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Effects of cytokinins on physiological and biochemical responses of the agar-producing red alga Gracilaria caudata (Gracilariales, Rhodophyta)

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Abstract

The red alga Gracilaria caudata J. Agardh (Gracilariales) is commercially exploited in Brazil as a source of raw material for agar production, and its cultivation is needed for sustainable biomass production to avoid overexploitation of natural populations. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effects of aromatic and isoprenoid-derived cytokinins under two photon flux densities (PFDs) on growth rates, formation of lateral branches, pigment content (chlorophyll a and phycobiliproteins), and total soluble proteins in G. caudata. Aromatic cytokinins (benzylaminopurine, BA, and kinetin, K) and isoprenoid cytokinins (2-isopentenyladenine, 2iP, cis-zeatin, and trans-zeatin) were tested at 50 and 100 μmol photons m−2 s−1, temperature of 23 ± 1 °C, and light:dark cycle of 14:10 h. Cytokinins were added to the ASP 12-NTA synthetic medium (salinity 30 PSU, pH 8.0) in concentrations ranging from 0.0 to 50.0 μM. Growth rates of G. caudata were not affected by addition of isoprenoid and aromatic cytokinins. Zeatins (cis and trans forms) and BA at the concentrations of 0.5 and/or 5.0 μM stimulated the branch formation at 100 μmol photons m−2 s−1. In general, concentrations of isoprenoid cytokinins showed negative correlation with total soluble proteins and pigment contents at both PFDs. On the other hand, aromatic cytokinins did not affect protein contents, and K inhibited the pigment contents in both PFD levels. In conclusion, our results indicate that the isoprenoid and aromatic cytokinins and PFD levels did not affect the growth rates of G. caudata, but influence the branching and contents of pigments and total soluble proteins. Moreover, aromatic cytokinins and zeatins stimulated branch formation, which is a morphogenetic process useful for micropropagation of G. caudata, and could improve its cultivation in the Brazilian coast.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) for fellowship to the first author and for research grants to NSY. This research was also supported by grant from Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES/AUXPE-CIMAR 1991/2014). The authors also thank Dr Andrea Tucci (Institute of Botany) for helping in statistical analyses. The present study is part of the Master dissertation presented by the first author to the Graduate Program in Plant Biodiversity and Environment, Institute of Botany, São Paulo, Brazil.

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  1. Instituto de Botânica, Secretaria do Meio Ambiente do Estado de São Paulo, Av. Miguel Estéfano, 3687, 04301-012, São Paulo, SP, Brazil

    Jônatas M. C. Souza & Nair S. Yokoya

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  1. Jônatas M. C. Souza
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  2. Nair S. Yokoya
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Correspondence to Nair S. Yokoya.

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Souza, J.M.C., Yokoya, N.S. Effects of cytokinins on physiological and biochemical responses of the agar-producing red alga Gracilaria caudata (Gracilariales, Rhodophyta). J Appl Phycol 28, 3491–3499 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10811-016-0885-5

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