Ammonium Nitrogen Tolerant Chlorella Strain Screening and Its Damaging Effects on Photosynthesis

Nitrogen is an essential nutrient element. Ammonium nitrogen, one of the most common nitrogen sources, is found in various habitats, especially wastewater. However, excessive amounts of ammonium nitrogen can be toxic to phytoplankton, higher plants, fish, and other animals, and microorganisms. In th...

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Main Authors: Jie Wang, Wei Zhou, Hui Chen, Jiao Zhan, Chenliu He, Qiang Wang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2019-01-01
Series:Frontiers in Microbiology
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fmicb.2018.03250/full
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spelling doaj-cd685b7f1da04dc0b5bd8060c44188ab2020-11-24T21:14:24ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Microbiology1664-302X2019-01-01910.3389/fmicb.2018.03250429568Ammonium Nitrogen Tolerant Chlorella Strain Screening and Its Damaging Effects on PhotosynthesisJie Wang0Jie Wang1Wei Zhou2Wei Zhou3Hui Chen4Hui Chen5Jiao Zhan6Chenliu He7Qiang Wang8Qiang Wang9Key Laboratory of Algal Biology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, ChinaUniversity of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, ChinaKey Laboratory of Algal Biology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, ChinaUniversity of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, ChinaKey Laboratory of Algal Biology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, ChinaDonghu Experimental Station of Lake Ecosystems, State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology of China, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, ChinaKey Laboratory of Algal Biology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, ChinaKey Laboratory of Algal Biology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, ChinaKey Laboratory of Algal Biology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, ChinaUniversity of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, ChinaNitrogen is an essential nutrient element. Ammonium nitrogen, one of the most common nitrogen sources, is found in various habitats, especially wastewater. However, excessive amounts of ammonium nitrogen can be toxic to phytoplankton, higher plants, fish, and other animals, and microorganisms. In this study, we explored the tolerance of green algae to ammonium nitrogen using 10 Chlorella strains. High concentrations of ammonium nitrogen directly inhibited the growth of Chlorella, but the degree of inhibition varied by strain. With the EC50 of 1.6 and 0.4 g L−1, FACHB-1563 and FACHB-1216, respectively had the highest and lowest tolerance to ammonium nitrogen among all strains tested, suggesting that FACHB-1563 could potentially be used to remove excess ammonium nitrogen from wastewater in bioremediation efforts. Two strains with the highest and lowest tolerance to ammonium nitrogen were selected to further explore the inhibitory effect of ammonium nitrogen on Chlorella. Analysis of chlorophyll fluorescence, oxygen evolution, and photosynthesis proteins via immunoblot showed that photosystem II (PSII) had been damaged when exposed to high levels of ammonium nitrogen, with the oxygen-evolving complex as the primary site, and electron transport from QA− to QB was subsequently inhibited by this treatment. A working model of ammonium nitrogen competition between N assimilation and PSII damage is proposed to elucidate that the assimilation rate of ammonium nitrogen by algae strains determines the tolerance of cells to ammonium nitrogen toxicity.https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fmicb.2018.03250/fullammonium nitrogenbiological remediationChlorellaoxygen-evolving complexphotosynthesis
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Jie Wang
Jie Wang
Wei Zhou
Wei Zhou
Hui Chen
Hui Chen
Jiao Zhan
Chenliu He
Qiang Wang
Qiang Wang
spellingShingle Jie Wang
Jie Wang
Wei Zhou
Wei Zhou
Hui Chen
Hui Chen
Jiao Zhan
Chenliu He
Qiang Wang
Qiang Wang
Ammonium Nitrogen Tolerant Chlorella Strain Screening and Its Damaging Effects on Photosynthesis
Frontiers in Microbiology
ammonium nitrogen
biological remediation
Chlorella
oxygen-evolving complex
photosynthesis
author_facet Jie Wang
Jie Wang
Wei Zhou
Wei Zhou
Hui Chen
Hui Chen
Jiao Zhan
Chenliu He
Qiang Wang
Qiang Wang
author_sort Jie Wang
title Ammonium Nitrogen Tolerant Chlorella Strain Screening and Its Damaging Effects on Photosynthesis
title_short Ammonium Nitrogen Tolerant Chlorella Strain Screening and Its Damaging Effects on Photosynthesis
title_full Ammonium Nitrogen Tolerant Chlorella Strain Screening and Its Damaging Effects on Photosynthesis
title_fullStr Ammonium Nitrogen Tolerant Chlorella Strain Screening and Its Damaging Effects on Photosynthesis
title_full_unstemmed Ammonium Nitrogen Tolerant Chlorella Strain Screening and Its Damaging Effects on Photosynthesis
title_sort ammonium nitrogen tolerant chlorella strain screening and its damaging effects on photosynthesis
publisher Frontiers Media S.A.
series Frontiers in Microbiology
issn 1664-302X
publishDate 2019-01-01
description Nitrogen is an essential nutrient element. Ammonium nitrogen, one of the most common nitrogen sources, is found in various habitats, especially wastewater. However, excessive amounts of ammonium nitrogen can be toxic to phytoplankton, higher plants, fish, and other animals, and microorganisms. In this study, we explored the tolerance of green algae to ammonium nitrogen using 10 Chlorella strains. High concentrations of ammonium nitrogen directly inhibited the growth of Chlorella, but the degree of inhibition varied by strain. With the EC50 of 1.6 and 0.4 g L−1, FACHB-1563 and FACHB-1216, respectively had the highest and lowest tolerance to ammonium nitrogen among all strains tested, suggesting that FACHB-1563 could potentially be used to remove excess ammonium nitrogen from wastewater in bioremediation efforts. Two strains with the highest and lowest tolerance to ammonium nitrogen were selected to further explore the inhibitory effect of ammonium nitrogen on Chlorella. Analysis of chlorophyll fluorescence, oxygen evolution, and photosynthesis proteins via immunoblot showed that photosystem II (PSII) had been damaged when exposed to high levels of ammonium nitrogen, with the oxygen-evolving complex as the primary site, and electron transport from QA− to QB was subsequently inhibited by this treatment. A working model of ammonium nitrogen competition between N assimilation and PSII damage is proposed to elucidate that the assimilation rate of ammonium nitrogen by algae strains determines the tolerance of cells to ammonium nitrogen toxicity.
topic ammonium nitrogen
biological remediation
Chlorella
oxygen-evolving complex
photosynthesis
url https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fmicb.2018.03250/full
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