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At least 253 records · Page 14Linked to original sources
PubMed2002

Biosynthesis of marine natural products: isolation and characterization of a myrcene synthase from cultured tissues of the marine red alga Ochtodes secundiramea.

The acyclic monoterpene myrcene is the likely progenitor of the unusual cytotoxic halogenated monoterpenes that are found in marine algae and that function as feeding deterrents to herbivores. Myrcene synthase was isolated from suspension cultures of the marine red alga Ochtodes secundiramea, representing the first enzyme of this type from a marine organism. The algal myrcene synthase produces exclusively myrcene from the natural substrate geranyl diphosphate (GDP), utilizes Mg(+2) as the required divalent metal ion cofactor, has a molecular mass of about 69 kDa, and exhibits a pH optimum near 7.2. These features are similar to those of monoterpene synthases from terrestrial organisms. When incubated with neryl diphosphate (the cis-isomer of GDP), the O. secundiramea myrcene synthase produces the cyclic monoterpene limonene, whereas incubation with (+/-)linalyl diphosphate (the tertiary allylic isomer of geranyl diphosphate) yields both acyclic and cyclic monoterpenes. These results suggest that the enzyme is incapable of isomerizing geranyl diphosphate to linalyl diphosphate, a feature common to all monoterpene cyclases from terrestrial sources. The limited catalytic capability of the myrcene synthase may reflect the ancient evolutionary origin of the producing organism. The ability to assay this enzyme in cultured algae, grown under strictly defined conditions, provides an unparalleled opportunity to delineate factors eliciting the biosynthesis of this class of secondary metabolites, to investigate the metabolic pathway leading to the halogenated monoterpenes, and to determine their role in the chemical ecology of marine algae.

Arabidopsis Proteins↗
PubMed1999

Analysis of 1,5-anhydro-D-fructose, microthecin, and 4-deoxy-glycero-hexo-2,3-diulose in algae using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry in selected ion monitoring mode.

A sensitive and selective method for detection and quantification of 1,5-anhydro-D-fructose, microthecin, and 4-deoxy-glycero-hexo-2, 3-diulose using GC-MS in selected ion monitoring mode has been developed. These compounds, which occur in many biological systems, have here been quantified in the red alga Gracilariopsis lemaneiformis. A screening of other algae showed the occurrence of 1, 5-anhydro-D-fructose in several other species of red algae as well as in some green and brown algae.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Chromium toxicity on two linked trophic levels. I. Effects of contaminated algae on Daphnia magna.

The effects of feeding Daphnia magna on algae (Scenedesmus acutus) pretreated with different concentrations of Cr(VI) were studied. A positive effect on growth and newborn production rate was observed in the daphnids fed on algae exposed to 1 mg/liter Cr(VI). Fecundity and growth were drastically reduced in daphnids fed on algae exposed to 10 mg/liter Cr(VI). Since the algae, cultured in the presence of these two Cr(VI) concentrations, supplied daphnids with similar amounts of chromium, the observed effects on the population dynamics of D. magna were attributed more to alterations of the nutritional value of the algal food, due to the Cr treatment, than to a toxic effect of the metal.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Effects of algae frozen at different temperatures on chronic assessment endpoints observed with Daphnia magna.

The Daphnia magna 21-day juvenile production test is not yet fully standardized because of many sources of variation. One is the diet provided to daphnids: the ration must be sufficient and the quality of algal cells must be optimal for achieving the required number of offspring defined by the new OECD guidelines. The experiments reported herein first examined the effects of Raphidocelis subcapitata after it had been maintained under four different conditions of storage (4, -20, -80, and -196 degrees C) on the survival, reproductive performance (over 21 days), and growth (ascertained by dry weight) of individually held D. magna for three generations. Under all of the four regimes tested, daphnids survived and reproduced in a manner which fulfilled the current OECD guidelines for a valid test, but the best results were obtained with fresh algae and algae frozen at -80 degrees C. Second, although D. magna has been widely used to determine toxicity of chemical substances, there are no reports in the literature that describe a rigorous study of the nutritional quality of the algae given to daphnids. Therefore, cell number, optical density, amount of organic carbon, and esterasic activity (assessed by intracellular breakdown of FDA to fluorescein) of algae that have been preserved at 4, -20, -80, and -196 degrees C were investigated. This part of the study indicated that freezing had no effect on cell numbers, in contrast to optical density, amount of organic carbon, and esterasic activity. First, it was found that esterasic activity was closely correlated to the reproductive performance of daphnids. It appears important, therefore, to consider the inclusion of this enzymatic activity as part of the routine quality control given to this microinvertebrate chronic procedure.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed1998

Biosorption of Heavy Metal Ions to Brown Algae, Macrocystis pyrifera, Kjellmaniella crassiforia, and Undaria pinnatifida.

A fundamental study of the application of brown algae to the aqueous-phase separation of toxic heavy metals was carried out. The biosorption characteristics of cadmium and lead ions were determined with brown algae, Macrocystis pyrifera, Kjellmaniella crassiforia, and Undaria pinnatifida. A metal binding model proposed by the authors was used for the description of metal binding data. The results showed that the biosorption of bivalent metal ions to brown algae was due to bivalent binding to carboxylic groups on alginic acid in brown algae. Copyright 1998 Academic Press.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1995

The mitochondrial LSU rDNA of the brown alga Pylaiella littoralis reveals alpha-proteobacterial features and is split by four group IIB introns with an atypical phylogeny.

The mitochondrial DNA region coding for the large ribosomal RNA subunit from the brown alga Pylaiella littoralis (L.) Kjellm was sequenced. The LSU rRNA was folded into a secondary structure and aligned with homologous, mitochondrial and eubacterial sequences. Taking into account the primary and secondary structure levels, the mitochondrial LSU rRNA of P. littoralis shares more structural features with alpha-proteobacterial genes than do those of the green alga Prototheca wickerhamii and land plants. In phylogenetic trees, branches leading to brown algae, red algae, the protozoan Acanthamoeba castellanii and land plants, respectively, emerge approximately at the same time, as they do in nuclear-gene based phylogenies. This suggests that there is only one origin for the mitochondrial rRNA genes found in these lineages. The LSU rDNA is split by four group IIB introns. The first two introns each contain one open reading frame which encodes a reverse transcriptase-like protein. Comparison of their amino acid sequences with those of other reverse transcriptase-like genes contained in group II introns shows that these genes are more closely related to plastid and cyanobacterial homologous genes than to any known mitochondrial intronic reverse transcriptase.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1989

The small subunit of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase is plastid-encoded in the chlorophyll c-containing alga Cryptomonas phi.

The gene for the small subunit of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase (Rubisco) is located in the large single-copy region of the plastid genome of the chlorophyll c-containing alga Cryptomonas phi. The coding sequence is 417 base pairs long, encoding a protein of 139 amino acids, considerably longer than most other small subunit proteins. It is found 83 base pairs downstream from the gene for the large subunit and is cotranscribed with it. An 18 base pair perfect inverted repeat is located 8 base pairs beyond the termination codon. Sequence analysis shows the gene to be more closely related to cyanobacterial and cyanelle small-subunit genes than to those of green algae or land plants. This is the first reported sequence of a Rubisco small-subunit gene which is plastid-encoded and it exhibits a number of unique features. The derived amino acid sequence shows extensive similarity to a partial amino acid sequence from a brown alga, indicating that this gene will be of major interest as a probe for the small subunit genes in other algae and for determining possible evolutionary ancestors of algal plastids.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1990

Evidence for a composite phylogenetic origin of the plastid genome of the brown alga Pylaiella littoralis (L.) Kjellm.

The nucleotide sequence and the 5' flanking region of the rbcL gene coding for the large subunit of ribulose bisphosphate-1,5-carboxylase/oxygenase of Pylaiella littoralis, a brown alga, has been determined and the deduced amino-acid sequence has been compared to those of various photosynthetic and chemoautotrophic Eubacteria, of a red alga and of green plastids (Euglena gracilis, green algae and higher plants). Unlike the rbcL genes of green plastids which are more closely related to those of cyanobacteria, the P. littoralis rbcL gene is more closely related to that of a beta-purple bacterium, as was found for the rbcS gene of another chromophytic alga [Boczar et al., Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 86: 4996-4999, 1989]. Matrix data of homology between the rbcL gene of P. littoralis and the same gene of other organisms are presented. Based on our previous report, the gene coding for the 16S rRNA from P. littoralis is closely related to that of E. gracilis (Markowicz et al., Curr Genet 14: 599-608, 1988). We suggest that the large plastid DNA molecule of P. littoralis is a phylogenetically composite genome which probably resulted from mixed endosymbiosis events, or from a horizontal transfer of DNA.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1993

Molecular cloning and evolutionary analysis of the calcium-modulated contractile protein, centrin, in green algae and land plants.

Centrin (= caltractin) is a ubiquitous, cytoskeletal protein which is a member of the EF-hand superfamily of calcium-binding proteins. A centrin-coding cDNA was isolated and characterized from the prasinophyte green alga Scherffelia dubia. Centrin PCR amplification primers were used to isolate partial, homologous cDNA sequences from the green algae Tetraselmis striata and Spermatozopsis similis. Annealing analyses suggested that centrin is a single-copy-coding region in T. striata and S. similis and other green algae studied. Centrin-coding regions from S. dubia, S. similis and T. striata encode four colinear EF-hand domains which putatively bind calcium. Phylogenetic analyses, including homologous sequences from Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and the land plant Atriplex nummularia, demonstrate that the domains of centrins are congruent and arose from the two-fold duplication of an ancestral EF hand with Domains 1+3 and Domains 2+4 clustering. The domains of centrins are also congruent with those of calmodulins demonstrating that, like calmodulin, centrin is an ancient protein which arose within the ancestor of all eukaryotes via gene duplication. Phylogenetic relationships inferred from centrin-coding region comparisons mirror results of small subunit ribosomal RNA sequence analyses suggesting that centrin-coding regions are useful evolutionary markers within the green algae.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1994

Hypocholesterolemic effect of blue-green alga, ishikurage (Nostoc commune) in rats fed atherogenic diet.

Blue-green alga, Nostoc commune is rich in dietary fiber. To examine the hypocholesterolemic effect, the alga or the dietary fibers were given to the rats fed cholesterol diet. Serum cholesterol elevation was significantly depressed in those rats. Cholesterol increased in the liver of rats given the alga and the fiber. The content of fecal cholesterol and bile acid unchanged. Of the dietary fibers, oxalate-oxalic acid soluble substance (OOSS) found abundant in the alga was most effective in lowering cholesterol in the serum. It seems to depress the elevation of LDL-cholesterol. The mechanism of hypocholesterolemic effect by OOSS remains to be unclear. This study indicated that Nostoc commune is expected to be a new dietary fiber source of possible importance in human nutrition.

Animals↗
PubMed1977

Effect of tetramethyl lead on freshwater green algae.

The toxicity of tetramethyl lead (Me4Pb) towards freshwater algae was studied by bubbling biologically generated Me4Pb from one flask containing 5 mg of Pb 1-1 as Me3PbOAc into the culture medium in another flask where a test alga Scenedesmus quadricauda was grown. As Me4Pb is not soluble in water and is volatile, the exposure of an alga to this lead compound was only momentary. It was estimated that less than 0.5 mg of Pb(Me4Pb) had passed through the culture medium. The primary productivity and cell growth (determined by dry weight), however, decreased by 85% and 32% respectively, as compared with the controls without exposure to Me4Pb. Furthermore, cells exposed to Me4Pb tended to clump together and striking alterations in cell fine-structure were observed. An electron microscopic analysis by an energy dispersive spectrometer revealed that Pb ions had penetrated the cell and were deposited within concretion bodies. Similar results were obtained with the green algae Ankistrodesmus falcatus and Chlorella pyrenoidosa.

Aeromonas↗
PubMed2004

Cyanobacterial genes transmitted to the nucleus before divergence of red algae in the Chromista.

The plastids of red algae, green plants, and glaucophytes may have originated directly from a cyanobacterium-like prokaryote via primary endosymbiosis. In contrast, the plastids of other lineages of eukaryotic phototrophs appear to be the result of secondary or tertiary endosymbiotic events involving a phototrophic eukaryote and a eukaryotic host cell. Although phylogenetic analyses of multiple plastid genes from a wide range of eukaryotic lineages have been carried out, the phylogenetic positions of the secondary plastids of the Chromista (Heterokontophyta, Haptophyta and Cryptophyta) are ambiguous in a range of different analyses. This ambiguity may be the result of unusual substitutions or bias in the plastid genes established by the secondary endosymbiosis. In this study, we carried out phylogenetic analyses of five nuclear genes of cyanobacterial origin (6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase [gnd], oxygen-evolving-enhancer [psbO], phosphoglycerate kinase [pgk], delta-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase [aladh], and ATP synthase gamma [atpC] genes), using the genome sequence data from the primitive red alga Cyanidioschyzon merolae 10D. The sequence data robustly resolved the origin of the cyanobacterial genes in the nuclei of the Chromista (Heterokontophyta and Haptophyta) and Dinophyta, before the divergence of the extant red algae (including Porphyra [Rhodophyceae] and Cyanidioschyzon [Cyadidiophyceae]). Although it is likely that gnd genes in the Chromista were transmitted from the cyanobacterium-like ancestor of plastids in the primary endosymbiosis, other genes might have been transferred from nuclei of a red algal ancestor in the secondary endosymbiosis. Therefore, the results indicate that the Chromista might have originated from the ancient secondary endosymbiosis before the divergence of extant red algae.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed2001

Nutrient Acquisition and Population Growth of a Mixotrophic Alga in Axenic and Bacterized Cultures.

Axenic growth of a mixotrophic alga, Ochromonas sp., was compared in several inorganic and organic media, and in the presence of live bacteria under nutrient-replete and low-nutrient conditions. Axenic growth in the light was negligible in inorganic media with or without the addition of glucose. Addition of vitamins increased growth rate, but average cell size declined, resulting in no net increase in biomass. Supplementing axenic cultures with a more complex organic substrate resulted in moderate growth and higher maximal abundance (and biomass) than in the inorganic media with added vitamins. The absence of light did not greatly affect population growth rate in the presence of complex dissolved organic compounds, although cell size was significantly greater in the light than in the dark. The highest growth rates for the alga (up to 2.6 d-1) were measured in treatments containing live bacteria. Increases in cell number of Ochromonas sp. in the presence of bacterial prey were similar in the light and dark, although chloroplast and cell sizes differed. Bacterial abundance was reduced and dissolved phosphorus and ammonia were rapidly released in bacterized cultures in the light and dark, indicating high rates of bacterial ingestion and suggesting an inability of the alga to store or utilize N and P in excess of the quantities required for heterotrophic growth. Low-nutrient conditions in the presence of bacteria were promoted by adding glucose to stimulate bacterial growth and the uptake of N and P released by algal phagotrophy. Subsequent decreases in dissolved N and P following the addition of glucose corresponded to a second period of rapid growth of the alga in both light and dark. This result, combined with evidence for slow axenic growth of this strain, indicated that nutrient acquisition for this species in the presence of bacteria was accomplished primarily via ingestion of bacteria.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2005

NADPH oxidases in Eukaryotes: red algae provide new hints!

The red macro-alga Chondrus crispus is known to produce superoxide radicals in response to cell-free extracts of its green algal pathogenic endophyte Acrochaete operculata. So far, no enzymes involved in this metabolism have been isolated from red algae. We report here the isolation of a gene encoding a homologue of the respiratory burst oxidase gp91(phox) in C. crispus, named Ccrboh. This single copy gene encodes a polypeptide of 825 amino acids. Search performed in available genome and EST algal databases identified sequences showing common features of NADPH oxidases in other algae such as the red unicellular Cyanidioschyzon merolae, the economically valuable red macro-alga Porphyra yezoensis and the two diatoms Phaeodactylum tricornutum and Thalassiosira pseudonana. Domain organization and phylogenetic relationships with plant, animal, fungal and algal NADPH oxidase homologues were analyzed. Transcription analysis of the C. crispus gene revealed that it was over-transcribed during infection of C. crispus gametophyte by the endophyte A. operculata, and after incubation in presence of atrazine, methyl jasmonate and hydroxyperoxides derived from C20 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). These results also illustrate the interest of exploring the red algal lineage for gaining insight into the deep evolution of NADPH oxidases in Eukaryotes.

Algal Proteins↗
PubMed1997

Molecular characterization of two large DNA plasmids in the red alga Porphyra pulchra.

Five plasmids occur in the red alga Porphyra pulchra. The two larger ones (6859 and 6427 bp) differ in their sequences. The three smaller (1896, 2100, and 2102 bp) have sequences that are similar to one another. These plasmids are circular, double-stranded DNA, present in high copy number, and maintained in this organism through successive generations of laboratory culture. Sequence analysis of the two larger plasmids reveals few prominent structural features, but several potential open reading frames (ORFs) occur, some of which are transcriptionally active. Sequence database comparisons find significant sequence similarity between ORF3 or PP6427 and a 411 amino-acid polypeptide previously characterized in plasmid GC2 from the red alga Gracilaria chilensis. These data support the presence of at least one conserved plasmid coding region in distant orders of red algae. Southern blots of total genomic DNA from other red algae probed with plasmids from P. pulchra demonstrate no hybridization to previously studied Gracilariales species but notable hybridization to several species within the genus Porphyra, although the sizes of detected bands vary.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1999

Protein adaptation to low temperatures: a comparative study of alpha-tubulin sequences in mesophilic and psychrophilic algae.

The alpha-tubulin genes from two psychrophilic algae belonging to the genus Chloromonas (here named ANT1 and ANT3) have been isolated and sequenced. The genes ant1 and ant3 contain 4 and 2 introns, respectively. The coding DNA sequences are 90% identical but the degree of isology is very high at the polypeptide level (more than 97% strict identities). The ANT1 and ANT3 alpha-tubulin amino acid sequences were compared to the corresponding sequence of the mesophilic alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. Of the 15 substitutions detected in ANT1 and/or ANT3, 5 are common to both psychrophilic algae. The recorded substitutions have been analyzed in terms of cold adaptation on the basis of the available three-dimensional structure of the alpha,beta-tubulin heterodimer from pig brain. Most of these are subtle changes, but two substitutions, M268V and A295V occurring in the region of interdimer contacts, could be of great significance for the cold stability of Antarctic algae microtubules due to the fact that the entropic control of microtubule assembly is particularly high in cold adaptes species.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2003

Antibiotic activity of lectins from marine algae against marine vibrios.

Saline and aqueous ethanol extracts of marine algae and the lectins from two red algal species were assayed for their antibiotic activity against marine vibrios. Experimental studies were also carried out on the influence of environmental factors on such activity, using batch cultures. The results indicated that many of the saline extracts of the algal species were active and that the activity was selective against those vibrios assayed. The algal extracts were active against Vibrio pelagius and the fish pathogen V. vulnificus, but inactive against V. neresis. Algal lectins from Eucheuma serra (ESA) and Galaxaura marginata (GMA) strongly inhibited V. vulnificus but were inactive against the other two vibrios. The antibacterial activity of algal extracts was inhibited by pretreatment with various sugars and glycoprotein. Extracts of the two red algae, E. serra and Pterocladia capillacea, in saline and aqueous ethanol, inhibited markedly the growth rate of V. vulnificus at very low concentrations. Culture results indicated that metabolites active against V. vulnificus were invariably produced in P. capillacea over a wide range of temperature, light intensity, and nutritional conditions. Enhanced antibacterial activity occurred when P. capillacea was grown under higher irradiance, severe nutrient stress and moderate temperature (20 degrees C), reflecting the specific antibiotic characteristics of this alga. The strong antibiotic activity of lectins towards fish pathogenic bacteria reveals one of the important roles played by algal lectins, as well as the potential high economic value of those marine algae assayed for aquaculture and for biomedical purposes.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed2024

Exploring the interactions between algae and archaea.

Algae and archaea co-exist in diverse aquatic ecosystems and play a significant role in ecological functions and biogeochemical cycles. Compared to well-studied algal-bacterial interactions, there is a lack of information on algal-archaeal interactions and how their interactions affect their physiological fitness and nutrient cycles in either artificial cultivation systems or natural environments. The vast archaeal biodiversity, as indicated by genomic sequencing and computational approaches, has stimulated great interest in exploring uncultivated archaea to expand our knowledge of algae-archaea symbiosis. In this review, we summarize the latest studies on the diversity of algae-associated archaea and their (putative) symbiotic interactions, highlight the effects of algal-archaeal interactions on biogeochemical cycles and extend such knowledge to facilitate novel archaeal isolation and a broad range of algae-based biotechnological applications.

Algal biotechnology↗