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Effects of organic carbon sources on growth, photosynthesis, and respiration of Phaeodactylum tricornutum

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Abstract

The growth, photosynthesis, and respiration of the marine diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum were examined under photoautotrophic and mixotrophic conditions. 100 mM glycerol, acetate, and glucose significantly increased specific growth rate, and mixotrophic growth achieved higher biomass concentrations. Under mixotrophic conditions, respiration rate (R d) and light compensation irradiance (I c) were significantly higher, but net maximum photosynthetic O2 evolution rate (P m) and saturation irradiance (I k) were depressed. Organic carbon sources decreased the cell photosynthetic pigment content and chlorophyll a to c ratio, but with a higher carotenoid to chlorophyll a ratio. Ratios of variable to maximum chlorophyll fluorescence (F v/F m) and 77 K fluorescence spectra of mixotrophic cells indicated a reduced photochemical efficiency of photosystem II. The results were accompanied by lower electron transport rate. Therefore, organic carbon sources reduced the photosynthesis efficiency, and the enhancement of biomass of P. tricornutum implied that organic carbon sources had more pronounced effects on respiration than on photosynthesis.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to Dr. Fan Chun Lei for his critical reviews of the manuscript. This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No.30370231), a grant from Guangdong Key Guiding project of Science and Technology Planning (No.2005B33201001) and a grant from Zhuhai Science and Technology Planning Project Contract Research (No. PC20061045).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Hydrobiology, Jinan University, Shipai, Guangzhou, 510632, China

    Xiaojuan Liu, Shunshan Duan, Aifen Li, Ning Xu, Zhuoping Cai & Zhangxi Hu

  2. College of Food Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510632, China

    Xiaojuan Liu

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  1. Xiaojuan Liu
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  2. Shunshan Duan
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Correspondence to Shunshan Duan.

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Liu, X., Duan, S., Li, A. et al. Effects of organic carbon sources on growth, photosynthesis, and respiration of Phaeodactylum tricornutum . J Appl Phycol 21, 239–246 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10811-008-9355-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10811-008-9355-z

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