Hormesis effects of phosphorus on the viability of Chlorella regularis cells under nitrogen limitation

Abstract Background Phosphorus (P) is an essential element of microalgae, which is either required for anabolism or for energy metabolism. When employing a nitrogen limitation strategy to trigger microalgal intracellular lipid accumulation, P supplementation was always simultaneously applied to comp...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Liang Fu, Qingcheng Li, Ge Yan, Dandan Zhou, John C. Crittenden
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2019-05-01
Series:Biotechnology for Biofuels
Subjects:
Online Access:http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13068-019-1458-z
_version_ 1811233325502693376
author Liang Fu
Qingcheng Li
Ge Yan
Dandan Zhou
John C. Crittenden
author_facet Liang Fu
Qingcheng Li
Ge Yan
Dandan Zhou
John C. Crittenden
author_sort Liang Fu
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Background Phosphorus (P) is an essential element of microalgae, which is either required for anabolism or for energy metabolism. When employing a nitrogen limitation strategy to trigger microalgal intracellular lipid accumulation, P supplementation was always simultaneously applied to compensate for the accompanied growth inhibition. Results This study identified that P exerts hormesis effects on microalgae. Slight excess of P (≤ 45 mg L−1) under nitrogen limitation condition stimulated the cell growth of Chlorella regularis and achieved a 10.2% biomass production increase. This also improved mitochondrial activity by 25.0% compared to control (P = 5.4 mg L−1). The lipid productivity reached 354.38 mg (L d)−1, which increased by 39.3% compared to control. Such an improvement was caused by the intracellularly stored polyphosphate energy pool. However, large excess of P (250 mg L−1) inhibited the cell growth by 38.8% and mitochondrial activity decreased by 71.3%. C. regularis cells showed obvious poisoning status, such as enlarged size, plasmolysis, deformation of cell walls, and disorganization of organelles. This is probably because the over-accumulated P protonated the amide-N and disrupted membrane permeability. Conclusions These results provide new insight into the roles of P in microalgae lipid production: P does not always play a positive role under nitrogen limitation conditions.
first_indexed 2024-04-12T11:18:46Z
format Article
id doaj.art-36a53b0c075549039dbd2ec6c0083876
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 1754-6834
language English
last_indexed 2024-04-12T11:18:46Z
publishDate 2019-05-01
publisher BMC
record_format Article
series Biotechnology for Biofuels
spelling doaj.art-36a53b0c075549039dbd2ec6c00838762022-12-22T03:35:26ZengBMCBiotechnology for Biofuels1754-68342019-05-011211910.1186/s13068-019-1458-zHormesis effects of phosphorus on the viability of Chlorella regularis cells under nitrogen limitationLiang Fu0Qingcheng Li1Ge Yan2Dandan Zhou3John C. Crittenden4Engineering Lab for Water Pollution Control and Resources Recovery, School of Environment, Northeast Normal UniversityEngineering Lab for Water Pollution Control and Resources Recovery, School of Environment, Northeast Normal UniversityEngineering Lab for Water Pollution Control and Resources Recovery, School of Environment, Northeast Normal UniversityEngineering Lab for Water Pollution Control and Resources Recovery, School of Environment, Northeast Normal UniversityEngineering Lab for Water Pollution Control and Resources Recovery, School of Environment, Northeast Normal UniversityAbstract Background Phosphorus (P) is an essential element of microalgae, which is either required for anabolism or for energy metabolism. When employing a nitrogen limitation strategy to trigger microalgal intracellular lipid accumulation, P supplementation was always simultaneously applied to compensate for the accompanied growth inhibition. Results This study identified that P exerts hormesis effects on microalgae. Slight excess of P (≤ 45 mg L−1) under nitrogen limitation condition stimulated the cell growth of Chlorella regularis and achieved a 10.2% biomass production increase. This also improved mitochondrial activity by 25.0% compared to control (P = 5.4 mg L−1). The lipid productivity reached 354.38 mg (L d)−1, which increased by 39.3% compared to control. Such an improvement was caused by the intracellularly stored polyphosphate energy pool. However, large excess of P (250 mg L−1) inhibited the cell growth by 38.8% and mitochondrial activity decreased by 71.3%. C. regularis cells showed obvious poisoning status, such as enlarged size, plasmolysis, deformation of cell walls, and disorganization of organelles. This is probably because the over-accumulated P protonated the amide-N and disrupted membrane permeability. Conclusions These results provide new insight into the roles of P in microalgae lipid production: P does not always play a positive role under nitrogen limitation conditions.http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13068-019-1458-zMicroalgaePhosphorusHormesisNitrogen limitationToxic
spellingShingle Liang Fu
Qingcheng Li
Ge Yan
Dandan Zhou
John C. Crittenden
Hormesis effects of phosphorus on the viability of Chlorella regularis cells under nitrogen limitation
Biotechnology for Biofuels
Microalgae
Phosphorus
Hormesis
Nitrogen limitation
Toxic
title Hormesis effects of phosphorus on the viability of Chlorella regularis cells under nitrogen limitation
title_full Hormesis effects of phosphorus on the viability of Chlorella regularis cells under nitrogen limitation
title_fullStr Hormesis effects of phosphorus on the viability of Chlorella regularis cells under nitrogen limitation
title_full_unstemmed Hormesis effects of phosphorus on the viability of Chlorella regularis cells under nitrogen limitation
title_short Hormesis effects of phosphorus on the viability of Chlorella regularis cells under nitrogen limitation
title_sort hormesis effects of phosphorus on the viability of chlorella regularis cells under nitrogen limitation
topic Microalgae
Phosphorus
Hormesis
Nitrogen limitation
Toxic
url http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13068-019-1458-z
work_keys_str_mv AT liangfu hormesiseffectsofphosphorusontheviabilityofchlorellaregulariscellsundernitrogenlimitation
AT qingchengli hormesiseffectsofphosphorusontheviabilityofchlorellaregulariscellsundernitrogenlimitation
AT geyan hormesiseffectsofphosphorusontheviabilityofchlorellaregulariscellsundernitrogenlimitation
AT dandanzhou hormesiseffectsofphosphorusontheviabilityofchlorellaregulariscellsundernitrogenlimitation
AT johnccrittenden hormesiseffectsofphosphorusontheviabilityofchlorellaregulariscellsundernitrogenlimitation