Effects of global change factors on fatty acids and mycosporine‐like amino acid production in Chroothece richteriana (Rhodophyta)

Abstract

Under natural conditions, Chroothece richteriana synthesizes a fairly high proportion of fatty acids. However, nothing is known about how environmental changes affect their production, or about the production of protective compounds, when colonies develop under full sunshine with high levels of UV radiation. In this study, wild colonies of C. richteriana were subjected to increasing temperature, conductivity, ammonium concentrations and photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), and UV radiations to assess the potential changes in lipid composition and mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs) concentration. The PERMANOVA analysis detected no differences for the whole fatty acid profile among treatments, but the percentages of α-linolenic acid and total polyunsaturated fatty acids increased at the lowest assayed temperature. The percentages of linoleic and α-linolenic acids increased with lowering temperature. γ-linolenic and arachidonic acids decreased with increasing conductivity, and a high arachidonic acid concentration was related with increased conductivity. The samples exposed to UVB radiation showed higher percentages of eicosapentaenoic acid and total monounsaturated fatty acids, at the expense of saturated fatty acids. MAAs accumulation increased but not significantly at the lowest conductivity, and also with the highest PAR and UVR exposure, while ammonium and temperature had no effect. The observed changes are probably related with adaptations of both membrane fluidity to low temperature, and metabolism to protect cells against UV radiation damage. The results suggest the potential to change lipid composition and MAAs concentration in response to environmental stressful conditions due to climate change, and highlight the interest of the species in future research about the biotechnological production of both compound types.

Polyphasic approach to a characteristic Ulva population from a limno-rheocrenic, mineral (chloride, sodium, sulphate) spring in the Siwa Oasis (Western Desert of Egypt)

“…paradoxa does not present peculiar features. It meets expectations for an alga belonging to the Ulvophyceae, with lutein, neoxanthin, violaxanthin, and α/β-carotene as the most abundant carotenoids, besides, among essential photosynthetic pigments, chlorophyll a and chlorophyll-b Some environmental characteristics, such as temperature and nutrient (specifically P) availability, are important abiotic drivers affecting lipid-class composition of algal cell membranes, and thus their fluidity and permeability, and P content (Saber et al 2016;Gonzalez-Silvera et al 2017;Hayashida et al 2017). In this study, the inter-classes distribution of the membrane lipids was in line with our expectations revealing the presence of several lipid species in all the relevant classes MGDG, DGDG, SQDG, and DGTS.…”

Confocal Microscopy in Ecophysiological Studies of Algae: A Door to Understanding Autofluorescence in Red Algae

“…The Chroothece genus currently contains seven species that live in small creeks and rivers, cliffs, caves, or thermal waters (Aboal et al, 2017). The effect on Chroothece richteriana (later confirmed as C. lobata) of some variables related to climate change was studied recently by Gonzalez-Silvera et al (2017) who analyzed the influence of salinity, temperature, nitrogen, light intensity, and ultraviolet (UV) radiation on fatty acid composition and mycosporin-like amino acids on field-collected colonies. Chroothece mobilis was reported in a range of different conditions in subaerial habitats (Hindak & Hindakova, 2015), cold waters (Blinn & Prescott, 1976), hot springs (Pentecost, 2011), and caves (Aboal et al, 2017).…”