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Hints for understanding microalgal phosphate-resilience from Micractinium simplicissimum IPPAS C-2056 (Trebouxiophyceae) isolated from a phosphorus-polluted site

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Abstract

A novel chlorophyte algae strain with outstanding resilience to high inorganic phosphate (Pi) concentrations in the medium was isolated from a phosphorus-polluted site near a rock phosphate mine. According to the morphological, ultrastructural and genetic criteria the strain was assigned to the species Micractinium simplicissimum H.Chae, H.-G. Choi & J.H.Kim. This strain retained cell viability and growth capacity in the presence of Pi concentrations up to 14 g L–1. The uptake of Pi by the cells was moderate (equal to ca. 0.7% increase in cell dry weight P percentage) regardless of the amount of the exogenic Pi added to the culture. At the same time, approximately a half of the Pi removed by the M. simplicissimum from the culture was reversely adsorbed by the cell surface and/or the intercellular matrix and cell debris. The ultrastructural studies indicated the metabolically active status of the cells together with the presence of phosphorus-rich (likely, polyphosphate) inclusions outside and inside the cells (mainly in vacuoles). We hypothesized that the Pi resilience of the studied strain stems from its high Pi adsorption capacity together with its ability to throttle the Pi influx into the cell preventing the rapid buildup of intracellular Pi and potentially toxic short-chain polyphosphate.

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Data availability

The datasets generated during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

The TEM studies were carried out at the Shared Research Facility “Electron microscopy in life sciences” at Moscow State University (Unique Equipment “Three-dimensional electron microscopy and spectroscopy”). Photosynthetic pigment assays was done using the Shared Research Facility “Phototrophic Organism Phenotyping.” The taxonomical assignment was done with the support of the scientific and educational school of LMSU “Molecular technologies of living systems and synthetic biology”.

Funding

This work was supported by the Russian Science Foundation (Grant Number 20–64-46018).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Bioengineering, School of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskiye gory 1–12, Moscow, 119234, Russia

    Elena S. Lobakova, Irina O. Selyakh, Larisa R. Semenova, Pavel N. Scherbakov, Tatiana A. Fedorenko, Konstantin A. Chekanov, Olga B. Chivkunova, Olga I. Baulina, Svetlana G. Vasilieva, Alexei E. Solovchenko & Olga A. Gorelova

  2. Institute of Natural Sciences, Derzhavin Tambov State University, Internatsionalnaya str. 33, Tambov, 392000, Russia

    Pavel N. Scherbakov, Svetlana G. Vasilieva & Alexei E. Solovchenko

  3. Laboratory of Integrated Ecological Research, Pskov State University, Pskov, 180000, Russia

    Alexei E. Solovchenko

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  1. Elena S. Lobakova
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  2. Irina O. Selyakh
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Lobakova, E.S., Selyakh, I.O., Semenova, L.R. et al. Hints for understanding microalgal phosphate-resilience from Micractinium simplicissimum IPPAS C-2056 (Trebouxiophyceae) isolated from a phosphorus-polluted site. J Appl Phycol 34, 2409–2422 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10811-022-02812-0

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