Direct and Indirect Effects of Solar Ultraviolet Radiation on Attached Bacteria and Algae in Lotic Systems

I examined the effects of solar ultraviolet radiation (UVR) on attached bacteria and algal densities in lotic systems in outdoor artificial stream apparatus. Flumes were covered with four types of film for UVR screening treatments, and attached bacterial cell densities and their temporal variations were compared between conditions excluding and including solar UVR. Attached bacterial cell densities were depressed by solar UVR, and both accrual rate and saturated density were significantly lower in the +UVR (full solar radiation) condition than in −UVR and dark conditions. Solar UVR also indirectly affected the rate of algal accrual. Microscopic direct observations of attached bacterial cell density and algae on substrata showed that solar UVR depressed the accrual of attached bacteria and consequently the frequency of sites with high bacterial cell density that can trap suspended algae in the water. The final amount of algal accrual in the +UVR condition was one-fourth of that in the −UVR condition. Therefore, the effects of solar UVR may be more serious in systems where periphyton are frequently removed by floods.     

Modulation of the bacterial response to spectral solar radiation by algae and limiting nutrients

SUMMARY 1. The response of bacterial production (measured as [³H]TdR incorporation rate) to spectral solar radiation was quantified experimentally in an oligotrophic high-mountain lake over 2 years. Bacterial responses were consistent: ultraviolet-B (UVB) was harmful, whereas ultraviolet-A (UVA) + photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) and PAR enhanced bacterial activity. Full sunlight exerted a net stimulatory effect on bacterial activity in mid-summer but a net inhibitory effect towards the end of the ice-free period.
2. Experiments were undertaken to examine whether the bacterial response pattern depended on the presence of algae and/or was modulated by the availability of a limiting inorganic nutrient (phosphorus, P). In the absence of algae, [³H]TdR incorporation rates were significantly lower than when algae were present under all light treatments, and the consistent bacterial response was lost. This suggests that the bacterial response to spectral solar radiation depends on fresh-C released from algae, which determines the net stimulatory outcome of damage and repair in mid-summer.
3. In the absence of algae, UVB radiation inhibited bacteria when they were strongly P-deficient (mean values of N : P ratio: 46.1), whereas it exerted no direct effect on bacterial activity when they were not P-limited.
4. P-enrichment of lake water markedly altered the response of bacteria to spectral solar radiation at the end of ice-free period, when bacteria were strongly P-deficient. Phosphorus enrichment suppressed the inhibitory effect of full sunlight that was observed in October, both in whole lake water (i.e. including algae) and in the absence of algae. This indicates that the bacterial P-deficiency, measured as the cellular N : P ratio, was partly responsible for the net inhibitory effect of full sunlight, implying a high bacterial vulnerability to UVB.     

Effects of solar UV radiation on morphology and photosynthesis of filamentous cyanobacterium Arthrospira platensis

To study the impact of solar UV radiation (UVR) (280 to 400 nm) on the filamentous cyanobacterium Arthrospira (Spirulina) platensis, we examined the morphological changes and photosynthetic performance using an indoor-grown strain (which had not been exposed to sunlight for decades) and an outdoor-grown strain (which had been grown under sunlight for decades) while they were cultured with three solar radiation treatments: PAB (photosynthetically active radiation [PAR] plus UVR; 280 to 700 nm), PA (PAR plus UV-A; 320 to 700 nm), and P (PAR only; 400 to 700 nm). Solar UVR broke the spiral filaments of A. platensis exposed to full solar radiation in short-term low-cell-density cultures. This breakage was observed after 2 h for the indoor strain but after 4 to 6 h for the outdoor strain. Filament breakage also occurred in the cultures exposed to PAR alone; however, the extent of breakage was less than that observed for filaments exposed to full solar radiation. The spiral filaments broke and compressed when high-cell-density cultures were exposed to full solar radiation during long-term experiments. When UV-B was screened off, the filaments initially broke, but they elongated and became loosely arranged later (i.e., there were fewer spirals per unit of filament length). When UVR was filtered out, the spiral structure hardly broke or became looser. Photosynthetic O(2) evolution in the presence of UVR was significantly suppressed in the indoor strain compared to the outdoor strain. UVR-induced inhibition increased with exposure time, and it was significantly lower in the outdoor strain. The concentration of UV-absorbing compounds was low in both strains, and there was no significant change in the amount regardless of the radiation treatment, suggesting that these compounds were not effectively used as protection against solar UVR. Self-shading, on the other hand, produced by compression of the spirals over adaptive time scales, seems to play an important role in protecting this species against deleterious UVR. Our findings suggest that the increase in UV-B irradiance due to ozone depletion not only might affect photosynthesis but also might alter the morphological development of filamentous cyanobacteria during acclimation or over adaptive time scales.     

Effects of Solar UV Radiation on Morphology and Photosynthesis of Filamentous Cyanobacterium Arthrospira platensis

To study the impact of solar UV radiation (UVR) (280 to 400 nm) on the filamentous cyanobacterium Arthrospira (Spirulina) platensis, we examined the morphological changes and photosynthetic performance using an indoor-grown strain (which had not been exposed to sunlight for decades) and an outdoor-grown strain (which had been grown under sunlight for decades) while they were cultured with three solar radiation treatments: PAB (photosynthetically active radiation [PAR] plus UVR; 280 to 700 nm), PA (PAR plus UV-A; 320 to 700 nm), and P (PAR only; 400 to 700 nm). Solar UVR broke the spiral filaments of A. platensis exposed to full solar radiation in short-term low-cell-density cultures. This breakage was observed after 2 h for the indoor strain but after 4 to 6 h for the outdoor strain. Filament breakage also occurred in the cultures exposed to PAR alone; however, the extent of breakage was less than that observed for filaments exposed to full solar radiation. The spiral filaments broke and compressed when high-cell-density cultures were exposed to full solar radiation during long-term experiments. When UV-B was screened off, the filaments initially broke, but they elongated and became loosely arranged later (i.e., there were fewer spirals per unit of filament length). When UVR was filtered out, the spiral structure hardly broke or became looser. Photosynthetic O₂ evolution in the presence of UVR was significantly suppressed in the indoor strain compared to the outdoor strain. UVR-induced inhibition increased with exposure time, and it was significantly lower in the outdoor strain. The concentration of UV-absorbing compounds was low in both strains, and there was no significant change in the amount regardless of the radiation treatment, suggesting that these compounds were not effectively used as protection against solar UVR. Self-shading, on the other hand, produced by compression of the spirals over adaptive time scales, seems to play an important role in protecting this species against deleterious UVR. Our findings suggest that the increase in UV-B irradiance due to ozone depletion not only might affect photosynthesis but also might alter the morphological development of filamentous cyanobacteria during acclimation or over adaptive time scales.     

Effect of solar ultraviolet radiation on growth in the marine macroalga Dictyota dichotoma (Phaeophyceae) at Helgoland and its ecological consequences

At Helgoland, in the North Sea, growth of the high sublittoral brown macroalga Dictyota dichotoma (Hudson) Lamoroux was examined in October (the time of tetraspore release) in an outdoor tank by exposing 2-day-old germlings to four solar radiation treatments achieved with different filter materials or an additional artificial light source: photosynthetically active radiation (PAR; 395–700 nm), PAR plus ultraviolet (UV)-A (320–700 nm), full solar spectrum, or solar spectrum plus artificial UV radiation (UVR). Based on length measurements over a period of 3 weeks, the growth rate in germlings strongly decreased in conditions with UVR compared to PAR: by 14% under PAR+UV-A, by 31% under the full solar spectrum and by 65% with additional UVR. Although growth rates of germlings under UVR were reduced mainly in the first week, the plants did not regain the size of the untreated plants even after 9 weeks. Regardless of the exposure, no defects in morphology or anatomy including the exposed apical meristem were detected, except for a reduction in cell division rates perhaps due to additional cost for photoprotective or repair mechanisms. Depending on the actual position of D. dichotoma plants in the natural habitat, individuals in high positions receive substantial amounts of the more harmful UV-B while those lower down might only receive UV-A during part of the day, thus the effect of UV-B on the growth of D. dichotoma will depend on its position in the field. The effects of tidal variation of the light climate and the implications of our results for the zonation of D. dichotoma are discussed. Received in revised form: 6 July 2000 Electronic Publication     

Interactive Effects of Temperature and UV Radiation on Photosynthesis of Chlorella Strains from Polar,Temperate and Tropical Environments: Differential Impacts on Damage and Repair

Global warming and ozone depletion, and the resulting increase of ultraviolet radiation (UVR), have far-reaching impacts on biota, especially affecting the algae that form the basis of the food webs in aquatic ecosystems. The aim of the present study was to investigate the interactive effects of temperature and UVR by comparing the photosynthetic responses of similar taxa of Chlorella from Antarctic (Chlorella UMACC 237), temperate (Chlorella vulgaris UMACC 248) and tropical (Chlorella vulgaris UMACC 001) environments. The cultures were exposed to three different treatments: photosynthetically active radiation (PAR; 400–700 nm), PAR plus ultraviolet-A (320–400 nm) radiation (PAR + UV-A) and PAR plus UV-A and ultraviolet-B (280–320 nm) radiation (PAR + UV-A + UV-B) for one hour in incubators set at different temperatures. The Antarctic Chlorella was exposed to 4, 14 and 20°C. The temperate Chlorella was exposed to 11, 18 and 25°C while the tropical Chlorella was exposed to 24, 28 and 30°C. A pulse-amplitude modulated (PAM) fluorometer was used to assess the photosynthetic response of microalgae. Parameters such as the photoadaptive index (E_k) and light harvesting efficiency (α) were determined from rapid light curves. The damage (k) and repair (r) rates were calculated from the decrease in ΦPSII_eff over time during exposure response curves where cells were exposed to the various combinations of PAR and UVR, and fitting the data to the Kok model. The results showed that UV-A caused much lower inhibition than UV-B in photosynthesis in all Chlorella isolates. The three isolates of Chlorella from different regions showed different trends in their photosynthesis responses under the combined effects of UVR (PAR + UV-A + UV-B) and temperature. In accordance with the noted strain-specific characteristics, we can conclude that the repair (r) mechanisms at higher temperatures were not sufficient to overcome damage caused by UVR in the Antarctic Chlorella strain, suggesting negative effects of global climate change on microalgae inhabiting (circum-) polar regions. For temperate and tropical strains of Chlorella, damage from UVR was independent of temperature but the repair constant increased with increasing temperature, implying an improved ability of these strains to recover from UVR stress under global warming.     

Perception of solar UV radiation by plants: photoreceptors and mechanisms

About 95% of the ultraviolet (UV) photons reaching the Earth’s surface are UV-A (315–400 nm) photons. Plant responses to UV-A radiation have been less frequently studied than those to UV-B (280–315 nm) radiation. Most previous studies on UV-A radiation have used an unrealistic balance between UV-A, UV-B, and photosynthetically active radiation (PAR). Consequently, results from these studies are difficult to interpret from an ecological perspective, leaving an important gap in our understanding of the perception of solar UV radiation by plants. Previously, it was assumed UV-A/blue photoreceptors, cryptochromes and phototropins mediated photomorphogenic responses to UV-A radiation and “UV-B photoreceptor” UV RESISTANCE LOCUS 8 (UVR8) to UV-B radiation. However, our understanding of how UV-A radiation is perceived by plants has recently improved. Experiments using a realistic balance between UV-B, UV-A, and PAR have demonstrated that UVR8 can play a major role in the perception of both UV-B and short-wavelength UV-A (UV-A_sw, 315 to ∼350 nm) radiation. These experiments also showed that UVR8 and cryptochromes jointly regulate gene expression through interactions that alter the relative sensitivity to UV-B, UV-A, and blue wavelengths. Negative feedback loops on the action of these photoreceptors can arise from gene expression, signaling crosstalk, and absorption of UV photons by phenolic metabolites. These interactions explain why exposure to blue light modulates photomorphogenic responses to UV-B and UV-A_sw radiation. Future studies will need to distinguish between short and long wavelengths of UV-A radiation and to consider UVR8’s role as a UV-B/UV-A_sw photoreceptor in sunlight.

In sunlight, UVR8 mediates the perception of both UV-B and short-wavelength UV-A radiation with its sensitivity moderated by blue light perceived through cryptochromes.     

Exposure of eggs to solar UV‐B leads to reduced hatching rates in two sparid fishes,red sea bream Pagrus major and black sea bream Acanthopagrus schlegeli

Hatching success was examined under exposure to solar ultraviolet radiation (UVR) using filters to give three different light conditions [C1: UV‐B, UV‐A and photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), C2: UV‐A and PAR, C3: PAR] in red Pagrus major and black Acanthopagrus schlegeli sea bream. Hatching rate of both species was reduced by an exposure over a 2 day period to UVR and was not significantly different between two species under the three light conditions.     

IMPACTS OF SOLAR UV RADIATION ON THE PHOTOSYNTHESIS,GROWTH, AND UV‐ABSORBING COMPOUNDS IN GRACILARIA LEMANEIFORMIS (RHODOPHYTA) GROWN AT DIFFERENT NITRATE CONCENTRATIONS1

Solar ultraviolet radiation (UVR, 280–400 nm) is known to affect macroalgal physiology negatively, while nutrient availability may affect UV‐absorbing compounds (UVACs) and sensitivity to UVR. However, little is known about the interactive effects of UVR and nitrate availability on macroalgal growth and photosynthesis. We investigated the growth and photosynthesis of the red alga Gracilaria lemaneiformis (Bory) Grev. at different levels of nitrate (natural or enriched nitrate levels of 41 or 300 and 600 μM) under different solar radiation treatments with or without UVR. Nitrate‐enrichment enhanced the growth, resulted in higher concentrations of UVACs, and led to negligible photoinhibition of photosynthesis even at noon in the presence of UVR. Net photosynthesis during the noon period was severely inhibited by both ultraviolet‐A radiation (UVA) and ultraviolet‐B radiation (UVB) in the thalli grown in seawater without enriched nitrate. The absorptivity of UVACs changed in response to changes in the PAR dose when the thalli were shifted back and forth from solar radiation to indoor low light, and exposure to UVR significantly induced the synthesis of UVACs. The thalli exposed to PAR alone exhibited higher growth rates than those that received PAR + UVA or PAR + UVA + UVB at the ambient or enriched nitrate concentrations. UVR inhibited growth approximately five times as much as it inhibited photosynthesis within a range of 60–120 μg UVACs · g^?1 (fwt) when the thalli were grown under nitrate‐enriched conditions. Such differential inhibition implies that other metabolic processes are more sensitive to solar UVR than photosynthesis.     

阳光紫外辐射对室内水培发状念珠藻生理特性的影响

发状念珠藻（Nostoc flagelliforme Bornet & Flahault）是一种重要的陆生经济蓝藻,室内培育出的原植体如何适应阳光辐射的问题尚需探讨。为此,作者将室内水培发菜置于阳光下培养,测定了其生长、有效光化学效率（F/Fm΄）和色素的变化。结果表明,较高的可见光（PAR,395－700 nm）和紫外辐射（UVR,280－395 nm）均导致水培发菜的F/Fm΄下降。第1天中午,PAR和UVR分别使F/Fm΄下降了54％和13％;傍晚,F/Fm΄有部分恢复。UVR对发菜适应阳光2d后的生长无负面作用。发菜在适应全阳光辐射期间,紫外吸收物质（Scytonemin和Mycosporine-like amino acids）含量不断增加,9d后,分别增加了124倍和9倍。这些紫外吸收物质的增加对发菜细胞降低光抑制,适应阳光辐射,起到了重要作用。本研究的结果可为水培发菜室外培养方法的建立提供一定的理论依据。     

UVR defense mechanisms in eurytopic and invasive Gracilaria vermiculophylla (Gracilariales, Rhodophyta)

The invasive success of Gracilaria vermiculophylla has been attributed to its wide tolerance range to different abiotic factors, but its response to ultraviolet radiation (UVR) is yet to be investigated. In the laboratory, carpospores and vegetative thalli of an Atlantic population were exposed to different radiation treatments consisting of high PAR (photosynthetically active radiation) only (P), PAR+UV-A (PA) and PAR+UV-A+UV-B (PAB). Photosynthesis of carpospores was photoinhibited under different radiation treatments but photosystem II (PSII) function was restored after 12 h under dim white light. Growth of vegetative thalli was significantly higher under radiation supplemented with UVR. Decrease in chlorophyll a (Chl a) under daily continuous 16-h exposure to 300 μmol photons m(-2) s(-1) of PAR suggests preventive accumulation of excited chlorophyll molecules within the antennae to minimize the generation of dangerous reactive oxygen species. Moreover, an increase in total carotenoids and xanthophyll cycle pigments (i.e. violaxanthin, antheraxanthin and zeaxanthin) further suggests effective photoprotection under UVR. The presence of the ketocarotenoid β-cryptoxanthin also indicates protection against UVR and oxidative stress. The initial concentration of total mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs) in freshly-released spores increased approximately four times after 8-h laboratory radiation treatments. On the other hand, initial specific MAAs in vegetative thalli changed in composition after 7-day exposure to laboratory radiation conditions without affecting the total concentration. The above responses suggest that G. vermiculophylla have multiple UVR defense mechanisms to cope with the dynamic variation in light quantity and quality encountered in its habitat. Beside being eurytopic, the UVR photoprotective mechanisms likely contribute to the current invasive success of the species in shallow lagoons and estuaries exposed to high solar radiation.     

Seasonal patterns in the sunlight sensitivity of bacterioplankton from Mediterranean surface coastal waters

The sensitivity of coastal marine bacterioplankton to natural photosynthetically active radiation (PAR, 400-700?nm) and ultraviolet radiation (UVR, 280-400?nm) was evaluated in five experiments over a seasonal cycle in the Blanes Bay, NW Mediterranean Sea. Exposure to natural solar radiation generally inhibited bulk bacterial activities or damaged membrane integrity when irradiances were high (i.e. spring and summer experiments) and, in general, UVB (280-320?nm) accounted for most of the inhibition. When assessing activity ((3) H-leucine uptake) at the single-cell level by microautoradiography and rRNA gene probing, seasonally varying responses and sensitivities were found among bacterial groups. While autumn and winter irradiances seemed too low to cause changes in activity, variable effects were found in spring and summer. SAR11 was consistently inhibited by UVR and PAR exposure, whereas Gammaproteobacteria and Bacteroidetes showed higher resistance. Roseobacter, Synechococcus and the NOR5 clade were occasionally photostimulated in their activity, mainly because of PAR. Our results indicate that a component of seasonality exists in the bacterial responses to solar radiation, which vary not only depending on the irradiance and the spectral characteristics, but also on the previous light history and the taxonomic composition of the community.     

Natural UVR Does Not Affect Decomposition by Aquatic Hyphomycetes

We performed field and laboratory experiments to evaluate the effect of solar radiation (UVR and PAR) on leaf litter decomposition, fungal biomass and sporulation rates, in the Andean Patagonia, where high UVR levels are common. Leaves of Alnus glutinosa exposed to three treatments, normal radiation (PAR + UVR), protected from UVR and protected from total radiation (SHADE) by plastic films lost 31–37% of their mass. Leaves of Nothofagus pumilio lost 61–64% of their mass under the same conditions. For both leaf species, differences in mass losses among treatments were not statistically significant. Sporulation rates were significantly lower in the SHADE treatment. Fungal biomass accounted for 6.2 to 7.1% of leaf mass, without significant differences among treatments. In the laboratory, leaf discs of A. glutinosa colonized by single species of aquatic hyphomycetes (Articulospora tetracladia, Flagellospora curta or Lunulospora curvula) and exposed to or protected from UVR did not differ in mass loss and sporulation rates. Pure cultures of two fungal species grew at the same rates when exposed to light (PAR and PAR + UVR) or to the SHADE. In summary, we found no evidences that current high levels of UV radiation affect litter decomposition mediated by aquatic hyphomycetes. (© 2010 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Effects of temperature and ultraviolet radiation on microbial foodweb structure: potential responses to global change

1. A series of growth experiments were conducted with natural plankton communities from a lake and river in northern Quebec, to evaluate the response of microbial foodweb structure to changes in ambient temperature and solar ultraviolet radiation (UVR). 2. Bioassays were incubated for 6 days at two temperatures (10 and 20 °C) and three near-surface irradiance conditions [photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) + UVA + UVB, PAR + UVA, and PAR only). 3. The concentration of total bacteria showed no net response to temperature, but the percentage of actively respiring bacteria, as measured with the cellular redox probe 5-cyano-2,3-ditolyl tetrazolium chloride (CTC), was up to 57% higher at 20 °C relative to 10 °C. Chlorophyll a concentrations in the < 2 μm size fraction also reacted strongly to temperature, with a net increase of up to 61% over the temperature range of 10–20 °C. 4. The UVR effects were small or undetectable for most of the measured variables; however, the percentage of actively respiring bacteria was significantly inhibited in the presence of UVR at 20 °C, decreasing by 29–48% on day 6 in the lake experiments and by 59% on day 2 in one river experiment. 5. The results show differential sensitivity to temperature among organisms of microbial communities in subarctic freshwaters, and a resilience by the majority of micro-organisms to their present UVR conditions. Microbial foodwebs in northern freshwaters appear to be relatively unresponsive to short-term (days) changes in UVR. However, the observed responses to temperature suggest that climate change could influence community structure, with warmer temperatures favouring picoplanktonic phototrophs and heterotrophs, and a shift in nanoplankton species composition and size structure.     

Influence of UV radiation on growth of sporelings of three non-geniculate coralline red algae from Southern Iberian Peninsula

The effects of UV radiation (UVR) on growth of sporelings of Melobesia membranacea (Esper) Lamouroux, Lithophyllum incrustans Philippi and Mesophyllum lichenoides (Ellis) Lemoine, were investigated by culturing the algae under different doses of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) only and PAR + UVR. Under natural conditions, the light fields occurring in the habitats of the three species differ substantially. Whereas M. lichenoides and L. incrustans inhabit sun‐exposed places in the eulittoral and upper part of the sublittoral, M. membranacea grows as an epiphyte in shady crevices in the eulittoral, where irradiance is < 10% of that in sun‐exposed places. The relative growth rate (RGR) of sporelings of these non‐geniculate coralline algae was affected by the UVR. The extent of harmful UVR effects on growth rate showed a similar increase as a function of the logarithm of the dose in the three species, inferred by a similar slope in all the linear regressions for a given action spectrum. The inhibition of growth under the PAR + UVR showed similar features in the two species of non‐geniculate coralline species from sun‐exposed places, that is, similar intercepts and slopes in the linear regressions of RGR as a function of the logarithm of the biologically effective dose.     

The spectral distribution of biologically active solar radiation at Miami,Florida, USA

The spectral distribution of solar radiation was studied under different sky conditions during a 15-month period in Miami, Florida (USA), and over a latitudinal gradient at solar maximum. Spectroradiometric scans were characterized for total irradiance (300–3000 nm) and the relative energetic and photon contributions of the following wavelength regions: UV-B (300–320 nm); UV-A (320–400 nm); B (400–500 nm); PAR (400–700 nm); R (600–700 nm); and FR (728–732 nm). Notable results include: (i) significantly higher UV-A energy fluxes than currently in use for laboratory experiments involving the biological effects of this band-width (values ranged from 33.6 to 55.4 W/m² in Miami over the year); (ii) marked diurnal shifts in B:R and R:FR, with elevated R:FR values in early morning: (iii) a strong correlation between R:FR and atmospheric water content; and (iv) unusually high PAR values under direct sunlight with cloudy skies (2484 mol/² per s).     

Photosynthesis and growth of Arthrospira (Spirulina) platensis (Cyanophyta) in response to solar UV radiation, with special reference to its minor variant

The minor variant of the economically important cyanobacterium, Arthrospira platensis, usually appears in commercial production ponds under solar radiation. However, how sensitive the minor variant to solar UVR and whether its occurrence relates to the solar exposures are not known. We investigated the photochemical efficiency of PSII and growth rate of D-0083 strain and its minor variant in semi-continuous cultures under PAR (400–700 nm) alone, PAR + UV-A (320–400 nm) and PAR + UV-A + UV-B (280–700 nm) of solar radiation. The effective quantum yield of D-0083 at 14:00 p.m. decreased by about 86% under PAR, 87% under PAR + UV-A and 92% under PAR + UV-A + UV-B (280–315 nm), respectively. That of the minor variant was reduced by 93% under PAR and to undetectable values in the presence of UV-A or UV-A + UV-B. Diurnal change of the yield showed constant pattern during long-term (10 days) exposures, high in the early morning and late afternoon but the lowest at noontime in both strains, with the UVR-related inhibition being always higher in the variant than D-0083. During the long-term exposures, cells of D-0083 acclimated faster to solar UV radiation and showed paralleled growth rates among the treatments with or without UVR at the end of the experiment; however, growth of the minor variant was significantly reduced by UV-A and UV-B throughout the period. Comparing to the major strain D-0083, the minor variant was more sensitive to UVR in terms of its growth, quantum yield and acclimation to solar radiation.     

产毒与不产毒铜绿微囊藻对模拟酸雨及紫外辐射的生理响应

为了比较研究酸雨与紫外辐射对淡水水体常见藻华蓝藻的生理学影响,选取铜绿微囊藻(Microcystis aeruginosa)产毒(FACHB-905)与不产毒(FACHB-469)株系作为实验材料,通过人工模拟酸雨,研究了不同p H处理后2藻株的光合生理变化以及对紫外辐射的敏感性的异同。实验设置3个p H梯度,p H7.10为对照组(正常培养基培养的藻体),两模拟酸雨处理组(p H5.65和p H4.50);两种辐射处理,可见光处理(PAR)以及全波长辐射处理(PAB)。研究结果表明,905藻株细胞粒径在各p H处理下都要显著高于469藻株,模拟酸雨处理显著降低了两藻株细胞的平均粒径及体积,但叶绿素含量显著提高;酸雨处理同时也引起细胞死亡率的增加,表现为藻体有效光化学效率显著降低,生长速率显著受到抑制,低p H下呈负增长,且这种抑制程度在469下更为显著。高的可见光以及紫外辐射处理,使两株系有效光化学效率随p H的降低而呈降低趋势,其中469藻株降低至更低的水平,且高光辐射以及紫外诱导的抑制率要显著高于905藻体,这可能与469藻株较低的光保护色素有关(较低的类胡萝卜素以及紫外吸收物质)。在未来全球变化背景下,不同种类的浮游植物对环境变化的响应及适应能力不同,可改变水体的群落结构和种群丰度,铜绿微囊藻905较469较强的耐受酸雨以及紫外辐射的能力,可能会使该株系在竞争力上占据优势。     

Responses of Antarctic Iridaea cordata (Rhodophyta) tetraspores exposed to ultraviolet radiation

In Antarctica ozone depletion is highest during spring, coinciding with the reproduction of many seaweed species. Propagules are the life-stage of an alga most susceptible to environmental perturbations. Therefore, fertile thalli of Iridaea cordata (Turner) Bory (Rhodophyta) were collected in the eulittoral of King George Island (Antarctica) to examine spore susceptibility to ultraviolet radiation (UVR). In the laboratory, freshly released tetraspores were exposed to photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) (400–700 nm), PAR+UV-A (320–700 nm) or PAR+UV-A+UV-B (280–700 nm). Photosynthetic efficiency was measured during 1–8 h of exposure and after 48 h of recovery. Additionally, mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs) and DNA damage were determined. Saturating irradiance of photosynthesis of freshly released tetraspores was 57 µmol photons m⁻² s⁻¹. Exposure to increasing fluence of PAR reduced photosynthetic efficiency. UVR further decreased the photosynthetic efficiencies of the tetraspores but spores were able to recover completely after UVR exposure and 2 days post-cultivation under low PAR. DNA damage was minimal and lesions were effectively repaired under photoreactivating light. Concentrations of the MAAs shinorine and palythine were higher in tetraspores treated with UVR than in spores only exposed to PAR. Generally, the tetraspores show a good UV tolerance. This flexible response of the tetraspores of this species to changing radiation conditions enables the alga to grow along a considerable depth gradient from the sublittoral to the eulittoral where they can be exposed to enhanced UVBR under conditions of stratospheric ozone depletion.     

Short- and long-term effects of solar ultraviolet radiation on the red algae Porphyridium cruentum (S. F. Gray) N?geli.

During spring 2002 and fall 2003 we carried out experiment in tropical southern China to determine the short- and long-term effects of solar ultraviolet radiation (UVR, 280-400 nm) on photosynthesis and growth in the unicellular red alga Porphyridium cruentum. During the experimentation, cells of P. cruentum were exposed to three radiation treatments: (a) samples exposed to PAR (400-700 nm) + UV-A (315-400 nm) + UV-B (280-315 nm)(PAB treatment); (b) samples exposed to PAR + UV-A (PA treatment) and, (c) samples exposed only to PAR (P treatment). To assess the short-term impact of UVR as a function of irradiance, we determined photosynthesis versus irradiance (Pvs.E) curves. From these curves the maximum carbon uptake rate (P(max)) and the light saturation parameter (E(k)) were obtained, with values of approximately 12.8-14.4 microg C (microg chl a)(-1) h(-1), and approximately 250 micromol m(-2) s(-1), respectively. A significant UVR effect on assimilation numbers was observed when samples were exposed at irradiances higher than E(k), with samples exposed to full solar radiation having significant less carbon fixation than those exposed only to PAR. Biological weighting functions of P. cruentum were used to evaluate the UVR impact per unit energy received by the cells; the data indicate that the species is as sensitive as natural phytoplankton from the southern China Sea; however, it is much more resistant than Antarctic assemblages. When evaluating the combined effects of mixing speed and UVR, it was seen that samples rotating fast within the upper mixed layer were less inhibited by UVR as compared to those under slow mixing or in fixed samples. Growth of P. cruentum over a week-long experiment was not affected by neither UVR nor UV-A; additionally, low photoinhibition was found at the end as compared to that at the beginning of this experiment. Our results thus indicate that, although on short-term basis P. cruentum is affected by solar UVR, it can acclimate to minimize UVR-induced effects when given enough time.