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Mycosporine‐Like Amino Acids in Harmful Marine Microalgae
Author(s) -
Wulff A.,
Appelgren M.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
journal of phycology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.85
H-Index - 127
eISSN - 1529-8817
pISSN - 0022-3646
DOI - 10.1046/j.1529-8817.38.s1.107.x
Subject(s) - biology , algae , amino acid , environmental chemistry , botany , biochemistry , chemistry
Two current environmental issues are the increasing occurrence of harmful algal blooms and the increasing level of ultraviolet radiation. The objective of this ongoing project is to investigate whether there is a coupling between these two phenomena, i.e. to test the hypothesis that UV‐B radiation functions as a selective pressure favoring surface‐blooming toxic/harmful marine microalgal species capable of producing UV‐absorbing compounds (mycosporine‐like amino acids, MAAs). A series of experiments were designed to test if the light environment induces the production of MAAs. Treatments were PAR with and without the addition of UV‐B radiation. Preliminary results show a different response for different species. Most species increased their production of MAAs when exposed to an increased PAR intensity (300 µmol photons/m 2 /s) and in, e.g. Alexandrium ostenfeldii and Gyrodinium aureolum a further increase was observed upon exposure to UV‐B radiation. The content and composition of MAAs for a number of potentially harmful marine microalgae will be shown. In addition, the outcome of small changes in the HPLC method used will be discussed.