The Content of Primary and Secondary Carotenoids in the Cells of the Cryotolerant Microalgae Chloromonas reticulata

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Abstract

Snow (cryotolerant) algae often form red (pink) spots in mountain ecosystems on snowfields around the world, but little is known about their physiology and chemical composition. The content and composition of pigments in the cells of the cryotolerant green microalgae Chloromonas reticulata have been studied. An analysis of the carotenoids content in green (vegetative) cells grown in laboratory conditions and in red resting cells collected from the snow surface in the Subpolar Urals was carried out. There were photosynthetic pigments − carotenoids such as neoxanthin, violaxanthin, anteraxanthin, zeaxanthin, lutein and β-carotene. Among the carotenoids, the ketocarotenoid astaxanthin, which has a high biological activity, was also found. It was established that the cultivation of algae at low positive temperature (+6 °C) and moderate illumination (250 μmol quanta/(m2⋅s) contributed to the accumulation of all identified carotenoids, including extraplastidic astaxanthin. In addition to the pigments, fatty acids accumulated in the algae cells. The data obtained allow us to consider the studied microalgae as a potentially promising species for the production of carotenoids.

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O. V. Dymova

Institute of Biology of the Komi Science Centre of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences

Author for correspondence.
Email: dymovao@ib.komisc.ru
Russian Federation, Syktyvkar

V. S. Parshukov

Institute of Biology of the Komi Science Centre of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences

Email: dymovao@ib.komisc.ru
Russian Federation, Syktyvkar

I. V. Novakovskaya

Institute of Biology of the Komi Science Centre of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences

Email: dymovao@ib.komisc.ru
Russian Federation, Syktyvkar

E. N. Patova

Institute of Biology of the Komi Science Centre of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences

Email: dymovao@ib.komisc.ru
Russian Federation, Syktyvkar

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2. Fig. 1. Cells of the alga Chloromonas reticulata and cells collected from the surface of stained snow in the Subpolar Urals: a - mobile cell of C. reticulata with flagella, scale bar - 10 µm; b - vegetative cells of C. reticulata; scale bar - 10 µm; old cells of C. reticulata with flagella, scale bar - 10 µm; b - vegetative cells of C. reticulata, scale bar - 10 µm; c - old cells of C. reticulata, scale bar - 10 µm; d - red cells collected from snow surface, scale bar - 10 µm. Photo by I.V. Novakovskaya

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3. Fig. 2. Scheme of the installation. 1 - compressor; 2 - connecting tube; 3 - flask with water; 4 - flask with microalgae; 5 - light sources: LED-A60-15W/SPSB/E27/CL PLP30WH 50 µmol/(m2⋅s) and LED-A60-15W/SPSB/E27/CL PLP30GR (China) 250 µmol/(m2⋅s) lamps

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4. Fig. 3. Elution profile during HPLC separation of pigments extracted from vegetative (green) cells of Chloromonas reticulata. Variants: a - low temperature and light 50 µmol/(m2⋅s); b - low temperature and light 250 µmol/(m2⋅s). Pigments: Neo, neoxanthin; Vio, violaxanthin; Ast, astaxanthin; Ant, anteraxanthin; Lut, lutein; Zea, zeaxanthin; β-car, β-carotene; Chl a, chlorophyll a; Chl b, chlorophyll b. Detection was performed by recording the absorbance of the mobile phase at 440 nm

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5. Fig. 4. Elution profile of HPLC separation of pigments extracted from resting (red) cells of Chloromonas reticulata. The other notations are as in Fig. 3

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