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Does astaxanthin protect Haematococcus against light damage?

L Fan1, A Vonshak, A Zarka

  • 1Microalgal Biotechnology Laboratory, Jacob Blaustein Institute for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel.

Zeitschrift Fur Naturforschung. C, Journal of Biosciences
|April 7, 1998
PubMed
Summary

Astaxanthin accumulation in Haematococcus cells under stress is not protective. Instead, singlet oxygen (1O2) indirectly triggers this process, indicating astaxanthin is a result, not a shield.

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Area of Science:

  • * Photosynthesis and photobiology
  • * Microalgal stress responses

Background:

  • * The green alga Haematococcus synthesizes astaxanthin, a ketocarotenoid, under stress conditions like high light or nutrient deficiency.
  • * Astaxanthin accumulation typically occurs as cells turn red, suggesting a photoprotective role.

Purpose of the Study:

  • * To investigate the actual function of astaxanthin in Haematococcus under stress.
  • * To determine if astaxanthin acts as a photoprotective pigment or is a byproduct of stress responses.

Main Methods:

  • * Inhibition of astaxanthin biosynthesis using diphenylamine under high light.
  • * Exposure of green and red Haematococcus cells to high light intensity (4000 μmol photons m⁻²s⁻¹).
  • * Induction of astaxanthin accumulation using singlet oxygen (1O2) generators and its reversal with a quencher (histidine).

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  • * Investigating the effect of histidine on astaxanthin accumulation induced by phosphate starvation.

    • Main Results:

    • * Inhibiting astaxanthin synthesis led to cell death under high light, suggesting its importance.
    • * Red cells showed similar or greater susceptibility to very high light stress compared to green cells.
    • * Singlet oxygen generators induced astaxanthin accumulation, which was reversible by histidine.
    • * Histidine prevented astaxanthin accumulation caused by phosphate starvation.

    Conclusions:

    • * Astaxanthin accumulation appears to be a consequence of the photoprotection process, not a protective mechanism itself.
    • * Singlet oxygen (1O2) plays an indirect role in the accumulation of astaxanthin during stress responses in Haematococcus.