Comparison of the responses of two Dunaliella strains, Dunaliella salina CCAP 19/18 and Dunaliella bardawil to light intensity with special emphasis on carotenogenesis

doi:2013.28.2.203

Algae > Volume 28(2); 2013 > Article

Algae 2013;28(2): 203-211. doi: https://doi.org/10.4490/algae.2013.28.2.203

Seunghye Park¹, Yew Lee¹ and EonSeon Jin¹^,*

¹Department of Life Science, Hanyang University, Seoul 133-791, Korea

*Corresponding Author

Email: esjin@hanyang.ac.kr

ABSTRACT

Dunaliella salina and Dunaliella bardawil are well known for carotenogenesis, the overproduction of carotenoids, under stress conditions. The effect of high light (HL) and low light (LL) on the growth, morphology, photosynthetic efficiency, and the β-carotene and zeaxanthin production of D. salina CCAP 19/18 and D. bardawil was investigated and compared. Both strains showed similar growth kinetics under LL growth condition, but D. salina CCAP 19/18 was faster. As the light intensity increased, D. salina CCAP 19/18 cells were elongated and D. bardawil cells became larger. Both strains showed decrease of the maximum quantum yield of PSII (Fv/Fm) and election transport rate (ETR) under HL growth condition and D. salina CCAP 19/18 was less liable to the light stress. Both strains had about 1.8 and 5 times difference in the O2 evolution rate at LL and HL conditions, respectively. The β-carotene and zeaxanthin production were increased as the light intensity increased in both strains. D. bardawil was more sensitive to light intensity than D. salina CCAP 19/18. The possible application of D. salina CCAP 19/18 as a carotenogenic strain will be discussed.

Key words: β-carotene; Dunaliella; election transport rate; Fv/Fm; growth; light intensity; O2 evolution; zeaxanthin