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Growth and metabolism enhancement in microalgae co-cultured in suspension with the bacterium Azospirillum brasilense under heterotrophic conditions

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Abstract

The mutualistic interactions of microalgae with other microorganisms can be altered by different culture conditions or environment factors. The mutualistic interaction of the bacterium Azospirillum brasilense co-cultured in suspension with the microalgae Chlorella sp. and Scenedesmus sp. under heterotrophy was evaluated in this study. The results demonstrated that the production of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and tryptophan (Trp) by the bacterium and microalgae, respectively, allowed maintain their affinity and mutualistic association under a heterotrophic regime. However, the glucose uptake of the consortium depends on the culture system, immobilized, or in suspension. Co-cultured in suspension with the bacterium, the biomass production of Chlorella sp. (0.8 ± 0.1 g L−1) and Scenedesmus sp. (0.9 ± 0.1 g L−1) and cell compound accumulation—mostly carbohydrates and proteins—were higher than when each microalga was cultured alone. Overall, these results demonstrated that, co-cultured in suspension, A. brasilense can be a suitable partner to Chlorella sp. and Scenedesmus sp., highlighting that the compatibility and mutualistic interaction of this consortium does not change under different culture systems and growth conditions. Also, this study expands the biotechnological potential of this consortium microalgal-Azospirillum as well as its incidence in different bioprocesses supported by microalgae.

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All data generated or analyzed during this study are included in this published article and its supplementary information file.

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Acknowledgements

Francisco J. Choix acknowledges Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONACyT,

Mexico) for the support under the Program-Project 90 Cátedras CONACyT and Martín Flores Martínez and Sergio Oliva León for scanning electron microscopy (SEM) service of CUCEI-UdG. JCEH are thankful to the Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnologìa (CONACYT,Mexico) for a grant to purchase the NMR instrument (INFR-2014-01-226114).

Funding

This study was funded by CONACyT- Frontiers of Science 2019 Project 15769.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CONACYT – Universidad Autónoma de Chihuahua, Circuito Universitario S/N, C.P. 31125, Chihuahua, Chihuahua, México

    Francisco J. Choix

  2. Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Autónoma de Chihuahua, Circuito Universitario S/N, C.P. 31125, Chihuahua, Chihuahua, México

    Francisco J. Choix, Oskar A. Palacios, Claudia A. Contreras & José Carlos Espinoza-Hicks

  3. The Bashan Institute of Science, 1730 Post Oak Court, Auburn, AL, 36830, USA

    Oskar A. Palacios

  4. Centro de Investigación y Asistencia en Tecnología y Diseño del Estado de Jalisco, A.C. Camino Arenero 1227, C.P. 45019, Zapopan, Jalisco, México

    Pedro Mondragón-Cortez

  5. Tecnológico Nacional de México/I. T. del Valle del Yaqui. Academy of Biology, Av., Tecnológico, Block 611, Bácum, Sonora, México

    Jony R. Torres

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  1. Francisco J. Choix
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Contributions

FJC and OAP designed the research; JRTV, CACG and JCEH supervised the research; JRTV and CACG performed the research and statistical analysis; FJC, OAP, MCP and JCEH analyzed and interpreted the data; FJC, OAP, MCP and JCEH wrote the paper. All the authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Francisco J. Choix.

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10811_2022_2891_MOESM1_ESM.pdf

Supplementary file1 Qualitative biomass characterization and glucose uptake of A. brasilense cultured in suspension or immobilized in alginate beads under heterotrophic growth. (PDF 114 KB)

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Choix, F.J., Palacios, O.A., Contreras, C.A. et al. Growth and metabolism enhancement in microalgae co-cultured in suspension with the bacterium Azospirillum brasilense under heterotrophic conditions. J Appl Phycol 35, 57–71 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10811-022-02891-z

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