Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Mana Nakayasu, Momoka Amano, Tsuyoshi Tanaka, Ginga Shimakawa, Yusuke Matsuda
Summary: Highly oil-accumulative diatoms have potential as biomass for biofuel production. Understanding the relationship between oil accumulation and photosynthesis under fluctuating environmental conditions is crucial for high-yield diatom oil harvesting. In this study, the physiological responses of two diatom species (Fistulifera solaris and Mayamaea sp. JPCC CTDA0820) to nitrogen starvation were characterized, revealing distinct nitrogen requirements and photosynthetic responses. F. solaris exhibited growth retardation and suppressed photosynthetic activity, while Mayamaea sp. maintained normal growth and decreased Chl a amount per cells. These findings suggest two types of photosynthetic responses in oleaginous diatoms under nitrogen starvation.
MARINE BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Joao Serodio, Alexandra Bastos, Jerome Morelle, Silja Frankenbach
Summary: This study developed a model to quantitatively characterize and compare the experienced light environment of two life forms of pennate diatoms in intertidal estuarine sediments. The results showed that motile and non-motile diatoms experience significantly different light environments, with motile species having a more stable light regime and receiving increased mean daily light doses. These findings support the adaptive value of light-driven motility and identify vertical migration as a niche-construction activity for motile diatoms to regulate their light environment.
ECOLOGICAL MODELLING
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Vasco Giovagnetti, Alexander Ruban
Summary: The study investigated the fluorescence emission characteristics of photosystems in the pennate diatom, revealing that the F710 fluorescence originates from Photosystem I and is enhanced in cells grown under intermittent light. This enhancement is likely due to increased energy flow from the FCP antenna to Photosystem I.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Rui Cereja, Vanda Brotas, Susana Nunes, Marta Rodrigues, Joana P. C. Cruz, Ana C. Brito
Summary: This study assessed the tidal effect on water quality parameters in a mesotidal estuary and evaluated the impact of tidal conditions on water quality indicators and classification systems. Results showed that nutrient concentrations were the most responsive to tidal conditions, with low neap tide being the best for assessing worst-case scenarios. The classification using mean as a metric was more sensitive to high nutrient concentrations, while the 90th percentile responded better to multiple high values in lower nutrient concentration areas.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Guo-Ying Du, Xue-Feng Zhong, Christine Dupuy, Shuai Che, Johann Lavaud
Summary: The herbicide diuron affects photosynthesis and vertical migration of intertidal microphytobenthos (MPB) assemblages. High concentrations of diuron significantly decrease maximum relative electron transport rate, maximal PS II quantum yield and non-photochemical quenching, while middle concentrations show recovery of these parameters after a period of time. Concentration-dependent parameters such as rETRmax, Fv/Fm and NPQ are more sensitive in assessing diuron toxicity.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2021)
Article
Agronomy
Paulina A. Rajewicz, Chao Zhang, Jon Atherton, Shari Van Wittenberghe, Anu Riikonen, Troy Magney, Beatriz Fernandez-Marin, Jose Ignacio Garcia Plazaola, Albert Porcar-Castell
Summary: Chlorophyll fluorescence can be used as a proxy for photosynthesis in boreal forests. This study measured the spectral chlorophyll fluorescence in leaves of three dominant evergreen species in the boreal ecosystem and analyzed the correlations with other traits to understand the spatial and temporal variation in chlorophyll fluorescence. The findings suggest that the diversity of species and light environments within an ecosystem generate baseline variation in leaf spectral chlorophyll fluorescence and contrasting seasonal photosynthetic acclimation patterns.
AGRICULTURAL AND FOREST METEOROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Susana Constenla-Villoslada, Yanyan Liu, Jiaming Wen, Ying Sun, Shun Chonabayashi
Summary: Anthropogenic land degradation and climate change-induced weather shocks pose a threat to rural livelihoods in developing economies. The Sustainable Land Management Project in Ethiopia has shown positive impacts in restoring land productivity and increasing resilience to weather shocks. Remote sensing technologies can be used to assess the effectiveness of ecosystem restoration programs.
NATURE SUSTAINABILITY
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Jin Guan, Ke Teng, Yuesen Yue, Yidi Guo, Lingyun Liu, Shuxia Yin, Liebao Han
Summary: The ZjNOL gene in the warm-season turfgrass Zoysia japonica was found to be highly expressed in senescent leaves. ZjNOL accelerates leaf senescence by promoting the accumulation of abscisic acid and carbohydrates, as well as causing excessive accumulation of reactive oxygen species and oxidative stress. Additionally, ZjNOL inhibits photosynthetic efficiency by damaging the oxygen-evolving complex. These findings highlight the important role of ZjNOL in chlorophyll degradation and senescence, making it a valuable candidate gene for genome editing to enhance the green period and photosynthesis efficiency of Z. japonica germplasm.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Xingfan Li, Jiyu Du, Baiquan Song, Xi Zhang, Muhammad Riaz
Summary: This study simulated the effects of Fomesafen drift deposition on sugar beet and found that a high dose of Fomesafen inhibited sugar beet growth and damaged the photosynthetic system, increasing malondialdehyde content and affecting the activity of peroxidase in leaves.
Article
Agronomy
Xiaoyun Huang, Hongxing Chen, Hui Chen, Chengwu Fan, Yueying Tai, Xiaoran Chen, Wang Zhang, Tengbing He, Zhenran Gao
Summary: The temporal and spatial heterogeneity of chlorophyll content and fluorescence in rice canopy leaves under different Cd stress concentrations was explored in this study. The responses of relative chlorophyll content (SPAD) and chlorophyll fluorescence (ChlF) parameters to Cd stress in different growth stages were analyzed. It was found that lower leaves had higher SPAD values in the tillering stage, while upper leaves had higher SPAD values in the heading and filling stages. Certain ChlF parameters were more sensitive to Cd stress than others.
Article
Plant Sciences
Zhihuan Zhang, Xuena Liu, Na Li, Bili Cao, Tingting Huang, Ping Li, Shuqin Liu, Yongzhi Zhang, Kun Xu
Summary: This study investigated the effects of ofloxacin (OFL) concentration on tomato growth, photosynthetic activity, and chlorophyll fluorescence kinetics. The results showed that lower OFL concentrations had little impact on tomato growth, but higher concentrations caused chloroplast rupture, chlorophyll degradation, leaf etiolation, and inhibition of photosynthesis. Furthermore, the photosynthetic and photochemical efficiency and electron transfer rate were significantly inhibited by OFL.
PLANT PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Christine L. Weilhoefer, Cristiana N. Matteucci, Frances Turner
Summary: This study found that distance from the estuary mouth and salinity are the most important predictors of diatom assemblage structure, while microphytobenthos biomass is highest in the downstream estuary characterized by higher salinities, SRP, and substrate sand composition.
ESTUARIES AND COASTS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Christine L. Weilhoefer, Frances Turner, Cristiana N. Matteucci
Summary: This study investigated the temporal and spatial patterns of microphytobenthos (MPB) in a Pacific Northwest estuary with complex environmental gradients. The research found that MPB biomass and diatom assemblage composition varied between sites and seasons, with different relationships with environmental variables. Despite the complexity in understanding these relationships, the study suggests that tidal flat diatoms can serve as indicators of estuarine environmental conditions.
ESTUARIES AND COASTS
(2021)
Article
Agronomy
Dominika Radzikowska-Kujawska, Paula John, Tomasz Piechota, Marcin Nowicki, Przemyslaw Lukasz Kowalczewski
Summary: In order to prevent further degradation of the environment, restrictions on the use of plant protection products and fertilizers are being strengthened annually. This study evaluated the effectiveness of four commercial biostimulants in improving the tolerance of winter wheat to drought stress. Among the biostimulants tested, those based on bacterial strains had the strongest positive effects on wheat plants' drought tolerance. These treatments led to higher CO2 assimilation, reduced transpiration values, and increased stomatal conductance under drought conditions, indicating improved water use efficiency. The use of these bacterial biostimulants also resulted in less damage to the photosynthetic apparatus and higher grain yield compared to other treatments. These findings suggest the potential of these biostimulants in mitigating drought-related yield losses in wheat.
Article
Agronomy
Chung- Chen, Kuan-Hung Lin, Meng-Yuan Huang, Chih-Kai Yang, Yu-Hsiu Lin, Mei-Li Hsueh, Li-Hua Lee, Ching-Wen Wang
Summary: SC and NT are two different modern orchard management systems in Taiwan for sustainable citrus orchard development. SC showed higher physiological parameters like Rd, Qy, LCP, Amax, and Fv/Fm compared to NT, especially in fall and winter. Pn, Gs, ETR, NPQ, and Fv/Fm values were higher in spring and summer compared to fall and winter, with positive correlations between Pn and Gs under both NT and SC in all seasons, and significant negative relationships between ETR and NPQ under NT in fall and winter.
Article
Plant Sciences
Pedro M. P. Correia, Anabela B. da Silva, Thomas Roitsch, Elizabete Carmo-Silva, Jorge Marques da Silva
Summary: This study compared the photosynthetic performance of two Triticum aestivum L. cultivars under water deficit and high temperature conditions, with differences in recovery abilities attributed to stomatal limitations, electron transport rate, and photoprotection.
PHYSIOLOGIA PLANTARUM
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Hamilton Chiango, Andreia Figueiredo, Lisete Sousa, Thomas Sinclair, Jorge Marques da Silva
Summary: Maize is the third most important grain crop in the world, but few research studies have been conducted on the performance of Mozambique's maize germplasm under drought stress conditions. Among the genotypes studied, G234 and C123 showed the best performance in coping with drought stress.
SOUTH AFRICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY
(2021)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Manuela Teixeira, Eduardo Feijao, Luis Catarino, Ana Rita Matos, Andreia Figueiredo, Jorge Marques da Silva
Summary: This study investigated the physiological and biochemical characteristics of Guinea-Bissau landraces and elite cultivars under drought stress, revealing differences in responses among different genotypes. The elite cultivar P0023 showed relatively higher drought tolerance compared to the Guinea landraces, which exhibited greater sensitivity to drought stress.
Review
Fisheries
Anthony Moreira, Sonia Cruz, Ruben Marques, Paulo Cartaxana
Summary: Green macroalgae currently represent a small fraction of global seaweed production, with red and brown macroalgae dominating the aquaculture industry. However, there is a growing trend in the cultivation and diversification of green macroalgae, particularly in Asia. Interest in green seaweeds in aquaculture is increasing in emerging western markets due to their unique characteristics and potential applications.
REVIEWS IN AQUACULTURE
(2022)
Article
Agronomy
H. Chiango, N. Jafarikouhini, D. Pradhan, A. Figueiredo, J. Silva, T. R. Sinclair, J. Holland
Summary: This study tested maize genotypes released for production in southern Africa and identified four genotypes with specific soil water-conservation traits that show promise for increased yield under water-limited conditions. These genotypes are genetic resources for further research to improve maize drought resilience.
JOURNAL OF CROP IMPROVEMENT
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Ana M. Cavaco, Andrei B. Utkin, Jorge Marques da Silva, Rui Guerra
Summary: The development of non-invasive optical spectroscopy has led to the growth of prospective technologies for plant monitoring. These technologies, implemented in devices with different functions and hardware, increasingly utilize advanced data processing algorithms such as machine learning. Optical spectroscopy is widely used for plant tissue evaluation, crop diagnosis, and studying plant response to biotic and abiotic stress. It can also assist in non-invasive assessment of photosynthetic biofilms and the impact of plant species on biodiversity and ecosystem stability.
APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ruben Marques, Anthony Moreira, Sonia Cruz, Ricardo Calado, Paulo Cartaxana
Summary: This study investigates the seasonal effects of light intensity and wavelength on productivity, pigment composition, and epiphyte overgrowth in Codium tomentosum cultured in a land-based integrated multi-trophic aquaculture system. The study demonstrates that optimizing light conditions is crucial for algal growth and the production of high-value compounds. Additionally, controlling light can reduce epiphyte overgrowth and enhance the valorization of macroalgal biomass.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Paulo Cartaxana, Diana Lopes, Begona Martinez, Patricia Martins, Sonia Cruz
Summary: Elysia crispata is a sea slug that can steal and retain chloroplasts, but individuals unable to retain chloroplasts experience impaired development.
Article
Biology
Diana Lopes, Sonia Cruz, Patricia Martins, Sonia Ferreira, Claudia Nunes, Pedro Domingues, Paulo Cartaxana
Summary: This study investigates the impact of kleptoplast photosynthesis on mucus production in the tropical sea slug Elysia crispata. The findings suggest that photosynthesis is crucial for mucus production in kleptoplast-bearing sea slugs.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Felisa Rey, Paulo Cartaxana, Susana Aveiro, Michael Greenacre, Tania Melo, Pedro Domingues, M. Rosario Domingues, Sonia Cruz
Summary: A study on the sea slug Elysia timida revealed that light intensity influences the degradation of stolen chloroplasts (kleptoplasts), with older kleptoplasts being targeted for degradation. The lipidome of E. timida showed differences under different light treatments, indicating a light-driven remodelling of the lipidome.
BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-MOLECULAR AND CELL BIOLOGY OF LIPIDS
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Sonia Cruz, Paulo Cartaxana
Summary: This article examines the mystery of how certain sacoglossan sea slugs can retain and utilize functional algal chloroplasts in their bodies for an extended period of time, without the support of the algal nucleus.
Editorial Material
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Ruben X. G. Silva, Diana Madeira, Paulo Cartaxana, Ricardo Calado
Summary: Climate change-induced bleaching events have become increasingly common in coral reefs. While direct impacts have received attention, the indirect impacts, such as trophic interactions, have been largely overlooked. To address this research gap, the model predator-prey pair of Berghia stephanieae and Exaiptasia diaphana is advocated for studying the trophic effects of bleaching. These organisms are already used in other research fields, allowing for the utilization of existing knowledge on their physiology and culture protocols. The use of this model pair can help unravel the long-term prevalence of trophic effects in coral reef communities.
Article
Plant Sciences
Ana C. R. Resende, Rui Pereira, Claudia Nunes, Sonia Cruz, Ricardo Calado, Paulo Cartaxana
Summary: This study investigated the photosynthetic pigments and carbohydrates of Fucus vesiculosus from six locations in the Ria de Aveiro coastal lagoon. Despite differences in environmental factors, the photosynthetic performance, pigment, and carbohydrate concentrations were similar between locations. The concentration of total carbohydrates averaged 418 mg g(-1) dw, with fucose being the second most abundant neutral sugar. Fucoxanthin concentrations were higher than most brown macroalgae, suggesting the potential for valuable bioactive compounds.
Article
Plant Sciences
Felisa Rey, Paulo Cartaxana, Sonia Cruz, Tania Melo, M. Rosario Domingues
Summary: Marine algae are important sources of high-value compounds. This study focused on the lipidome and pigment profile of Acetabularia acetabulum, a macroscopic green single-celled alga. Analysis identified 16 polar lipid classes and 191 lipid species, as well as carotenoids and chlorophylls. The lipid extracts showed high antioxidant activity.
JOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Paulo Cartaxana, Luca Morelli, Elena Cassin, Vesa Havurinne, Miguel Cabral, Sonia Cruz
Summary: This study investigates the effects of algal prey species and abundance on the growth and photosynthetic capacity of the sea slug Elysia crispata. It finds that juvenile slugs acquire chloroplasts from Bryopsis plumosa, while adult slugs can switch to Acetabularia acetabulum. Feeding frequency of B. plumosa promotes slug growth and photosynthetic yield, and prolongs the lifespan of chloroplasts.
ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE
(2023)