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Utilization of pyrolytic substrate by microalga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii: cell membrane property change as a response of the substrate toxicity

  • Bioenergy and biofuels
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Abstract

Acetic acid derived from fast pyrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass is a promising substrate for microalgae fermentation for producing lipid-rich biomass. However, crude pyrolytic acetic acid solution contains various toxic compounds inhibiting algal growth. It was hypothesized that such an inhibition was mainly due to the cell membrane damage. In this work, the cell membrane property of algal cells was evaluated at various conditions to elucidate the mechanisms of inhibition caused by the pyrolytic substrate solution. It was found that acetic acid itself served a carbon source for boosting algal cell growth but also caused cell membrane leakage. The acetic acid concentration for highest cell density was 4 g/L. Over-liming treatment of crude pyrolytic acetic acid increased the algal growth with a concurrent reduction of cell membrane leakage. Directed evolution of algal strain enhanced cell membrane integrity and thus increased its tolerance to the toxicity of the crude substrate. Statistical analysis shows that there was a significant correlation between the cell growth performance and the cell membrane integrity (leakage) but not membrane fluidity. The addition of cyto-protectants such as Pluronic F68 and Pluronic F127 enhanced the cell membrane integrity and thus, resulted in enhanced cell growth. The transmission electron microscopy (TEM) of algal cells visually confirmed the cell membrane damage as the mechanism of the pyrolytic substrate inhibition. Collectively, this work indicates that the cell membrane is one major reason for the toxicity of pyrolytic acetic acid when being used for algal culture. To better use this pyrolytic substrate, cell membrane of the microorganism needs to be strengthened through either strain improvement or addition of membrane protectant reagents.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, Iowa University, Ames, IA, 50011, USA

    Xuefei Zhao

  2. Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, 50011, USA

    Laura Jarboe

  3. Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, 50011, USA

    Zhiyou Wen

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  1. Xuefei Zhao
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  2. Laura Jarboe
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  3. Zhiyou Wen
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Correspondence to Zhiyou Wen.

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This article does not contain any studies with human participants or animals performed by any of the authors.

Funding

This study was funded by NSF Energy for Sustainability (CBET-1133319) and Iowa Energy Center (no. 12-06).

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interests.

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Zhao, X., Jarboe, L. & Wen, Z. Utilization of pyrolytic substrate by microalga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii: cell membrane property change as a response of the substrate toxicity. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 100, 4241–4251 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-016-7439-2

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