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Allelopathic Effects of Toxic Haptophyte Prymnesium parvum Lead to Release of Dissolved Organic Carbon and Increase in Bacterial Biomass

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Abstract

The haptophyte Prymnesium parvum has lytic properties, and it affects coexisting phytoplankton species through allelopathy. We studied the effect of P. parvum allelochemicals on the lysis of the nontoxic and nonaxenic cryptomonad Rhodomonas salina and the consequent release of dissolved organic carbon (DOC). Changes in production, cell density, and biomass of associated bacteria were measured over 12 h. Six different combinations of P. parvum and R. salina cultures, their cell- and bacteria-free filtrates, and growth media as controls were used in the experiments. When P. parvum and R. salina cells were mixed, a significant increase in DOC concentration was measured within 30 min. Bacterial biomass increased significantly during the next 6 to 12 h when R. salina was mixed either with the P. parvum culture or the cell-free P. parvum filtrates (allelochemicals only). In contrast, bacterial biomass did not change in the treatments without the allelopathic action (without R. salina cells). Blooms of P. parvum alter the functioning of the planktonic food web by increasing carbon transfer through the microbial loop. In addition, P. parvum may indirectly benefit from the release of DOC as a result of its ability to ingest bacteria, by which it can acquire nutrients during limiting conditions.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank the Tvärminne Zoological Station (University of Helsinki) for providing the laboratory facilities and assistance, and the FATE team for a good spirit during the experiments. Also, we thank Dr. Risto Lignell and Laura Hoikkala for advice in the DOC measurements, and three anonymous reviewers for comments on the manuscript. This work was funded by the European Commission through the FATE project “Transfer and Fate of Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) Toxins in European Marine Waters” (contract EVK3-CT2001-00055) as part of the EC-EUROHAB cluster. Culturing facilities at Tvärminne Zoological Station were partly funded by the Academy of Finland (grant 50723).

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  1. Tvärminne Zoological Station, University of Helsinki, 10900, Hanko, Finland

    Pauliina Uronen

  2. Finnish Environment Institute, Research Programme for the Protection of the Baltic Sea, P.O. Box 140, 00251, Helsinki, Finland

    Pirjo Kuuppo & Timo Tamminen

  3. Department of Biology and Environmental Science, Marine Science Division, University of Kalmar, 39182, Kalmar, Sweden

    Catherine Legrand

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  1. Pauliina Uronen
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Correspondence to Pauliina Uronen.

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Uronen, P., Kuuppo, P., Legrand, C. et al. Allelopathic Effects of Toxic Haptophyte Prymnesium parvum Lead to Release of Dissolved Organic Carbon and Increase in Bacterial Biomass. Microb Ecol 54, 183–193 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00248-006-9188-8

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