Isolation of a novel strain of Cyanobacterium sp.with good adaptation to extreme alkalinity and high polysaccharide yield

The use of high alkaline medium is a feasible way to provide carbon source and prevent biological contamination for the outdoor cultivation of alkaliphilic microalgae and cyanobacteria.A novel cyanobacterial strain was isolated from the open pond of a marine green alga(Picochlorum sp.SCSIO-45015,Sanya,Hainan)and identified as Cyanobacterium sp.SCSIO-45682.The effects of initial sodium bicarbonate(NaHCO_(3))concentrations on the growth and biochemical composition of Cyanobacterium sp.SCSIO-45682 were investigated.The results demonstrated that Cyanobacterium sp.SCSIO-45682 had good adaptation to 16.8-g/L NaHCO_(3)(the same concentration of NaHCO_(3) used in Zarrouk medium for Spirulina).Moreover,the yields of biomass,polysaccharide,chlorophyll a(chl a),and phycocyanin increased under high NaHCO_(3) concentrations.The maximum final biomass concentration of 2.5 g/L was observed at 8.4-g/L NaHCO_(3),while the highest intracellular total saccharide content of 49.2%of dry weight(DW)and exopolysaccharide(EPS)concentration of 93 mg/L were achieved at the NaHCO_(3) concentration of 16.8 g/L.The crude protein content declined under high NaHCO_(3) concentrations,which provide a possible explanation for the accumulation of polysaccharide.This study shows a good potential of alkaliphilic Cyanobacterium sp.SCSIO-45682 as a polysaccharide feedstock.

Linking coral fluorescence phenotypes to thermal bleaching in the reef-building Galaxea fascicularis from the northern South China Sea

Coral fluorescence phenotypes have been suggested as an adaptation to a broad range of environmental conditions,yet the mechanisms linking thermal bleaching tolerance in reef-building coral populations,associated with fluorescence phenotypes due to GFP-like proteins,remains unclear.In this study,the relationship between the thermal sensitivity and phenotypic plasticity of corals was investigated using two phenotypes of Galaxea fascicularis,green and brown.The results reveal that brown G.fascicularis was more susceptible to bleaching than green G.fascicularis when exposed to a higher growth temperature of 32℃.Both phenotypes of G.fascicularis were associated with the thermotolerant Symbiodiniaceae symbiont,Durusdinium trenchii.However,the brown G.fascicularis showed a significant decrease in Symbiodiniaceae cell density and a significant increase in pathogenic bacteria abundance when the growth temperature was raised from 29 to 32℃.The physiological traits and transcriptomic profiles of Symbiodiniaceae were not notably affected,but there were differences in the transcriptional levels of certain genes between the two phenotype hosts of G.fascicularis.Under heat stress of 32℃,the gene encoding green fluorescent protein(GFP)-like and chromosome-associated proteins,as well as genes related to oxidative phosphorylation,cell growth and death showed lower transcriptional levels in the brown G.fascicularis compared to the green G.fascicularis.Overall,the results demonstrate that the green form of G.fascicularis is better able to tolerate ocean warming and defend against pathogenic bacteria,likely due to higher gene transcription levels and defense ability.