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Physiological and Molecular Alterations of Phycobionts of Genus Trebouxia and Coccomyxa Exposed to Cadmium

  • Environmental Microbiology
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Abstract

Several studies on aeroterrestrial microalgae are unravelling their resistance mechanisms to different abiotic stressors, including hazardous metals, pointing to their future role as bioremediation microorganisms. In the present study, physiological and molecular alterations of four phycobionts of genus Trebouxia (T. TR1 and T. TR9) and Coccomyxa (C. subellipsoidea and C. simplex) exposed to Cd were studied. Cd accumulation and subcellular distribution, cell wall structure, production of biothiols (GSH and phytochelatins), reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation, expression of key antioxidant genes and ROS-related enzymes were evaluated to determine the physiological differences among the four microalgae, with the aim to identify the most suitable microorganism for further biotechnological applications. After 7 days of Cd exposure, Coccomyxa algae showed higher capacity of Cd intake than Trebouxia species, with C. subellipsoidea being the highest Cd accumulator at both intracellular and, especially, cell wall level. Cd induced ROS formation in the four microalgae, but to a greater extent in both Coccomyxa algae. Trebouxia TR9 showed the lowest Cd-dependent oxidative stress probably due to glutathione reductase induction. All microalgae synthetized phytochelatins in response to Cd but in a species-specific and a dose-dependent manner. Results from this study agree with the notion that each microalga has evolved a distinct strategy to detoxify hazardous metals like Cd and to cope with oxidative stress associated with them. Coccomyxa subellipsoidea and Trebouxia TR9 appear as the most interesting candidates for further applications.

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Abbreviations

BSO:

butionine sulfoximine

Csol:

Coccomyxa simplex

Csub:

Coccomyxa subellipsoidea

DCF:

dihydrofluorescein

H2DCF-DA:

2′,7′-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate

DW:

dry weight

EPS:

extracellular polymers

FW:

fresh weight

GR:

glutathione reductase

HPLC:

high-performance liquid chromatography

ICP-MS:

inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

NADPHox:

NADPH oxidase

PC:

phytochelatin

PCS:

phytochelatin synthase

PVPP:

polyvinyl pyrrolidone

ROS:

reactive oxygen species

RT-qPCR:

quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction

TEM:

transmission electron microscopy

TR1:

Trebouxia sp. TR1

TR9:

Trebouxia sp. TR9

TFA:

trifluoroacetic acid

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Funding

This work was supported by Spanish Ministry of Science (Grants CGL2016-80259-P, AGL2014-53771-R and AGL2017-87591-R)

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  1. Giorgio Maria Vingiani

    Present address: Marine Biotechnology Department, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, 80121, Naples, Italy

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Life Sciences, Universidad de Alcalá, 28805 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain

    Giorgio Maria Vingiani, Francisco Gasulla & Leonardo M. Casano

  2. Laboratory of Plant Physiology, Department Biology/Research Centre for Biodiversity and Global Change, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049, Madrid, Spain

    Ángel Barón-Sola, Juan Sobrino-Plata & Luis E. Henández

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Correspondence to Leonardo M. Casano.

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Vingiani, G.M., Gasulla, F., Barón-Sola, Á. et al. Physiological and Molecular Alterations of Phycobionts of Genus Trebouxia and Coccomyxa Exposed to Cadmium. Microb Ecol 82, 334–343 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00248-021-01685-z

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