of light capture, the resource that is the foundation of photosynthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J Greenwold
- 1 Department of Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina , Columbia, SC 29208 , USA
| | - Brady R Cunningham
- 2 School of the Earth, Ocean, and Environment, University of South Carolina , Columbia, SC 29208 , USA
| | - Eric M Lachenmyer
- 2 School of the Earth, Ocean, and Environment, University of South Carolina , Columbia, SC 29208 , USA
| | - John Michael Pullman
- 1 Department of Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina , Columbia, SC 29208 , USA
| | - Tammi L Richardson
- 1 Department of Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina , Columbia, SC 29208 , USA.,2 School of the Earth, Ocean, and Environment, University of South Carolina , Columbia, SC 29208 , USA
| | - Jeffry L Dudycha
- 1 Department of Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina , Columbia, SC 29208 , USA
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Heidenreich KM, Richardson TL. Photopigment, Absorption, and Growth Responses of Marine Cryptophytes to Varying Spectral Irradiance. JOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY 2020; 56:507-520. [PMID: 31876286 DOI: 10.1111/jpy.12962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2019] [Accepted: 12/07/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The underwater light field of lakes, estuaries, and oceans may vary greatly in spectral composition. Phytoplankton in these environments must contain pigments that absorb the available colors of light. If spectral quality changes, acclimation to the new spectral environment would confer an ecological advantage in terms of photosynthesis and growth. Here, we explored the capacity of eight marine cryptophytes to adjust pigmentation in response to changes in spectral irradiance and related effects on light absorption, photosynthetically useable radiation (PUR), and growth rate. The pigment composition of all species changed in some way in response to shifts in spectral irradiance, but not all pigment changes could be considered advantageous in the context of chromatic acclimation. For most species, absorption by chl-a and chl-c2 resulted in highest absorption in the blue region, highest PUR values for blue-light grown cells, and highest growth rates in blue light. The exception was Chroomonas mesostigmatica (CCMP 1168), which contains a high percentage of Cryptophyte-Phycocyanin (Cr-PC) 645, absorbs strongly in the orange-to-red region of the spectrum, and grew fastest under red light. The position and magnitude of the maximum and secondary absorption peak of Cr-PC 569, the phycobiliprotein pigment of Hemiselmis cryptochromatica, varied with spectral irradiance. The underlying cause remains unknown, but may represent a mechanism by which cryptophytes optimize photon capture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristin M Heidenreich
- Department of Biological Sciences and School of the Earth, Ocean & Environment, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, 29208, USA
| | - Tammi L Richardson
- Department of Biological Sciences and School of the Earth, Ocean & Environment, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, 29208, USA
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