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Qualitative and quantitative assessment of diatom deformities and protoplasmic condition under metal and metalloid stress

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Abstract  

Metals and metalloids are toxic, persistent, and non-biodegradable and can be biomagnified (e.g., Hg), and therefore pose a serious threat to the algal flora of aquatic ecosystems. This laboratory study tested the effects of metals (Zn, Fe, and Hg) and a metalloid (As) on the cell wall morphology and protoplasmic content of living cells of six widespread diatom genera over 28 days. Diatoms exposed to Zn and Fe had a higher frequency of deformed diatom frustules (> 1%) compared to the As, Hg, and control treatments (< 1%). Deformities in the valve outline and striae were found in all treatments, including the control, whereas deformed raphes and more than one type of deformity were more prevalent under Zn and Hg stress. The order of toxicity is as follows: Zn > Fe > Hg≈As. Deformities were more frequent in Achnanthes and Diploneis (adnate forms) than in the motile genera of Nitzschia and Navicula. The correlation between the % healthy diatoms and % deformities in all six genera showed a negative relationship with the integrity of protoplasmic content (i.e., greater alteration in protoplasmic content was associated with greater frustule deformation). We conclude that diatom deformities can be a good indicator of metal and metalloid stress in waterbodies and are very useful in the rapid biomonitoring of aquatic ecosystems.

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Acknowledgements

Sangeeta thanks SERB, New Delhi, for the financial assistance in the form of JRF. SN, MG, DG, SS, and AK thanks SERB, New Delhi, for helping to carry out their dissertation work through SSR (Scientific Social Responsibility) policy. We are thankful to Dr. Kalyan Mitra and Mr. J.P. Pandey of the Electron microscopy unit, Sophisticated Analytical Instrumentation Facility (SAIF), CSIR-CDRI, for the assistance with electron imaging of diatom samples. We are also grateful to Dr. J.C. Taylor (North-West University, South Africa) for the generous gift of Pleurax.

Funding

This work was supported by SERB, New Delhi in the form of a SERB-SRG (File No. SRG/2020/000432) project.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Plant Science, Faculty of Applied Sciences, MJP Rohilkhand University, Bareilly, 243006, India

    Sudeeksha Negi,  Sangeeta, Jyoti Chaubey, Abhishek Kumar, Divyanshi Gupta, Mahima Gupta, Shivangi Singh & Lalit Kumar Pandey

  2. Bio Environmental Science and Technology (BEST) Lab, Ghent University Global Campus, 119-5, Songdomunhwa-ro, Incheon, 21985, Republic of Korea

    Taejun Han & Jihae Park

  3. Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653-Block F, 9000, Ghent, Belgium

    Taejun Han & Jihae Park

  4. Center for Environmental and Energy Research, Ghent University Global Campus, 119-5, Songdomunhwa-ro, Yeonsu-Gu, Incheon, 21985, Republic of Korea

    Jihae Park

  5. Oklahoma Biological Survey and Department of Biology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, 73019, USA

    Elizabeth A. Bergey

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  1. Sudeeksha Negi
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Contributions

Sudeeksha Negi: formal analysis; investigation; data curation; writing—original draft; writing—review and editing visualization.

Taejun Han: writing—review and editing.

Jihae Park: writing—review and editing.

Elizabeth A. Bergey: formal analysis; investigation; data curation; writing—original draft; writing—review and editing; visualization.

Jyoti Chaubey: investigation; data curation; writing—original draft; visualization.

Sangeeta: investigation, data curation, visualization.

Mahima Gupta: investigation, data curation, visualization.

Abhishek Kumar: investigation, data curation, visualization.

Divyanshi Gupta: investigation, data curation, visualization.

Shivangi Singh: investigation, data curation, visualization.

Lalit Kumar Pandey: conceptualization; methodology; validation; formal analysis; investigation; data curation; writing—original draft; writing—review and editing; visualization.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Lalit Kumar Pandey.

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Negi, S., Han, T., Park, J. et al. Qualitative and quantitative assessment of diatom deformities and protoplasmic condition under metal and metalloid stress. Protoplasma 260, 1501–1513 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00709-023-01864-4

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