Isoprene Emission in Darkness by a Facultative Heterotrophic Green Alga - PubMed
- ️Wed Jan 01 2020
Isoprene Emission in Darkness by a Facultative Heterotrophic Green Alga
K G Srikanta Dani et al. Front Plant Sci. 2020.
Abstract
Isoprene is a highly reactive biogenic volatile hydrocarbon that strongly influences atmospheric oxidation chemistry and secondary organic aerosol budget. Many phytoplanktons emit isoprene like terrestrial pants. Planktonic isoprene emission is stimulated by light and heat and is seemingly dependent on photosynthesis, as in higher plants. However, prominent isoprene-emitting phytoplanktons are known to survive also as mixotrophs and heterotrophs. Chlorella vulgaris strain G-120, a unicellular green alga capable of both photoautotrophic and heterotrophic growth, was examined for isoprene emission using GC-MS and real-time PTR-MS in light (+CO2) and in darkness (+glucose). Chlorella emitted isoprene at the same rate both as a photoautotroph under light, and as an exclusive heterotroph while feeding on exogenous glucose in complete darkness. By implication, isoprene synthesis in eukaryotic phytoplankton can be fully supported by glycolytic pathways in absence of photosynthesis, which is not the case in higher plants. Isoprene emission by chlorophyll-depleted mixotrophs and heterotrophs in darkness serves unknown functions and may contribute to anomalies in oceanic isoprene estimates.
Keywords: Chlorella vulgaris; chlorophyll; glycolysis; heterotrophy; marine isoprene; photosynthesis in unicellular eukaryotes; volatile hydrocarbons.
Copyright © 2020 Dani, Torzillo, Michelozzi, Baraldi and Loreto.
Figures

Light and dark isoprene emission by Chlorella vulgaris (A) on chlorophyll (Chl) basis, (B) on culture dry weight (DW) basis. Emission in the light was measured from phototrophic cultures (minimal mineral medium). Emission in the dark was measured from heterotrophic cultures (glucose medium; N ≥ 6 technical replicates, t test, α = 0.05).

Illustration of proposed interactions among glycolytic pathways, photosynthesis, and isoprene biosynthesis in (A) photoautotrophic eukaryotes in continous light (B) heterotrophic eukaryotes in continuous darkness. Metabolic cross-talk among CBB cycle (active only in light), the three glycolytic pathways namely the OPP pathway, the ED pathway, and cytosolic glysolysis, is indicated by prominent arrows. The thickness of arrows indicate the potential flux strength. The CBB cycle and glycolytic pathways co-contribute GAP, pyruvate to the MEP pathway and isoprene synthesis in light. The three glycolytic pathways sustain carbon and energy supply for isoprene synthesis in darkness. CBB, Calvin-Benson-Bassham; OPP, oxidative pentose phosphate; G-6-P, glucose-6-phosphate; ED, Entner-Doudoroff; 6-P-gluconate, 6-phosphogluconate; KDPG, 2-keto-3-deoxy-6-phosphogluconate; Ribulose-5-P, ribulose-5-phosphate; 3-PGA, 3-phosphoglycerate; 2-PGA, 2-phosphoglycerate; GAP, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate; PEP, 2-phosphoenol pyruvate; MEP, 2-C-methyl-D-erythritol 4-phosphate; and DMADP, dimethylallyl diphosphate.
Similar articles
-
Brilli F, Ruuskanen TM, Schnitzhofer R, Müller M, Breitenlechner M, Bittner V, Wohlfahrt G, Loreto F, Hansel A. Brilli F, et al. PLoS One. 2011;6(5):e20419. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0020419. Epub 2011 May 26. PLoS One. 2011. PMID: 21637822 Free PMC article.
-
Experiments on mixotrophic protists and catastrophic darkness.
Jones H, Cockell CS, Goodson C, Price N, Simpson A, Thomas B. Jones H, et al. Astrobiology. 2009 Jul-Aug;9(6):563-71. doi: 10.1089/ast.2008.0283. Astrobiology. 2009. PMID: 19586393
-
Rasulov B, Talts E, Niinemets Ü. Rasulov B, et al. Plant Physiol. 2016 Dec;172(4):2275-2285. doi: 10.1104/pp.16.01002. Epub 2016 Oct 21. Plant Physiol. 2016. PMID: 27770061 Free PMC article.
-
Reconciling functions and evolution of isoprene emission in higher plants.
Loreto F, Fineschi S. Loreto F, et al. New Phytol. 2015 Apr;206(2):578-82. doi: 10.1111/nph.13242. Epub 2014 Dec 31. New Phytol. 2015. PMID: 25557381 Review.
-
Trade-Off Between Dimethyl Sulfide and Isoprene Emissions from Marine Phytoplankton.
Dani KGS, Loreto F. Dani KGS, et al. Trends Plant Sci. 2017 May;22(5):361-372. doi: 10.1016/j.tplants.2017.01.006. Epub 2017 Feb 24. Trends Plant Sci. 2017. PMID: 28242195 Review.
Cited by
-
Isoprene enhances leaf cytokinin metabolism and induces early senescence.
Dani KGS, Pollastri S, Pinosio S, Reichelt M, Sharkey TD, Schnitzler JP, Loreto F. Dani KGS, et al. New Phytol. 2022 May;234(3):961-974. doi: 10.1111/nph.17833. Epub 2021 Dec 20. New Phytol. 2022. PMID: 34716577 Free PMC article.
-
Bellucci M, Mostofa MG, Weraduwage SM, Xu Y, Abdelrahman M, De Gara L, Loreto F, Sharkey TD. Bellucci M, et al. Plant Direct. 2024 Jul 6;8(7):e617. doi: 10.1002/pld3.617. eCollection 2024 Jul. Plant Direct. 2024. PMID: 38973810 Free PMC article.
-
Isoprene: An Antioxidant Itself or a Molecule with Multiple Regulatory Functions in Plants?
Pollastri S, Baccelli I, Loreto F. Pollastri S, et al. Antioxidants (Basel). 2021 Apr 27;10(5):684. doi: 10.3390/antiox10050684. Antioxidants (Basel). 2021. PMID: 33925614 Free PMC article. Review.
References
-
- Babaei A., Ranglová K., Malapascua J. R., Torzillo G., Shayegan J., Benavides A. M. S., et al. (2020). Photobiochemical changes in Chlorella G120 culture during trophic conversion (metabolic pathway shift) from heterotrophic to phototrophic growth regime. J. Appl. Phycol. 32, 2807–2818. 10.1007/s10811-020-02137-w - DOI
-
- Beardall J., Raven J. A. (1981). Transport of inorganic carbon and the ‘CO2 concentrating mechanism’ in Chlorella emersonii (Chlorophyceae) 1. J. Phycol. 17, 134–141. 10.1111/j.1529-8817.1981.tb00832.x - DOI
-
- Booge D., Schlundt C., Bracher A., Endres S., Zäncker B., Marandino C. A. (2018). Marine isoprene production and consumption in the mixed layer of the surface ocean—a field study over two oceanic regions. Biogeosciences 15, 649–667. 10.5194/bg-15-649-2018 - DOI
-
- Broadgate W. J., Malin G., Küpper F. C., Thompson A., Liss P. S. (2004). Isoprene and other non-methane hydrocarbons from seaweeds: a source of reactive hydrocarbons to the atmosphere. Mar. Chem. 88, 61–73. 10.1016/j.marchem.2004.03.002 - DOI
-
- Dani K. G. S., Benavides A. M. S., Michelozzi M., Peluso G., Torzillo G., Loreto F. (2017). Relationship between isoprene emission and photosynthesis in diatoms, and its implications for global marine isoprene estimates. Mar. Chem. 189, 17–24. 10.1016/j.marchem.2016.12.005 - DOI
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources
Miscellaneous