The Analysis of the Genetic Parameters of Chlorella vulgaris Beyer. Culture Growing in the Presence of Sodium Selenite, Zinc Sulfate and Chromium Chloride

Abstract

The genetic polymorphism of Chlorella vulgaris under the action of trace elements selenium, zinc and chromium has been studied to optimize the method of algae cultivation and production of beneficial compounds. Metals and nonmetals, when entering the cell, have a high biochemical effect, modifying metabolic reactions, including those related to the functioning of the genetic apparatus of microalgae cells. The work uses generally accepted methods of algae cultivation, the method of DNA isolation by Rogers and Bendich (1985); molecular genetic analysis using ISSR (inter simple sequence repeats) and IRAP (inter-retransposon amplified polymorphism) markers. For all samples of C. vulgaris, 109 fragments were obtained, 42 of which were polymorphic (38.5%). The Jacquard genetic distances (Dj) between samples of C. vulgaris culture growing on nutrient media of different composition and control (culture grown under standard conditions) were: 0.232 for the action of selenite alone, 0.206 for the combined action of selenite and zinc and 0.300 for joint action of selenite and chromium. It was found that the excessive addition of trace elements to the cultivation medium causes certain modifications of the genetic apparatus of algae cells. At the same time, the detected changes in algal cells cultivated with different trace elements and their combinations are within the level of genetic polymorphism of unicellular green algae under natural growth conditions. It testifies the absence of significant genotoxic effects of trace elements and high metabolic and genetic plasticity of studied C. vulgaris culture.