Induction and characterization of green pigmentation mutant in Porphyra yezoensis Ueda

The free living conchocelis of Porphyra yezoensis Ueda was treated with N-methyl-N-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine to induce pigmentation mutants. The artificial green pigmentation mutant of P. yezoensis conchocelis, which was composed entirely of green cells, was isolated through visualization with the unaided eye. The acquired green conchocelis was further developed into a green gametophytic blade. This mutant was relatively stable in color in both gametophytic blade and conchocelis phases. The gametophytic blade mutant was successively cultivated for commerce at some Porphyra farms in Rudong, China, and few wild type or sectorially variegated gametophytic blade occurred, indicating that the green mutant has commercial value. The green mutant was characterized as having lower phycoerythrin and higher phycocyanin content, and SDS-PAGE suggested that phycoerythrin was missing the gamma-subunit in comparison to the wild type. The wild type and the green mutant showed a clear difference in 02 evolution rates in white, green, yellow, and red light, which might be due to the qualitative and quantitative changes of phycoerythrin, and the quantitative difference of phycocyanin. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effect of iron on growth and lipid accumulation in Chlorella vulgaris

The economic feasibility of algal mass culture for biodiesel production is enhanced by the increase in biomass productivity and storage lipids. Effect of iron on growth and lipid accumulation in marine microalgae Chlorella vulgaris were investigated. In experiment I, supplementing the growth media with chelated FeCl3 in the late growth phase increased the final cell density but did not induce lipid accumulation in cells. In experiment II, cells in the late-exponential growth phase were collected by centrifugation and re-inoculated into new media supplemented with five levels of Fe3+ concentration. Total lipid content in cultures supplemented with 1.2 x 10(-5) mol L-1 FeCl3 was up to 56.6% biomass by dry weight and was 3-7-fold that in other media supplemented with lower iron concentration. Moreover, a simple and rapid method determining the lipid accumulation in C. vulgaris with spectrofluorimetry was developed. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Large-scale recovery of C-phycocyanin from Spirulina platensis using expanded bed adsorption chromatography

C-phycocyanin was purified on a large scale by a combination of expanded bed adsorption, anion-exchange chromatography and hydroxyapatite chromatography from inferior Spirulina platensis that cannot be used for human consumption. First, phycobiliproteins were extracted by a simple, scaleable method and then were recovered by Phenyl-Sepharose chromatography in an expanded bed column. The purity (the A(620)/A(280) ratio) of C-phycocyanin isolated with STREAMLINE (TM) Column was up to 2.87, and the yield was as high as 31 mg/g of dried S. platensis. After the first step, we used conventional anion-exchange chromatography for the purification steps, with a yield of 7.7 mg/g of dried S. platensis at a purity greater than 3.2 and with an A(620)/A(650) index higher than 5.0. The fractions from anion-exchange chromatography with a level of purity that did not conform to the above standard were subjected to hydroxyapatite chromatography, with a C-PC yield of 4.45 mg/g of dried S. platensis with a purity greater than 3.2. The protein from both purification methods showed one absolute absorption peak at 620 nm and a fluorescence maximum at 650 nm, which is consistent with the typical spectrum of C-phycocyanin. SDS-PAGE gave two bands corresponding to 21 and 18 kDa. In-gel digestion and LC-ESI-MS showed that the protein is C-phycocyanin. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Characterization of the life history of Bangia fuscopurpurea (Bangiaceae, Rhodophyta) in connection with its cultivation in China

Bangia fuscopurpurea (Rhodophyta) was cultivated in Putian (Fujian province, China). The characteristics of the life history concerned with cultivation were investigated and the cultivation procedure was presented. The gametophytic phase (thallus) and the sporophytic phase (conchocelis) occurred alternately in the life history of B. fuscopurpurea. Young thalli produced archeospores, and the number depended on the environmental factors. Temperature affected the number of archeospore release and percent of germination, and photo flux density (PFD) mainly affected the time of spore release and germination. Thalli matured from December to February and developed into the conchocelis phase through sexual reproduction. The conchocelis grown in shells had three developmental stages: vegetative conchocelis, conchosporangiall formation and conchospore formation. Pit-connections were present in the first 2 stages but absent after conchospore formation. Vegetative conchocelis and conchosporangial. branches can transform into each other. However, conchospores only developed into the gametophytic phase. Cultivation of B. fuscopurpurea was based on characterization of the life history, consisting of 3 steps: zygotospores collection, indoor cultivation of conchocelis and outdoor cultivation of thalli. Young thalli that developed from conchospores produced numerous archeospores before December. Over 90% of the crop was from the development of archeospores. The results indicated that conchosporelings were a good source of archeospores, and the development of the large quantity of archeospores acted as a more prevailing means to increase the population size. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Method for large-scale isolation and purification of R-phycoerythrin from red alga Polysiphonia urceolata Grev

R-phycoerythrin was isolated and purified from a red alga, Polysiphonia urceolata Grev, using Streamline column combined with ion-exchange chromatography or hydroxyapatite chromatography. The purity of R-phycoerythrin isolated by Streamline column was up to 1.66 and the yield of R-phycoerythrin could be as high as 0.68 mg/g frozen P. urceolata. All the eluates from Streamline column were divided into two equivalent parts, respectively. One part was pumped into the ion-exchange column loaded with Q-Sepharose and the other was applied to the adsorption column loaded with hydroxyapatite. The purities of R-phycoerythrin purified using these two methods were both up to 3.26, more than 3.2 the commonly accepted criterion. The yield of purified R-phycoerythrin from the ion-exchange chromatography was 0.40 mg/g frozen P. urceolata and that from the hydroxyapatite chromatography could reach 0.34 mg/g frozen P. urceolata. The purified protein had three absorption peaks at 498, 535, and 565 nm and displayed a fluorescence maximum at 580 nm, which was consistent with the typical spectrum of R-phycoerythrin. The purified R-PE was also identified with electrophoresis. Only one single protein band appeared on native-PAGE with silver staining. SDS-PAGE demonstrated the presence of one 20 kDa major subunit, and one low intensity band corresponding to 33 kDa subunit. The results indicate that using the expanded bed adsorption combined with ion-exchange chromatography or hydroxyapatite chromatography, R-phycoerythrin can be purified from frozen P. urceolata on large scale. (c) 2006 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Optimization of conditions for tetraspore release and assessment of photosynthetic activities for different generation branches of Gracilaria lemaneiformis Bory

Gracilaria lemaneiformis Bory is an economically important alga that is primarily used for agar production. Although tetraspores are ideal seeds for the cultivation of G. lemaneiformis, the most popular culture method is currently based on vegetative fragments, which is labor-intensive and time-consuming. In this study, we optimized the conditions for tetraspore release and evaluated the photosynthetic activities of different colonies formed from the branches of G. lemaneiformis using a PAM (pulse-amplitude-modulated) measuring system. The results showed that variations in temperature and salinityhad significant effects on tetraspore yield. However, variations in the photon flux density (from 15 mu mol m(-2) s(-1) to 480 mu mol m(-2) s(-1)) had no apparent effect on tetraspore yield. Moreover, the PAM-parameters Y(I), Y(II), ETR(I), ETR(II) and F (v)/F (m) of colonies formed from different branches showed the same trend: parameter values of first generation branches > second generation branches > third generation branches. These results suggest that the photosynthetic activities of different colonies of branches changed with the same trend. Furthermore, photosynthesis in G. lemaneiformis was found to be involved in vegetative reproduction and tetraspore formation. Finally, the first generation branches grew slowly, but accumulated organic compounds to form large numbers of tetraspores. Taken together, these results showed that the first generation branches are ideal materials for the release of tetraspores.

Preparation of porous chitosan/agarose microsphere and its R-phycoerythrin release properties

The chitosan microspheres (CS-CL) were prepared by suspension crosslinking method and used as carriers of R-phycoerythrin (R-PE). In this study, R-PE was loaded in the microspheres and released in vitro. The effects of pH value, temperature, ionic strength, and R-PE concentration on loading efficiency and release behavior were discussed. A novel microsphere that contained agarose (CS-AR MP) was prepared and the basic loading and releasing behavior for R-PE of this kind of new micro-spheres were also investigated. The results showed that all these chitosan microspheres have the ability to control-release R-PE. The addition of agarose may somewhat accelerate the release rate of R-PE from microspheres and reduce the capacity of adsorption for R-PE. (c) 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Genetic model of the hydrate system in the fine grain sediments in the northern continental slope of South China Sea

Gas hydrate samples were obtained firstly in China by drilling on the northern margin of South China Sea (SCS). To understand the formation mechanism of this unique accumulation system, this paper discusses the factors controlling the formation of the system by accurate geophysical interpretation and geological analysis, based on the high precision 2-D and 3-D multichannel seismic data in the drilling area. There are three key factors controlling the accumulation of the gas hydrate system in fine grain sediment: (1) large volume of fluid bearing methane gas Joins the formation of gas hydrate. Active fluid flow in the northern South China Sea makes both thermal gas and/or biogenic gas migrate into shallow strata and form hydrate in the gas hydrate stability zone (GHSZ). The fluid flow includes mud diapir and gas chimney structure. They are commonly characterized by positive topographic relief, acoustic turbidity and push-down, and low reflection intensity on seismic profiles. The gas chimneys can reach to GHSZ, which favors the development of BSRs. It means that the active fluid flow has a close relationship with the formation and accumulation of gas hydrate. (2) The episodic process of fracture plays an important role in the generation of gas hydrate. It may provide the passage along which thermogenic or biogenic gas migrated into gas hydrate stability zone (GHSZ) upward. And it increases the pore space for the growth of hydrate crystal. (3) Submarine landslide induced the anomalous overpressure activity and development of fracture in the GHSZ. The formation model of high concentration gas hydrate in the drilling sea area was proposed on the basis of above analysis.

氮、磷营养盐对链状亚历山大藻（东海株）生长和产毒的影响研究

近年来，东海长江口邻近海域春季常常发生大规模链状亚历山大藻（Alexandrium catenella）赤潮。通常认为，由长江携带入海的大量营养盐导致的富营养化是该海域大规模赤潮频繁发生的重要原因。为阐明该海域富营养化特征与链状亚历山大藻赤潮的发生及其危害效应之间的关系，本文根据东海氮、磷营养盐的浓度与结构特征，设计实验研究了营养盐对链状亚历山大藻（东海株ACDH）的生长和产毒的影响。 实验结果表明，ACDH 藻株的比增长率在硝酸盐浓度大于 28.0 µM 时接近最高水平，长江口邻近海域海水中硝酸盐的浓度可以使 ACDH 藻株的比增长率接近最高值；藻株的比增长率在磷酸盐浓度大于 2.5 µM 时也接近最高水平，现场海水中磷酸盐的浓度可能对ACDH藻株的生长构成限制。ACDH藻株生长的最适氮磷比在9到11之间 ，表明链状亚历山大藻的生长需要较多的磷。ACDH 藻株对磷酸盐的最大吸收速率 (Vm) 和半饱和常数(Ks) 分别为 0.22 pmol/cell•h 和 0.75 µM，与中肋骨条藻等东海常见赤潮藻种相比并不利于其对低浓度磷酸盐的竞争吸收，但处于磷限制的链状亚历山大藻细胞有明显的碱性磷酸酶表达，这将有助于其吸收利用有机态的磷营养物质，获取所需的磷维持生长。链状亚历山大藻可以利用尿素、硝酸盐和铵盐这三种氮源进行生长，有相近的比增长率和最大细胞密度。综合本实验得到的结果与以往的文献资料可以认为，东海链状亚历山大藻的适应策略利于其在长江口邻近海域形成赤潮，但东海长江口邻近海域的富营养化并非链状亚历山大藻赤潮形成的唯一原因，链状亚历山大藻赤潮的形成还应与其生活史和垂直迁移等行为特征有关。而高浓度的营养盐对于亚历山大藻赤潮规模的增加可能具有直接作用。 在常见的铵盐、硝酸盐和尿素这三种氮源中，铵盐和硝酸盐的加入会导致细胞毒素含量的迅速增加，但是，添加尿素却不能显著提高藻细胞的毒素含量。长期以尿素作为氮源甚至会使藻细胞的毒素含量低于氮限制条件下的细胞毒素含量。磷限制能显著提高其细胞毒素含量，对野外采集的浮游植物样品分析结果显示，其细胞毒素含量在 34.7-88.4 fmol/cell 之间，显著高于室内培养的营养盐充足条件下的链状亚历山大藻的细胞毒素含量，而与磷限制条件下培养的藻细胞毒素含量接近，说明东海海水中磷酸盐的限制有可能提高藻细胞的毒素含量，从而增加其潜在的危害效应。 总之，通过我们的研究可以看出，东海的富营养化特征直接影响链状亚历山大藻赤潮的形成与潜在的危害效应。东海链状亚历山大藻的适应策略利于其在长江口邻近海域形成赤潮，同时，该海域高氮磷比和磷酸盐浓度限制会提高藻细胞的毒素含量，增加其危害效应。以上研究将有助于了解链状亚历山大藻赤潮的爆发机理，并对赤潮危害的预测和防范提供科学依据。

Summer reproduction of the planktonic copepod Calanus sinicus in the Yellow Sea: influences of high surface temperature and cold bottom water

We have observed that Calanus sinicus retreated from neritic areas in the Yellow Sea and concentrated in the Yellow Sea Cold Bottom Water (YSCBW) area in summer. To investigate the summer reproductive strategy of C. sinicus in this situation, effects of high temperature on reproduction and hatching, as well as geographical variation of in situ egg production rate, were studied by onboard incubation in August 2001. Diel vertical migration (DVM) of females was investigated within and outside the YSCBW, respectively. Onboard incubation at 27 degrees C (i.e. surface temperature) resulted in lower fecundities than that at 9.8 and 12 degrees C (i.e. bottom temperature inside and outside the YSCBW) together with decreased hatching rates and increased naupliar malformation. Egg production was more active at stations outside the YSCBW than inside, where chlorophyll-a concentration was also relatively low. Females inside the YSCBW underwent DVM although they rarely entered the surface layer, but DVM was not observed outside the YSCBW. We conclude that surface temperature in summer has deleterious effects on C. sinicus egg production and hatching, and that it cannot reproduce successfully over the whole area. Inside the YSCBW, egg production is depressed by low food availability, while females outside suffer from high temperatures because of strong vertical mixing.

Feeding habits of Calanus sinicus (Crustacea : Copepoda) during spring and autumn in the Bohai Sea studied with the herbivore index

Pigment ingestion rate (PIR) and egg production rate (EPR) of the dominant copepod Calanus sinicus, as well as chlorophyll-a concentration and phytoplankton assemblages were measured in the Bohai Sea, North China in June 1997, October 1998 and May 1999. A herbivore index (H) was also calculated as the carbon specific ratio of PIR and EPR, in order to investigate its feeding habits in the spring and autumn phytoplankton bloom respectively. On average, chlorophyll-a concentration was relatively similar (1-1.34 mg m(-3)) in the three cruises, but PIR was quite different. It was 3.24 mu g C female(-1) d(-1) in October, equivalent to one half of the PIR for June and one third of the PIR for May. Average EPR was highest in May, and quite similar during the other two months. According to H values, herbivorous feeding contributed 100% of the egg production of C. sinicus in June, 82.5% in May, but only 47.8% in October. It is possible that omnivorous feeding of C. sinicus in October was induced by a prevalence of large-sized diatoms and sufficient non-phytoplankton food resources during the autumn bloom period.

Effect of cryoprotectants on hatching rate of red seabream (Pagrus major) embryos

The objectives were to investigate the effect of cryoprotectants on the hatching rate of red seabream embryos. Heart-beat embryos were immersed in: five permeable cryoprotectants, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), glycerol (Gly), methanol (MeOH), 1,2-propylene glycol (PG), and ethylene glycol (EG). in concentrations of 5-30% for 10, 30, or 60 min; and two non-permeable cryoprotectants: polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), and sucrose (in concentrations of 5-20% for 10 or 30 min). The embryos were then washed and incubated in filtered seawater until hatching occurred. The hatching rate of the embryos treated with permeable cryoprotectants decreased (P < 0.05) with increased concentration and duration of exposure. In addition, PG was the least toxic permeable cryoprotectant, followed by DMSO and EG, whereas Gly and MeOH were the most toxic. At a concentration of 15% and 30 min exposure, the hatching rate of the embryos immersed in PG was 93.3 +/- 7.0% (mean +/- S.D.), however. in DMSO. EG, Gly. and MeOH, it was 82.7 +/- 10.4, 22.0 +/- 5.7, 0.0 +/- 0.0, and 0.0 +/- 0.0%, respectively. Hatching rate of embryos treated with PVP decreased (P < 0.05) with the increase of concentration and exposure time, whereas for embryos treated with sucrose, there was no significant decrease in comparison with the control at the concentrations used. (C) 2008 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Studies on two coordination polymers [M(mu(4)-pz25dc)](n) (M = Cd or Zn, pz25dc=pyrazine-2,5-dicarboxylato) with three-dimensional pillared-layer three-nodal framework: Synthesis, structural characterization, strong optical non-linearities and optical limiting properties

Two isomorphous new candidates [M(mu(4)-pz25dc)](n) (M = Cd, 1; Zn, 2; pz25dc = pyrazine-2,5-dicarboxylato)for nonlinear optical (NLO) materials have been synthesized hydrothermally and characterized crystallographically as pillared-layer three-nodal frameworks with one four-connected metal nodes and two crystallographically different four-connected ligand nodes. Their optical non-linearities are measured by the Z-Scan technique with an 8 ns pulsed laser at 532 nm. These two coordination polymers both exhibit strong NLO absorptive abilities [alpha(2) = (63 +/- 6) x 10 (12) mW (1) 1, ( 46 +/- 6) x 10 (11) mW (1) 2] and effective self-focusing performance [n(2) = (67 +/- 5) x 10 (18) 1, (13 +/- 3) x 10 (18) m(2) W (1) 2] in 1.02 x 10 (4) 1 and 1.05 x 10 (4) mol dm (3) 2 DMF solution separately. The values of the limiting threshold are also measured from the optical limiting experimental data. The heavy atom effect plays important role in the enhancement of optical non-linearities and optical limiting properties. (C) 2009 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.

栽培藏药材麻花艽中四种苦苷类成分含量的季节性变化

采用高效液相色谱法,测定了栽培藏药材麻花艽根中龙胆苦苷、落干酸、獐牙菜苦苷和獐牙菜苷四种苦苷类成分的含量及其在不同生长期的动态变化.结果表明,四种苦苷类成分随植物的发育节律而波动.龙胆苦苷的含量是评价药材质量的重要指标.龙胆苦苷的含量虽然在7月有个积累的高峰期,但7月为花期,从资源可持续利用的角度考虑,不宜定为采收期,到9月含量又有所增加,故而确定栽培藏药麻花艽根的适宜采收期应在9～10月之间.

长江源区植物区系研究

长江源区位于青海省西南部, 北纬31°35′～ 36°30′,东经89°35′～ 97°55′。本地区共有种子植物62科、321属、1377种。区系特征表现为: 1. 温带成分占96. 81% , 以绝对优势确定了本区系明显的温带性质。2. 世界成分多为衍生, 更兼所含的中国特有属亦多为衍生, 表明本区系的年轻性和衍生的性质。3. 主要植被均属典型的高寒类型, 它们的建群种亦多为典型的高寒植被的特征种。所以, 本区系高寒植被典型, 特征种典型, 高寒区系特色明显。4. 生态环境对本区系特征的塑造表现为高寒生态因子的选择和高山特化的作用强烈, 而在一定程度上湿冷生性质和寒旱生性质的高山特化作用更为明显。长江源区的植物区系是唐古特地区高山区系的代表之一。在中国特有种的分析中, 本区系与横断山和甘肃南部区系的联系最为密切,三者间的共有种最为丰富, 有593种, 占本区中国特有种的 74. 69%。关于唐古特地区的南部界线, 作者认为, 李锡文等(1993) 的“川西北、甘西南、青东南小区”同唐古特地区关系最为密切, 若能在考虑这一因素的前提下来划分似乎更合适, 也更能体现唐古特地区作为一个独立区系的自然界线。