2. ENVIRONMENTAL ChEMISTRy & TEChNOLOGy 2.1. Lectures

Chem. Listy, 102, s265–s1311 (2008) Environmental Chemistry & Technology
Fig. 2. hPLC chromatograms of carotenoids from the Mougeotia
sp. samples: a – control sample; b – illumination with
4,500 μmol m –2 s –1 ; c – recovery after illumination. Peak identities
are: 1: violaxanthin, 2: antheraxanthin, 3: lutein, 4: zeaxanthin,
5: 5,6-epoxy-β-carotene, 6: α-carotene, 7: β-carotene, 8: 9Z
– β-carotene, 9: 15Z – β-carotene
a
b
c
s440
Conclusions
The obtained data reveals the way in which the carotenoid
pattern is affected by high light stress in the analyzed
algal strain, as well as the way this reacts during the recovery
stage.
They proved that the xanthophyll cycle’s regulatory
mechanism is functional in Mougeotia sp. algae, leading to
an almost complete interconversion of violaxanthin to antheraxanthin
and zeaxanthin. However, its contribution to nonphotochemical
quenching is not as significant as in higher
plants; the small amounts of zeaxanthin recorded during
experiments suggesting that this strain posses another dissipation
mechanism(s) which operates together with xanthophyll
cycle.
Hence, HPLC analysis revealed a particular behavior of
Mougeotia spp. algae under intense illumination: the major
de-epoxidation product of violaxanthin is not zeaxanthin, but
antheraxanthin. More than that, the high light stress affects
the whole carotenoid biosynthesis, starting with the violaxanthin
cycle’s precursor: β-carotene.
This work has been supported by 2-CEx06-11-54/ 2006
research grant.
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