Physiological and biochemical response of Dunaliella salina to cadmium pollution

Abstract

The present study investigates the growth of Dunaliella salina as influenced by cadmium (Cd) contamination. Growth was measured in terms of cell number and chlorophyll a content and was found to decrease with increasing Cd concentration. This metal, which was mainly removed by bioadsorption to cell surfaces (95.34± 3.04 % of total Cd removed), also drastically reduced the soluble and insoluble carbohydrate (0.41±0.01 and 0.81±0.07 pg cell −1 , respectively, for 150 mg Cd L −1 ) concentrations and increased the total metallothioneins protein content (from 0.11±0.02 for the control culture to 3.30±0.2 for 100 mg Cd L −1 ). In addition, the presence of this metal in the medium stimulated the synthesis of some secondary metabolites such as polyphenols, flavonoids, and carotenoids. These compounds had an important role to protect D. salina against the reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated by the presence of Cd in the medium as shown by the increase of the antioxidant capacity of D. salina exposed to Cd.

Algal cell response to laboratory-induced cadmium stress: a multimethod approach

“…Wan and Zhang, 2012 reported that the presence of green fluorescent deposits suggests the effect of Cd(II) on vesicular trafficking and/or transport of Cd(II) into vacuoles. Accumulation of the green fluorescence in these deposits may result from the production of beta-carotenes as already described in the algae under a stressor (Shariati and Yahyaabadi 2006;Belghith et al 2015). Thus, the appearance of deposits in the green spectral region could be attributed to chloroplast-related pigments of the photosystem, such as carotenoids, and/or to oxidative metabolic changes.…”

“…An excess of transition metal ions in the environment may also significantly alter the ultrastructure, increase or decrease growth, chlorophyll content, protein and the antioxidant activities within cells (Sacan et al 2007;Taha et al 2012;Visviki and Rachlin 1994;Wikfors et al 1991). Some of the expressed proteins may be related to temporary storage and the carrier function of chlorophyll and its late precursors, as well as to its antioxidant and photoprotective functions (Belghith et al 2015;Damaraju et al 2011).…”

“…The mechanism by which algae tolerates cadmium has been studied extensively (Belghith et al 2015;Fisher et al 1984;Folgar et al 2008;García-Ríos et al 2007;Shariati and Yahyaabadi 2006;Tsuji et al 2002;Tsuji et al 2003;Visviki and Rachlin 1994;Wikfors et al 1991). Despite this, to the best of our knowledge data on the bioavailability of cadmium in solutions is limited in the literature.…”

Effect of PHRs and PCPs on Microalgal Growth, Metabolism and Microalgae-Based Bioremediation Processes: A Review

“…PHRs and PCPs-induced oxidative stress exerts an impact on pigments such as chlorophylls and carotenoids. It was previously reported that the exposure to metals caused a decrease in chlorophyll content [279,280,281], with the formation of chlorophyll derivatives [281] and increase in carotenoid content [279,282,283] in microalgal biomass, although the stimulation of chlorophyll synthesis at low metal concentrations was also reported [283]. Literature data gathered regarding the influence of PHRs and PCPs show the decreasing/increasing effects on both chlorophylls and carotenoids.…”

Combined Effect of Cadmium and Lowered Salinity on Dynamics of Abundance and Physiological Processes for Alga Plagioselmis Prolonga

“…Как установлено ранее [Fu, Bell, 2003], снижение солености сопровождается уменьшением содержания катионов натрия и кальция в клетке, вызывая нарушение процесса потребления фосфора и азота микроводорослями и, как следствие, их недостаток для нормальной жизнедеятельности организма. Кадмий также приводит к изменению внутриклеточного ионного состава, так как замещает кальций и цинк в метаболических путях [Andosch et al, 2012]. По-видимому, сочетание пониженной солености с загрязнением кадмием приводит к синергическому эффекту.…”