IMPACT OF ALGAL RESEARCH IN AQUACULTURE

Algal aquaculture worldwide is estimated to be a $5–6 billion U.S. per year industry. The largest portion of this industry is represented by macroalgal production for human food in Asia, with increasing activity in South America and Africa. The technical foundation for a shift in the last half century from wild harvest to farming of seaweeds lies in scientific research elucidating life histories and growth characteristics of seaweeds with economic interest. In several notable cases, scientific breakthroughs enabling seaweed-aquaculture advances were not motivated by aquaculture needs but rather by fundamental biological or ecological questions. After scientific breakthroughs, development of practical cultivation methods has been accomplished by both scientific and commercial-cultivation interests. Microalgal aquaculture is much smaller in economic impact than seaweed cultivation but is the subject of much research. Microalgae are cultured for direct human consumption and for extractable chemicals, but current use and development of cultured microalgae is increasingly related to their use as feeds in marine animal aquaculture. The history of microalgal culture has followed two main paths, one focused on engineering of culture systems to respond to physical and physiological needs for growing microalgae and the other directed toward understanding the nutritional needs of animals—chiefly invertebrates such as mollusks and crustaceans—that feed upon microalgae. The challenge being addressed in current research on microalgae in aquaculture food chains is to combine engineering and nutritional principles so that effective and economical production of microalgal feed cultures can be accomplished to support an expanding marine animal aquaculture industry.     

ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS ON EXOPOLYMER PRODUCTION BY MARINE BENTHIC DIATOMS: DYNAMICS,CHANGES IN COMPOSITION,AND PATHWAYS OF PRODUCTION1

Marine benthic diatoms excrete large quantities of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), both as a function of their motility system and as a response to environmental conditions. Diatom EPS consists predominantly of carbohydrate‐rich polymers and is important in the ecology of cells living on marine sediments. Production rates, production pathways, and monosaccharide composition of water‐soluble (colloidal) carbohydrates, EPS, and intracellular storage carbohydrate (glucans) were investigated in the epipelic (mud‐inhabiting) diatoms Cylindrotheca closterium (Ehrenburg), Navicula perminta (Grün.) in Van Heurck, and Amphora exigua Greg. under a range of experimental conditions simulating aspects of the natural environment. Cellular rates of colloidal carbohydrate, EPS, and glucan production were significantly higher during nutrient‐replete compared with nutrient‐limited growth for all three species. The proportion of EPS in the extracellular carbohydrate pool increased significantly (to 44%–69%) as cells became nutrient limited. Cylindrotheca closterium produced two types of EPS differing in sugar composition and production patterns. Nutrient‐replete cells produced a complex EPS containing rhamnose, fucose, xylose, mannose, galactose, glucose, and uronic acids. Nutrient‐limited cells produced an additional EPS containing mannose, galactose, glucose, and uronic acids. Both EPS types were produced under illuminated and darkened conditions. ¹⁴C‐labeling revealed immediate production of ¹⁴C‐glucan and significant increases in ¹⁴C‐EPS between 3 and 4 h after addition of label. The glucan synthesis inhibitor 2,6‐dichlorobenzonitrile significantly reduced ¹⁴C‐colloidal carbohydrate and ¹⁴C‐EPS. The glucanase inhibitor P‐nitrophenyl β‐d ‐glucopyranoside resulted in accumulation of glucan within cells and lowered rates of ¹⁴C‐colloidal and ¹⁴C‐EPS production. Cycloheximide prevented glucan catabolism, but glucan production and EPS synthesis were unaffected.     

THE USE OF NEAR INFRARED REFLECTANCE SPECTROMETRY FOR CHARACTERIZATION OF BROWN ALGAL TISSUE1

Measuring qualitative traits of plant tissue is important to understand how plants respond to environmental change and biotic interactions. Near infrared reflectance spectrometry (NIRS) is a cost‐, time‐, and sample‐effective method of measuring chemical components in organic samples commonly used in the agricultural and pharmaceutical industries. To assess the applicability of NIRS to measure the ecologically important tissue traits of carbon, nitrogen, and phlorotannins (secondary metabolites) in brown algae, we developed NIRS calibration models for these constituents in dried Sargassum flavicans (F. K. Mertens) C. Agardh tissue. We then tested if the developed NIRS models could detect changes in the tissue composition of S. flavicans induced by experimental manipulation of temperature and nutrient availability. To develop the NIRS models, we used partial least squares regression to determine the statistical relationship between trait values determined in laboratory assays and the NIRS spectral data of S. flavicans calibration samples. Models with high predictive power were developed for all three constituents that successfully detected changes in carbon, nitrogen, and phlorotannin content in the experimentally manipulated S. flavicans tissue. Phlorotannin content in S. flavicans was inversely related to nitrogen availability, and nitrogen, temperature, and tissue age interacted to significantly affect phlorotannin content, demonstrating the importance of studies that investigate these three variables simultaneously. Given the speed of analysis, accuracy, small tissue requirements, and ability to measure multiple traits simultaneously without consuming the sample tissue, NIRS is a valuable alternative to traditional methods for determining algal tissue traits, especially in studies where tissue is limited.     

蛇岛蝮种群动态与蛇岛生态环境变化的研究

蛇岛以其近海岛屿的奇特生态环境著称于世,被称为世界奇岛。面积仅073ｋｍ2的小岛上,生长着数以万计单一种类的蛇岛蝮蛇〔Ｇｌｏｙｄｉｕｓｓｈｅｄａｏｅｎｓｉｓ(Ｚｈａｏ)〕是研究海岛生态系统的最好基地,同时也是宝贵的药物资源。保护区成立十多年来,杜绝了人为捕杀现象,使蛇岛蝮蛇的种群数量出现了逐年递增的喜人景象。但近几年来观察发现,蛇岛干旱现象趋向严重,候鸟数量逐年减少,植被演替不尽合理,不利于蛇岛蝮蛇的栖息和捕食,造成蛇岛蝮蛇种群分布极不均匀,而候鸟在蛇岛停留期间的分布是比较均匀的,因此使蛇岛蝮蛇的食源严重不足,直…     

THE DNA POLYMERASE GENE OF A BROWN ALGAL VIRUS: STRUCTURE AND PHYLOGENY

We have reported the complete sequence of the DNA polymerase gene from the virus that infected a filamentous brown alga, Feldmannia sp. (FsV). The DNA polymerase gene from FsV encoded 986 amino acids and contained all the conserved motifs of 3'-5' exonuclease domains and catalytic domains found in B-family (α-like) DNA polymerases. The codons for the FsV DNA polymerase appeared to have some bias toward guanine/cytosine (G/C) in the third position. The phylogenetic analysis of the FsV DNA polymerase gene and other viral DNA polymerase genes indicated that FsV belongs to a family of algal viruses recently defined as Phycodnaviridae.     

TWO‐DIMENSIONAL GEL ELECTROPHORESIS ANALYSIS OF BROWN ALGAL PROTEIN EXTRACTS1

High‐quality protein extracts are required for proteomic studies, a field that is poorly developed for marine macroalgae. A reliable phenol extraction protocol using Scytosiphon gracilis Kogame and Ectocarpus siliculosus (Dillwyn) Lyngb. (Phaeophyceae) as algal models resulted in high‐quality protein extracts. The performance of the new protocol was tested against four methods available for vascular plants and a seaweed. The protocol, which includes an initial step to remove salts from the algal tissues, allowed the use of highly resolving two‐dimensional gel electrophoresis (2‐DE) protein analyses, providing the opportunity to unravel potentially novel physiological processes unique to this group of marine organisms.     

根据孢粉分析论青藏高原西部和北部全新世环境变化

通过对青藏高原西部班公湖钻孔和北部中昆仑山３个湖相剖面的孢粉研究,揭示青藏高原西部和北部地区全新世１万年期间植被的演替和气候变化,西部在全新世早期９９００－７８００ｙｒ．Ｂ．Ｐ．植被由荒漠转为草原,气候好转;中期７８００－３５００ｙｒ．Ｂ．Ｐ．,草原发展,气候较适宜,以７２００－６３００ｙｒ．Ｂ．Ｐ．为高温湿期,５５００ｙｒ．Ｂ．Ｐ．和３５００ｙｒ．Ｂ．Ｐ．出现干旱,晚期从３５００ｙｒ．Ｂ．Ｐ．至今植被为荒漠,气候干旱,其中７００ｙｒ．Ｂ．Ｐ．气候恶化。北部地区全新世时期为荒漠植被,当气候温湿时,蒿和禾本科,莎草科成份增加,藜科减少,气候干旱时则相反,北部全新世的气候分期和干湿波动与西部相近,两地在晚期气候朝干旱化发展。     

反硝化酶及其环境影响因子的研究进展简

正随着全球经济的迅速发展,环境问题特别是水环境污染问题日益严重。现代农业长期大量使用化肥,养殖水体积累了大量的鱼类粪便和饵料残渣,导致水体氮素含量严重超标,形成水体氮污染,其中亚硝酸盐能氧化鱼虾体内的亚铁血红蛋白,使其成为高铁血红蛋白,丧失运输氧气的能力,导致水生生物大批患病甚至死亡,严     

反硝化酶及其环境影响因子的研究进展

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茅口期相对海平面变化对类动物群的影响——以贵州盘县火铺镇茅口组剖面为例

分析贵州盘县火铺镇茅口期海平面变化的过程和Ｔｉｎｇ类动物群的变化规律,研究相对海平面变化对Ｔｉｎｇ类动物群构及演替的影响。相对海平面的升降变化可引起水深及相关生态条件的改变,并对Ｔｉｎｇ类动物群产生影响,相对海平面变化的幅度和速率是造成Ｔｉｎｇ类动物群面貌变化的重要因素,三级相对海平面上升末期和下降未期,海平面的大幅度抬升或下降是造成Ｔｉｎｇ类物种丰度下降,新种增加量减少的重要原因,海平面的持续缓     

PRIMARY PRODUCTION OF EDAPHIC ALGAL COMMUNITIES IN A MISSISSIPPI SALT MARSH1

Primary production rates of edaphic algae associated with the sediments beneath four monospecific canopies of vascular plants were determined over an annual cycle in a Mississippi salt marsh. The edaphic algal flora was dominated by small, motile pennate diatoms. Algal production (as measured by ¹⁴C uptake) was generally highest in spring-early summer and lowest in fall. Hourly rates ranged from a low of 1.4 mg C/m² in Juncus roemerianus Scheele to a high of 163 mg C/m² beneath the Scirpus olneyi gray canopy. Stepwise multiple regressions identified a soil moisture index and chlorophyll a as the best environmental predictors of hourly production; light energy reaching the marsh surface and sediment and air temperature proved of little value. Adding the relative abundances of 33 diatom taxa to the set of independent variables only slightly increased R²; however, virtually all variables selected were diatom taxa. R² was only 0.38 for the Spartina alterniflora Loisel. habitat but ranged from 0.70 to 0.87 for the remaining three vascular plant zones. Annual rates of algal production (g C/m²) were estimated as follows: Juncus (28), Spartina (57), Distichlis spicata (L.) Greene (88), and Scirpus (151). The ratio of annual edaphic algal production to vascular plant net aerial production (EAP / VPP) was 10–12% for the first three habitats and 61% for Scirpus. Chlorophyll a concentrations, annual algal production rates, and EAP / VPP values were comparable to those determined in Texas, Delaware, and Massachusetts salt marshes but lower than those reported for Georgia and particularly California marshes.     

BROWN ALGAL POLYPHENOLS: PRIMARY METABOLITES WITH MULTIPLE,TRANSITIONAL ROLES

Arnold, Thomas M. Department of Biology, College/University of Charleston, Charleston S.C. 29424 Brown algal polyphenolics serve multiple functions. As defensive metabolites, they may serve to deter grazers, inhibit microbes, or absorb harmful UV radiation. However, these compounds are not classic ‘secondary metabolites’; they also have primary functions as cell wall strengtheners, spermatozoid inhibitors, and putative elements of algal holdfasts. These civilian roles of algal polyphenolics, which have been largely ignored in studies of plant defense, have implications for estimates of polyphenol cost. For example, in studies where growth-defense tradeoffs are used to indicate a cost for a multi-functional metabolite, the true cost is likely to have been significantly overestimated. To illustrate this, I propose a mechanism by which apparent growth vs. defense trade-offs can be predicted in the absence of a true cost of algal polyphenolics or in the absence of any defensive role for these compounds. This transitional-role model is based on the progression, or “aging” of phenolics and differentiates between physode-bound (reactive) polyphenols and the oxidized (unreactive) wall components. It predicts that variations in the levels of brown algal phenolics measured by colorimetry result from changes in the synthesis –secretion balance. Potential tests of this model, including pathway- and gene-level assessments of polyphenolic metabolism in brown algae, will be presented.     

诱发斑点小球腔菌假囊壳生成的条件

自然界甘蓝茎点霉(Phoma lingam)的有性世代为斑点小球腔菌Leptosphaeriamaculans通常形成于甘蓝属植株的越冬残茎上。在实验室内其有性阶段不易培养或需要较长的时间,而且形成假囊壳的百分率也很低。为了在实验室内能短期诱发大量L.maculans的假囊壳,本实验研究了该菌假囊壳生成的条件,创造了双层培养方法。自澳大利亚采集到有该菌假囊壳的芸苔(Brassica napus)残基,分离得到子囊孢子单孢后代数十株,同时用保存的已知交配型665(+)和666(-)为材料,研究了(+)(-)配对结合的环境条件。实验结果表明16℃的温度,近紫外光照射(黑光灯)和V_(?)麦杆琼脂培养基上可以产生少量的假囊壳。但是,若配合以双层培养,则在培养4周后可产生大量成熟的假囊壳。实验还确定了该菌在性细胞形成、交配、子囊形成和成熟等阶段对环境因子都有不同的要求。双层培养对假囊壳的发育有重要作用。前期菌体营养生长与后期假囊壳的成熟紧密相关。     

ULTRASTRUCTURE OF CHLORELLA PYRENOIDOSA AS AFFECTED BY ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGES

Chlorella pyrenoidosa (van Niel's strain) was cultured in four environmental conditions: light-glucose, light-galactose, dark-glucose, and dark-galactose. The gradual change in structure was observed when the cultures were transferred from light to darkness (dark adaptation). Cells grown in light contained well-developed chloroplasts and the normal cytoplasmic sub-units. During the transition to the complete heterotrophic mode of nutrition, the chloroplast regressed to the proplastid stage with a gradual reduction in thylakoid number. A prolamellar body was noted in the most regressed proplastid condition and plastid storage material was observed in all stages. The cell wall thickened during the transition. Cells adapted to darkness on galactose exhibited abundant cytoplasmic storage material with osmiophilic properties.     

INTRACELLULAR PHOTOSYNTHATE ALLOCATION AND THE CONTROL OF ARCTIC MARINE ICE ALGAL PRODUCTION1

Ice algae are a case study in photo-autotrophic growth and metabolism under chronically low temperature and irradiance. We measured the allocation of ¹⁴C-labelled photosynthate among major classes of intracellular carbon (low molecular weight compounds, or LMW; lipid; protein; and polysaccharide) and found light-dependent changes in allocation broadly similar to photo-adaptive responses known in phytoplankton at higher temperatures; average relative allocation to protein varied inversely (10–37%) and allocation to lipids and polysaccharides directly (10–23%, and 16–21%, respectively) with the sub-inhibiting irradiance levels we employed (3.5–33.0 μE.M⁻². s⁻¹). Unlike many observations at higher temperatures, ours indicated (on average) a large and light-insensitive allocation to LMW (ca. 40%) and a greater light-sensitivity in lipid than in polysaccharide allocation. At the higher incubation irradiances, resembling in situ levels typical of areas with little (0–5 cm) snow cover, allocation to protein was often low (10–13%) compared to many observations of nutrient-sufficient or light-limited phytoplankton. Allocation to protein increased substantially (to ca. 40%) during a period of intensified tidal mixing, and assimilation numbers also attained a maximum at about the same time. Such dynamics show that the ice algae are not constrained to their often protein-poor allocation by the constantly low ambient temperature. Rather, they display marked shifts in metabolism consistent with major changes in light and inorganic nutrient supply, driven in part by the physical process of tidal mixing.     

INTRACELLULAR PHOTOSYNTHATE ALLOCATION AND THE CONTROL OF ARCTIC MARINE ICE ALGAL PRODUCTION1

Ice algae are a case study in photo-autotrophic growth and metabolism under chronically low temperature and irradiance. We measured the allocation of ¹⁴C-labelled photosynthate among major classes of intracellular carbon (low molecular weight compounds, or LMW; lipid; protein; and polysaccharide) and found light-dependent changes in allocation broadly similar to photo-adaptive responses known in phytoplankton at higher temperatures; average relative allocation to protein varied inversely (10–37%) and allocation to lipids and polysaccharides directly (10–23%, and 16–21%, respectively) with the sub-inhibiting irradiance levels we employed (3.5–33.0 μE·M⁻²·s⁻¹). Unlike many observations at higher temperatures, ours indicated (on average) a large and light-insensitive allocation to LMW (ca. 40%) and a greater light-sensitivity in lipid than in polysaccharide allocation. At the higher incubation irradiances, resembling in situ levels typical of areas with little (0–5 cm) snow cover, allocation to protein was often low (10–13%) compared to many observations of nutrient-sufficient or light-limited phytoplankton. Allocation to protein increased substantially (to ca. 40%) during a period of intensified tidal mixing, and assimilation numbers also attained a maximum at about the same time. Suck dynamics show that the ice algae are not constrained to their often protein-poor allocation by the constantly low ambient temperature. Rather, they display marked shifts in metabolism consistent with major changes in light and inorganic nutrient supply, driven in part by the physical process of tidal mixing.