Fottea 2023, 23(2):223-234 | DOI: 10.5507/fot.2023.001

Differences in pigment composition and concentration between phototrophic, mixotrophic, and heterotrophic Chrysophyceae

Jens Boenigk1, 2*, Daniela Beisser1, 2, Luise Franke1, Lea Klar1, Maja Ilić3, 4, Patrick Fink3, 5
1 University of Duisburg-Essen, Biodiversity, Universitätsstr. 5, 45141 Essen, Germany; *Corresponding author e-mail: jens.boenigk@uni-due.de
2 University of Duisburg-Essen, Centre for Water and Environmental Research, Universitätsstr. 5, 45141 Essen, Germany
3 University of Cologne, Institute for Zoology, Zuelpicher Strasse 47b, 50674 Koeln, Germany
4 present address: Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Forest Health and Biotic Interactions, Zuercherstrasse 111, 8903 Birmensdorf, Switzerland
5 present address: Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department River Ecology and Department Aquatic Ecosystem Analysis and Management, Brueckstrasse 3a, 39114 Magdeburg, Germany

The presence of distinct pigments is characteristic of different algal groups while the relative concentration of these pigments may vary with light conditions. Here we investigate the pigment pattern of 35 strains of Chrysophyceae by means of high-performance liquid chromatography. We further investigated shifts in pigment concentrations between light and dark conditions and the conservation of these pigment patterns in heterotrophic, mixotrophic, and phototrophic taxa. We did not find chlorophyll in heterotrophic strains but carotenoids were present in all taxa. In phototrophs and mixotrophs, we confirm the presence of the chlorophylls-a, c1, and c2 as well as of fucoxanthin. We provide evidence for the violaxanthin cycle as the dominant xanthophyll cycle. Moreover, we found pigments of the diadinoxanthin cycle in low concentrations. While pigment concentrations were regulated depending on light availability in photosynthetic taxa, they were unaffected by light in heterotrophic taxa.

Keywords: carotenoids, chlorophylls, Chrysophyceae, light adaptation, pigments, trophic mode

Received: October 7, 2022; Revised: January 13, 2023; Accepted: January 15, 2023; Prepublished online: August 2, 2023; Published: October 25, 2023Show citation

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Boenigk, J., Beisser, D., Franke, L., Klar, L., Ilić, M., & Fink, P. (2023). Differences in pigment composition and concentration between phototrophic, mixotrophic, and heterotrophic Chrysophyceae. Fottea, 23(2), 223-234. doi: 10.5507/fot.2023.001
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