Biochemical and proteomic analysis reveals oxidative stress tolerance strategies of Scenedesmus abundans against allelochemicals released by Microcystis aeruginosa

Abstract

We studied the possible survival strategies of a green alga, Scenedesmus abundans, against allelochemicals secreted by Microcystis aeruginosa. We exposed the monoculture of S. abundans to a cell free-filtrate (allelochemicals)of M. aeruginosa at the start of our experiment and measured the growth behaviour, morphological changes and oxidative stress markers. The results suggest that exposure to allelochemicals induced oxidative stress in S. abundans, which had significantly reduced the growth of green alga with certain morphological changes. However, after seven days, S. abundans found ways to reduce oxidative stress by recovering its morphology and growth close to that of control. To understand possible survival strategies of test alga, we measured biochemical as well as protein level changes in S. abundans. Biochemical response of the green alga clearly showed that as a response to allelochemicals, enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants were induced. Proteomic analysis showed that exposure to allelochemicals induced accumulation of 13 proteins on the 2-DE gel of S. abundans, which falls in three functional categories, i.e., (i)energy metabolism (photosynthesis, carbon fixation and respiration), (ii)ROS scavenging enzymes and molecular chaperones, and (iii)amino acid and protein biosynthesis. After chronic oxidative stress, these proteins presumably retained glycolysis, pentose phosphate pathway and turnover rate of the Calvin-Benson cycle. Moreover, these proteins assisted in the adequate detoxification of ROS and played an important role in the damage removal and repair of oxidized proteins, lipids and nucleic acids. Therefore, our study anticipates that S. abundans embraces biochemical and proteomic reprogramming to thrives against allelochemicals released by M. aeruginosa. Show more