The effect of ampicillin plus streptomycin on growth and photosynthesis of two halotolerant chlorophyte algae

Abstract

Streptomycin and ampicillin are antibiotics commonly used to eliminate prokaryotes from the cultures of eukaryotic algae. We studied the effects of 25 mg l −1 streptomycin plus 50 mg l −1 ampicillin on the growth and photosynthesis of two broadly halotolerant algae, Picochlorum oklahomensis and Dunaliella sp. (Chlorophyceae). We measured growth rate, oxygen evolution, chlorophyll fluorescence kinetics, and pigment content in low (150 µmol photons m −2 s −1 ) and high (600 µmol photons m −2 s −1 ) light grown batch cultures. Our results show only a minor effect of the antibiotics on P. oklahomensis, and none on Dunaliella sp., so this combination of antibiotics is suitable for maintenance of stock cultures for physiological experiments. We also show that these antibiotics can be used in turbidostat cultures of P. oklahomensis, which otherwise tend to succumb to bacteria.

Decreasing of bacterial content in Isochrysis galbana cultures by using some antibiotics

“…Jian-Hang (2004) noted that Chlorella vulgaris and Nannochloropsis occulata are insensitive to kanamycin, tetracycline, and chloramphenicol. Kvíderová & Henley (2005) found that 25 µg mL -1 streptomycin and 50 µg mL -1 ampicillin did not affect growth, chlorophyll content, or other photosynthetic parameters in Dunaliella sp., whereas these properties were slight affectation in Picochlorum oklahomensis. Lai et al (2009) demonstrated that phenolic antibiotics, such as chloramphenicol, florfenicol, and thiamphenicol, inhibit the growth of Chlorella pyrenoidosa, I. galbana, and Tetraselmis chuii at various doses, reporting that the toxicity of antibiotics varies, depending on the antibiotic and the sensitivity of the microalgae species.…”

The green alga Dictyosphaerium chlorelloides biomass and polysaccharides production determined using cultivation in crossed gradients of temperature and light

“…The relative growth rate ( μ ; d −1 ) was expressed as a slope of linear regression of dry weight vs. time during the exponential phase .…”

A review on the effects of antimicrobials use in cultures of planktonic organisms: a rocedure for ecological experiments

“…Thus, this author suggests only short-term treatments. Furthermore, it is reported in the literature that the use of antibiotics can cause in planktonic organisms: genetic mutations (Kumar, 1964;Droop, 1967), inhibiting the nuclear DNA synthesis in algae (Vieira, 1977), loss of color in microalgae and protozoa (Provasoli et al, 1948), inhibition of chloroplasts (Vieira, 1977) and mitochondrial synthesis (Lloyd, 1974) in algae, abnormalities in the morphology and behaviour of the clam larvae (Fitt et al, 1992), toxicity (Wollenberger et al, 2000) and inhibition of growth (Kviderova & Henley, 2005).…”