4.5 Article

Profiling of grazed cultures of the chlorophyte alga Dunaliella tertiolecta using an untargeted LC-MS approach

Journal

JOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY
Volume 58, Issue 4, Pages 568-581

Publisher

WILEY
DOI: 10.1111/jpy.13254

Keywords

algal metabolomics; culture crash; early warning signals; grazer detection

Funding

  1. IITB-Monash Research Academy and Reliance Industries Limited, India [IMURA0303]

Ask authors/readers for more resources

This study used an untargeted approach to profile the temporal dynamics of Dunaliella tertiolecta-specific exo-metabolites under grazing pressure. The study identified potential markers of grazing-mediated stress and outlined a clear methodology for screening exo-metabolites in marine algal samples.
Extracellular signals are reported to mediate chemical cross-talk among pelagic microbes, including microalgal prey and predators. Water-soluble mediator compounds play a crucial role in extracellular communication which is vital for prey recognition, attraction, capture, and predator deterrence. A range of exo-metabolites including oxylipins and vitamins are released by prey in response to grazing stress. The temporal dynamics of such exo-metabolites largely remains unknown, especially in large-scale cultivation of microalgae such as closed or open ponds. In open ponds, infestation of predators is almost inevitable but highly undesirable due to the imminent threat of culture collapse. The early production of exo-metabolites emitted by microalgal prey in response to predator attack could be leveraged as diagnostic markers of possible culture collapse. This study uses an untargeted approach for temporal profiling of Dunaliella tertiolecta-specific exo-metabolites under grazing pressure from Oxyrrhis marina. We report 24 putatively identified metabolites, belonging to various classes such as short peptides, lipids, indole-derivatives, and free amino acids, as potential markers of grazing-mediated stress. In addition, this study outlines a clear methodology for screening of exo-metabolites in marine algal samples, the analysis of which is frequently hindered by high salt concentrations. In future, a chemistry-based targeted detection of these metabolites could enable a quick and on-site screening of predators in microalgal cultures.

Authors

I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.

Reviews

Primary Rating

4.5
Not enough ratings

Secondary Ratings

Novelty
-
Significance
-
Scientific rigor
-
Rate this paper

Recommended

No Data Available
No Data Available