Effects of acute and chronic UV-B exposure on a green alga: a continuous culture study using a computer-controlled dynamic light regime

Author: Veen A.  

Publisher: Springer Publishing Company

ISSN: 1385-0237

Source: Vegetatio, Vol.128, Iss.1-2, 1997-01, pp. : 29-40

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Abstract

The green alga Selenastrum capricornutum was grown in a specially developed continuous culture system to study long-term effects of chronic UV-B exposure. The new system improves upon previous laboratory culture approaches. It is demonstrated that short-term experiments underestimate UV-B effects. It is also shown that photoinhibition cannot explain the effects under chronic exposure. Under both nutrient-replete and phosphorus-limiting conditions a UV-B mediated delay in cell division rate and an increase in the cellular content of proteins, carbohydrates and chlorophyll a was measured. Transition experiments showed that complete acclimatisation to UV-B took several cell cycles. DNA damage appears to be the major cause of the observed long-term UV-B effects.

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