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Effects of Paraquat on Photosynthetic Pigments, Antioxidant Enzymes, and Gene Expression in Chlorella pyrenoidosa Under Mixotrophic Compared With Autotrophic Conditions

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Abstract

Only limited information is available on herbicide toxicity to algae under mixotrophic conditions. In the present study, we studied the effects of the herbicide paraquat on growth, photosynthetic pigments, antioxidant enzymes, and gene expression in Chlorella pyrenoidosa under mixotrophic compared with autotrophic conditions. The mean measured exposure concentrations of paraquat under mixotrophic and autotrophic conditions were in the range of 0.3–3.4 and 0.6–3.6 μM, respectively. Exposure to paraquat for 72 h under both autotrophic and mixotrophic conditions induced decreased growth and chlorophyll (Chl) content, increased superoxide dismutase and peroxidase activities, and decreased transcript abundances of three photosynthesis-related genes (light-independent protochlorophyllide reductase subunit, photosystem II protein D1, and ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase large subunit [rbcL]). Compared with autotrophic conditions, the inhibition percentage of growth rate under mixotrophic conditions was lower at 0.8 μM paraquat, whereas it was greater at 1.8 and 3.4 μM paraquat. With exposure to 0.8–3.4 μM paraquat, the inhibition rates of Chl a and b content under mixotrophic conditions (43.1–52.4 % and 54.6–59.7 %, respectively) were greater compared with autotrophic conditions, whereas the inhibition rate of rbcL gene transcription under mixotrophic conditions (35.7–44.0 %) was lower. These data showed that similar to autotrophic conditions, paraquat affected the activities of antioxidant enzymes and decreased Chl synthesis and transcription of photosynthesis-related genes in C. pyrenoidosa under mixotrophic conditions, but a differential susceptibility to paraquat toxicity occurred between autotrophically versus mixotrophically grown cells.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank the reviewers and editors for their valuable comments to improve this manuscript. This study was financially supported by National Environmental Protection Public Welfare Science and Technology Research Program of China (Grant No. 201009033) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 31270447).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093, China

    Weiguo Zhang, Min Liu, Peiliang Zhang, Fugen Yu, Shan Lu & Pengfu Li

  2. Nanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Environmental Protection, Nanjing, 210042, China

    Junying Zhou

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  1. Weiguo Zhang
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  2. Min Liu
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  3. Peiliang Zhang
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  4. Fugen Yu
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  5. Shan Lu
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  6. Pengfu Li
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  7. Junying Zhou
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Correspondence to Pengfu Li or Junying Zhou.

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Zhang, W., Liu, M., Zhang, P. et al. Effects of Paraquat on Photosynthetic Pigments, Antioxidant Enzymes, and Gene Expression in Chlorella pyrenoidosa Under Mixotrophic Compared With Autotrophic Conditions. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 67, 593–600 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-014-0067-x

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