EFFECT OF LIGHT QUALITY AND INTENSITY ON GLYCEROL CONTENT IN DUNALIELLA-TERTIOLECTA (CHLOROPHYCEAE) AND THE RELATIONSHIP TO CELL GROWTH OSMOREGULATION

Dunaliella tertiolecta Butcher was grown at two intensities (33, 150μEin · m−2· s−1) of blue light and white light at 0.25, 0.50 and 1.00 M NaCl. Growth rates were used as an indication of the relative osmoregulatory ability of cells in the various treatments. There was no significant effect on growth rate due to various NaCl molarities. No significant difference in growth rate was found between blue‐ and white‐light cultures at the high intensity, the average growth constant being 2.07 divisions/day. However, at the low intensity illumination, blue light produced a significant increase in growth rate; 1.42 vs. 0.93 divisions/day for blue light and white light grown cells respectively. The average glycerol content of exponentially dividing cells grown at 0.25, 0.50 and 1.00 M NaCl was 0.12, 0.41 and 1.12 mg/108 cells, respectively, as measured by gas chromatography. The intracellular glycerol content was significantly reduced by blue light at both light intensities and at each NaCl molarity. However, high light intensity reduced cellular glycerol content more than the reduction effected by blue light. Glycerol accumulated in the medium throughout culture growth. Intracellular glycerol content also increased with cellular aging reaching 2.72 mg/108 cells in stationary phase, low intensity 1.00 M NaCl cultures. A negative correlation between glycerol content and growth rate was found. Total inhibition of glycerol production could not be obtained by treatment with blue light. However, this negative correlation possibly indicates that D. tertiolecta expends energy producing an excess amount of glycerol over that required for osmoregulation, leading to a reduction in the growth rate for the organism. Copyright © 1979, Wiley Blackwell. All rights reserved