Auxin induced stress tolerance in algae

Area of Science:

• Marine Biology
• Phycology
• Plant Physiology

Background:

• Algae exhibit diverse responses to environmental factors.
• Plant hormones like auxin (IAA) can influence algal growth and stress tolerance.
• Understanding these interactions is crucial for algaculture and ecological studies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effect of auxin (IAA) on the growth of West African algae (Caloglossa, Bostrychia, Rhizoclonium) and a freshwater alga (Pithophora).
• To determine IAA's role in algae adaptation to varying salinity and temperature conditions.

Main Methods:

• Growth chamber experiments were conducted.
• Four algal species were cultured under different conditions (seawater, diluted seawater/Erdschreiber medium, varying temperatures).
• The effect of a specific auxin concentration (2.28 x 10(-5) M) was evaluated by comparing treated and control groups.

Main Results:

• IAA significantly increased growth in Caloglossa (2.3-2.6 fold) and Rhizoclonium (1.6-1.7 fold) in seawater and diluted media.
• Bostrychia showed growth deterioration in controls but maintained active growth with IAA.
• IAA mitigated salinity inhibition in Pithophora and enhanced growth at extreme temperatures (10°C and 45°C) for Pithophora and Rhizoclonium.

Conclusions:

• Auxin (IAA) demonstrates a significant positive impact on the growth of several marine and freshwater algae species.
• IAA enhances algal resilience to environmental stressors such as salinity and extreme temperatures.
• The findings suggest potential applications of IAA in optimizing algal cultivation and understanding algal ecological adaptations.