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Dependency of UVR-induced photoinhibition on atomic ratio of N to P in the dinoflagellate Karenia mikimotoi

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Abstract

To investigate the effects of Nitrogen (N):phosphorus (P) ratio and solar ultraviolet radiation (UVR) on the growth and photophosphorylation of oceanic phytoplankton, the effects of UVR and N:P ratio on K. mikimotoi were evaluated. K. mikimotoi cells were cultured in artificial seawater (ASW) under five different N:P ratios (1:1, 16:1, 50:1, 100:1 and 200:1) for 15 days (phase 1: 1–5 day; phase 2: 6–10 day; phase 3: 11–15 days). Next, K. mikimotoi cultures were exposed to photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), PAB (PAR + UV-A + UV-B) and PA (PAR + UV-A), respectively. Finally, K. mikimotoi cells grown under the Redfield ratio (16:1) had the largest growth rate (0.257day−1), highest pigment concentrations (chlorophyll a (Chla): 0.465 × 10− 5 μg cell−1, carotenoid (Caro): 0.249 × 10−5 μg cell−1) and maximum superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity (0.9 U × 10−6 cell−1) compared with those grown under other N:P ratios. The UV-absorbing compounds’ (UVabc) absorbance was largest at the N:P ratio of 50:1 during the range of 310–360 nm, with a relatively higher value at the N:P ratio of 16:1. UV intensity was positively correlated with photoinhibition. K. mikimotoi cells grown at the N:P ratio of 16:1 showed the smallest photoinhibition compared to those grown at other N:P ratios under the PAR treatment with the largest r:k ratio; similar results were found for both the PA and PAB treatments. The Redfield ratio of 16:1 is optimal for the growth and photophosphorylation of K. mikimotoi. The weakest UVR-induced photoinhibition at this ratio may be attributed to the highest photosystem II (PSII) repair rate and SOD activity.

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Acknowledgements

This study was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation for Young Scholars of China (No. 41306106), Natural Science Foundation of Zhejiang Province (No. LY16D060005), Research Program of Wenzhou Science & Technology Bureau (No. N20160008) and the Science Technology Department of Zhejiang Province (No. 2014F10005). We thank H. Chen and Y. Wang who kindly prepared the cultures and helped with culture maintenance. We also thank anonymous reviewers whose comments and suggestions helped improve this manuscript.

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  1. Department of Marine Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325035, Zhejiang, China

    Wanchun Guan

  2. Marine Biology Institute, Shantou University, Shantou, 515063, Guangdong, China

    Ping Li

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  1. Wanchun Guan
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  2. Ping Li
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Correspondence to Wanchun Guan.

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Guan, W., Li, P. Dependency of UVR-induced photoinhibition on atomic ratio of N to P in the dinoflagellate Karenia mikimotoi . Mar Biol 164, 31 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-016-3065-x

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