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Intrinsic Mechanism of UV-C-Induced Inactivation of Microcystis aeruginosa: Impairment on Photosynthetic System

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Abstract

To investigate the intrinsic mechanism of UV-C-induced impairment on cyanobacterial photosynthetic system, a one-off UV-C irradiation and a subsequent 6-day cultivation of Microcystis aeruginosa were conducted. The pulse amplitude modulation fluorometry was used to determine the variations of chlorophyll-a and light-induced curve (LIC); furthermore, the low temperature (77 K) fluorescence technique was used to analyze the emission spectra of photosynthetic apparatus. For 4.6 × 106 cells mL−1 M. aeruginosa suspension, 0–280 mJ cm−2 UV-C irradiation induced an accumulation of chlorophyll-a; however, higher dosage (>280 mJ cm−2) UV-C resulted in a decline of chlorophyll-a during the subsequent cultivation. The results of 77-K spectra demonstrated that UV-C induced intracellular damages of phycobilisome, photosystem I, photosystem II, and thylakoid. The LIC results showed that UV-C suppressed two important photosynthetic strategies: state transition and non-photochemical quenching. Consequently, the UV-C-induced impairment of cyanobacterial photosynthetic system can be summarized as a three-step process: (1) degradation of photosynthetic pigments, (2) decomposition of photosynthetic apparatus, and (3) inhibition of photoacclimation and photoprotection. These impairments resulted in a decline of cyanobacteria community. For 4.6 × 106 cells mL−1 cyanobacteria, 0–280 mJ cm−2 UV-C irradiation induced a decline-recovery procedure of M. aeruginosa cells, but 700–4200 mJ cm−2 UV-C irradiation caused a continuous decrease of cell density (from 4.5 × 106 cells mL−1 to 0) within 6-day cultivation. These results implied that, for a given biomass cyanobacteria community, there is an optimal UV-C dosage threshold to achieve complete inactivation.

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Acknowledgments

This project was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant no. 51308224), the Science and Technology Planning Project of Guangdong Province, China (grant no. 2014A020216014), and the State Key Program of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant no. 21037001).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Environmental Exposure and Health, School of Environment, Jinan University, Room 446, The Second Science and Technology Building, Jinan University, 601 Huangpu Avenue West, Guangzhou, 510632, People’s Republic of China

    Jiazhao He, Huase Ou, Juan Liu & Dehua Lu

  2. Shantou Marine Plants Experiment Station, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shantou, 515041, China

    Jiaxiong Chen

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  1. Jiazhao He
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  2. Huase Ou
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  3. Jiaxiong Chen
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  4. Juan Liu
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  5. Dehua Lu
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Correspondence to Huase Ou.

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He, J., Ou, H., Chen, J. et al. Intrinsic Mechanism of UV-C-Induced Inactivation of Microcystis aeruginosa: Impairment on Photosynthetic System. Water Air Soil Pollut 227, 82 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-016-2770-x

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