Viral attack exacerbates the susceptibility of a bloom‐forming alga to ocean acidification

Both ocean acidification and viral infection bring about changes in marine phytoplankton physiological activities and community composition. However, little information is available on how the relationship between phytoplankton and viruses may be affected by ocean acidification and what impacts this might have on photosynthesis‐driven marine biological CO₂ pump. Here, we show that when the harmful bloom alga Phaeocystis globosa is infected with viruses under future ocean conditions, its photosynthetic performance further decreased and cells became more susceptible to stressful light levels, showing enhanced photoinhibition and reduced carbon fixation, up‐regulation of mitochondrial respiration and decreased virus burst size. Our results indicate that ocean acidification exacerbates the impacts of viral attack on P. globosa, which implies that, while ocean acidification directly influences marine primary producers, it may also affect them indirectly by altering their relationship with viruses. Therefore, viruses as a biotic stressor need to be invoked when considering the overall impacts of climate change on marine productivity and carbon sequestration.     

IDENTIFICATION OF THE CLASS PRYMNESIOPHYCEAE AND THE GENUS PHAEOCYSTIS WITH RIBOSOMAL RNA–TARGETED NUCLEIC ACID PROBES DETECTED BY FLOW CYTOMETRY1

Target regions specific for the class Prymnesiophyceae and the genus Phaeocystis (Har.) Lag. were identified from 18S ribosomal RNA coding regions, and two complementary probes were designed (PRYMN01 and PHAEO01). Detection of whole cells hybridized with these probes labeled with fluorescein isothiocyanate was difficult using epifluorescence microscopy because autofluorescence of the chlorophylls seriously interfered with the fluorescence of the probes. In contrast, flow cytometry proved very useful to detect and quantify the fluorescence of the hybridized cells. Hybridization conditions were optimized, especially with respect to formamide concentration. Both probes were tested on a large array of both target and nontarget strains. Positive and negative controls were also analyzed. Specificity was tested by adding a competing nonlabeled probe. Whereas probe PHAEO01 seems to have good specificity, probe PRYMN01 appeared less specific and must be used with stringent positive and negative controls.     

营养胁迫下球形棕囊藻(Phaeocystis globosa Scherffel)的生长行为及溶血活性

近年来,我国广东沿海连续出现大面积球形棕囊藻(Phaeocystis globosaScherffel)赤潮,产生溶血毒素等有害物质,给当地的海洋养殖业造成重大的经济损失。研究不同的生长时期及半连续培养时不同营养盐胁迫下,球形棕囊藻溶血毒素的产生行为。结果显示,批量培养的球形棕囊藻处于生长平稳期末时,溶血活性最大((21±1)units/L);半连续培养时,营养盐限制对球形棕囊藻的生长有明显的抑制作用,其中Fe3 及N盐限制影响最为明显。同时,营养盐限制也可促进棕囊藻溶血毒素的合成,其中Fe3 和-Mn2 的限制性时球形棕囊藻溶血活性显著增强。这些结果表明,球形棕囊藻溶血毒素的产生与藻细胞的生长可能受不同机制的调节,溶血毒素的合成可能是环境胁迫下棕囊藻维持生存的一种策略。     

湛江棕囊藻对南美白对虾虾苗和多种鱼苗的毒性研究

测定了湛江棕囊藻赤潮海水和棕囊藻(Phaeocystis globosa)对南美白对虾(Penaeus vannamei Boone)虾苗、青石斑鱼(Epinephelus awoara)、鲻鱼(Mugil cephalus)和尖吻鲈鱼(Latescal carifer)鱼苗的毒性。结果表明,棕囊藻对虾苗有一定的毒性,24 h LC50为1.0×109 cells L-1,去除囊泡液后的棕囊藻碎片对虾苗毒性较弱,细胞密度为1.0×109 cells L-1时,24 h虾苗的死亡率仅为10%,赤潮海水对虾苗无毒性;棕囊藻囊泡液对青石斑鱼有一定毒性,24 h LC50为囊泡液占海水总体积的10.9%,赤潮海水对青石斑鱼苗无毒性;棕囊藻对尖吻鲈鱼和鲻鱼鱼苗无毒性。     

Reduction and cyclization in biotransformation of carbonyl compounds by cultured cells of Taxus species

Cultured plant cells from Taxus brevifolia Nutt and Taxus globosa Schltdl were investigated as biocatalysts using exogenous substrates. Production of highly specific metabolites by these species prompted us to analyse their synthetic potential. Whole cells suspensions have the capacity to chemoselectively reduce ethyl acetoacetate to ethyl 3-hydroxybutyrate chemo- and stereoselectively reduce rac-2-benzoylcyclohexanone to (1R, 2S)- and (1S, 2S)-2-hydroxycyclohexylphenylmethanones, and to cyclize N-phthaloyl-L-glutamine to thalidomide.     

稻、麦秸秆对球形棕囊藻(Phaeocystis globosa)生长的抑制作用

考查了秸秆及其浸出液对球形棕囊藻(Phaeocystis globosa)生长的影响,分析了秸秆附着微生物及秸秆物理吸附作用对秸秆抑藻活性的影响,观察了稻杆浸出液对藻细胞形态的影响。结果显示,一定量的物理破碎稻杆、麦杆及其浸出液均可有效抑制棕囊藻的生长,灭菌与未灭菌秸杆之间抑藻效果相差不大。不同条件处理的秸杆浸出液总酚含量与抑藻作用间均存在很大差异,但两者之间并无明显相关性。原子力显微镜观察发现,秸秆处理组细胞膜破裂、细胞塌陷,结构不完整,细胞粗糙度明显增加。这些结果提示微生物和物理吸附对秸杆抑藻作用的贡献很小,秸秆中存在的或降解产生的抑藻活性成分是秸秆抑藻的主要原因;除了酚酸类物质外,秸杆中可能存在其他可以显著抑制藻类生长的物质;秸秆通过破坏藻细胞的膜结构,导致藻细胞出现空洞,细胞内容物流出,从而抑制或杀灭藻细胞。     

三种典型赤潮藻产生与消耗二甲基硫化物的速率估算

采用抑制剂加入法估算了中肋骨条藻、棕囊藻和东海原甲藻在不同生长期内二甲基硫化物的产生与消耗速率.结果表明:颗粒态二甲基巯基丙酸(DMSPp)和颗粒态二甲亚砜(DMSOp)在3种藻类的不同生长期内均为净消耗,溶解态二甲基巯基丙酸(DMSPd)和溶解态二甲亚砜(DMSOd)的含量受藻类产生与细菌病毒消耗控制,在藻类不同生长期内存在不同的产生与消耗速率,而二甲基硫(DMS)在3种藻不同生长期内均为净产生.同一种藻在不同生长期内以及不同藻在相同生长期内二甲基硫化物的产生与消耗速率均存在较大差异,表明藻类的生理状态和种间差异均对二甲基硫化物的产生与消耗速率产生影响.     

Growth characteristics of flagellated cells of Phaeocystis pouchetii revealed by diel changes in cellular DNA content

The present study reports on effects of different light:dark periods, light intensities, N:P ratios and temperature on the specific growth rate of flagellated cells of Phaeocystis pouchetii in culture. The specific growth rate was estimated by diel changes in cellular DNA content. The cellular DNA content and cell cycle of flagellated cells of P. pouchetii are shown, and the importance of light:dark period in cell division is demonstrated. Diel patterns of the cellular DNA content showed that cell division was confined to the dark period. The cells dealt with more than one division per day by rapid divisions shortly after each other.The specific growth rates (μ_DNA) based on the DNA cell cycle model were in close agreement with specific growth rates (μ_Cell) determined from cell counts. The temperature affected the specific growth rates (multiple regression, p < 0.01) and were higher at 5 °C (μ ≤ 2.2 d⁻¹) than at 10 °C (μ ≤1.6 d⁻¹). Increasing the light:dark period from 12:12 h to 20:4 h affected the specific growth rate of P. pouchetii at the lower temperature tested (5 °C) (multiple regression, p < 0.01), resulting in higher specific growth rates than at 10 °C. At 10 °C, the effect of light:dark period was severely reduced. Neither light nor nutrients could compensate the reduction in specific growth rates caused by elevated temperature. The specific growth rates was not affected by the N:P ratios tested (multiple regression, p = 0.21). The experiments strongly suggest that the flagellated cells have a great growth potential and could play a dominating role in northern areas at increased day length.     

The contribution of single and colonial cells of Phaeocystis pouchetii to spring and summer blooms in the north-eastern North Atlantic

Studies of the phytoplankton ecology in different localities in north-Norwegian fjords, the White Sea and the Barents Sea were carried out in spring and early summer to investigate the contribution of single and colonial stages of Phaeocystis pouchetii to phytoplankton abundance. Three different types of flagellated and four colonial cells were observed in all localities. P. pouchetii was rare under the ice of the Barents and White Seas, but their abundance increased rapidly during ice retreat. Single cell C dominated over colonial cell C, often by 50 times or more. The highest share of colonial cells was encountered in April in northern Norwegian fjords, in May in the Barents Sea and in May–June in the White Sea. At times the single cell dominated the total P. pouchetii biomass in Balsfjord (April 1999, 2001) with hardly any colonies present. In the White Sea colonies of P. pouchetii were less abundant than in the other regions. Cell carbon of P. pouchetii colonies appears never to be as dominating in the north-eastern North Atlantic as P. globosa blooms in coastal regions such as the southern North Sea. However, the lobal matrix of P. pouchetii colonies appears to be less solid than that of P. globosa and partly dissolution of the colony matrix during handling and storage of fixes samples induces uncertainty about the absolute numbers of P. pouchetii colonial cell counts. Despite of that, single cells of P. pouchetii seem to dominate significantly over colonial cell biomass at most sites and during some years and in some regions colonial cells seem rare. We speculate that top-down regulation of Phaeocystis spp. blooms possibly determines the ratio between single and colonial cells.