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Plants
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Mechanisms of Algae Adapting to Environmental Changes
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Mechanisms of Algae Adapting to Environmental Changes

A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Response to Abiotic Stress and Climate Change".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2025) | Viewed by 3096

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Maksymilian Zienkiewicz

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
Interests: Cyanidioschyzon

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Algae play a crucial role in aquatic ecosystems and are essential for global carbon cycling and oxygen production. Their ability to adapt to environmental changes is increasingly relevant, especially in the context of climate change, pollution, and habitat alteration. Mechanisms such as phenotypic plasticity, genetic adaptation, and symbiotic relationships enable algae to thrive under varying conditions, including fluctuations in light, temperature, salinity, and nutrient availability. Research in this field enhances our understanding of algal biology and informs conservation strategies and the development of sustainable practises in aquaculture and biofuel production. Exploring the intricate ways algae respond to environmental stressors provides key insights that could lead to innovative approaches for ecosystem management and restoration.

This Special Issue of Plants will highlight mechanisms of algae adapting to environmental changes.

Dr. Maksymilian Zienkiewicz
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • environmental changes
  • algae
  • mechanisms of adaptation
  • environmental stress
  • genetic modification

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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17 pages, 658 KiB  
Article
Modulations of Photosynthetic Membrane Lipids and Fatty Acids in Response to High Light in Brown Algae (Undaria pinnatifida)
by Natalia V. Zhukova and Irina M. Yakovleva
Plants 2025, 14(12), 1818; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14121818 - 13 Jun 2025
Viewed by 313
Abstract
Light is a source of energy for photosynthesis and hence promotes the regulation of multiple physiological and metabolic processes in photoautotrophic organisms. Understanding how brown macrophytes adjust the physical and biochemical properties of photosynthetic membranes in response to high-irradiance environments has received little [...] Read more.
Light is a source of energy for photosynthesis and hence promotes the regulation of multiple physiological and metabolic processes in photoautotrophic organisms. Understanding how brown macrophytes adjust the physical and biochemical properties of photosynthetic membranes in response to high-irradiance environments has received little attention so far. Particularly, it concerns the lipid flexibility of thylakoid membranes. We examined the lipid classes, fatty acid (FA) profiles, chloroplast ultrastructure, and photosynthetic performance of the brown macroalga Undaria pinnatifida after long-term exposure to high light (HL) and moderate light (ML) intensities, at 400 and 270 µmol photons m−2 s−1, respectively. U. pinnatifida responded to HL with a reduction in the level of thylakoid membrane lipids, monogalactosyldiacylglycerol (MGDG), digalactosyldiacylglycerol (DGDG), sulfoquinovosyldiacylglycerol (SQDG), and phosphatidylglycerol (PG), while the character of lipid modulations was specific. The content of storage lipids, triacylglycerols enriched in n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), increased under HL. The general response to long-term HL for the studied thylakoid membrane lipids, but not for SQDG, was the remodeling of FA composition towards increasing the percentages of saturated and monounsaturated acyl groups over PUFAs, suggesting a photoprotective strategy against the intensification of lipid peroxidation. In all, we showed that remodeling in photosynthetic membrane lipids accompanied by structural changes in chloroplasts and modulations in photosynthetic performance augmented the ability of U. pinnatifida to counteract high-intensity light, thereby contributing to its survival potential under suboptimal irradiance conditions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mechanisms of Algae Adapting to Environmental Changes)
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22 pages, 16069 KiB  
Article
Metabolomic Insights into the Adaptations and Biotechnological Potential of Euglena gracilis Under Different Trophic Conditions
by Sahutchai Inwongwan, Sutthiphat Sriwari and Chayakorn Pumas
Plants 2025, 14(11), 1580; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14111580 - 22 May 2025
Viewed by 763
Abstract
Euglena gracilis is a metabolically versatile microalga capable of thriving under photoautotrophic (light, no ethanol), mixotrophic (light with 1% v/v ethanol), and heterotrophic (dark with 1% v/v ethanol) conditions. Here, we applied untargeted LC-MS metabolomics (Agilent 1290 LC, 6545XT [...] Read more.
Euglena gracilis is a metabolically versatile microalga capable of thriving under photoautotrophic (light, no ethanol), mixotrophic (light with 1% v/v ethanol), and heterotrophic (dark with 1% v/v ethanol) conditions. Here, we applied untargeted LC-MS metabolomics (Agilent 1290 LC, 6545XT QTOF-MS; Agilent Technologies, Santa Clara, California, USA) to investigate its trophic-mode-dependent metabolic adaptations and assess its biotechnological potential. Metabolites were separated on a C18 column and analyzed in both positive and negative ion modes. Multivariate analyses (PCA and sPLS-DA) revealed clear and reproducible metabolic separations among growth modes (p < 0.001). Photoautotrophic cultures were enriched in phenolic acids, flavonoids, and lipid classes associated with oxidative stress protection. Mixotrophy induced a broader spectrum of upregulated metabolite classes, including saccharolipids, macrolactams, and triterpenoids, reflecting a hybrid metabolism combining photosynthesis and ethanol utilization. Heterotrophic cultures showed elevated levels of polyamines and amino acids (e.g., putrescine, proline), indicative of redox regulation and stress adaptation in dark, ethanol-rich conditions. Class-level comparisons identified distinct and shared metabolite categories, with photoautotrophy favoring antioxidant biosynthesis and mixotrophy supporting metabolic diversity. These findings provide metabolite-level insights into the extraordinary plasticity of E. gracilis and offer a framework for optimizing cultivation strategies to enhance the targeted production of high-value bioproducts. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mechanisms of Algae Adapting to Environmental Changes)
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21 pages, 8695 KiB  
Article
Investigation of a Rare Occurrence of a Diatomaceous Coating of the Cotswold Weir Wall on the Condamine River, Australia
by John P. Thompson, John Standley and Rachel C. Hancock
Plants 2025, 14(3), 332; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14030332 - 23 Jan 2025
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Abstract
A white encrustation of the Cotswold Weir wall in the lower reaches of the Condamine River, a tributary of the Murray–Darling River system in semi-arid Australia, was investigated following community concern that it indicated health risks from an unknown substance in the water [...] Read more.
A white encrustation of the Cotswold Weir wall in the lower reaches of the Condamine River, a tributary of the Murray–Darling River system in semi-arid Australia, was investigated following community concern that it indicated health risks from an unknown substance in the water resulting from mining and agricultural enterprises in the catchment. The vitreous white surface consisted of closely packed frustules of diatoms, observed by scanning electron microscopy, with an underlying layer of clay particles and dried filamentous green algae. Pennate diatoms identified in the white encrustation were the benthic species Nitzschia palea (predominant), Eolimna subminiscula, Craticula aff. cuspidata, Navicula viridula var. rostellata, and Luticola mutica. The centric diatom species Melosira varians was also present as filamentous chains of cylindrical frustules among the aggregated pennate diatom frustules. The encrustation was the remains of a periphyton (biofilm) of diatoms and green algae that had developed during protracted stream flow over the weir wall following record flooding. A dry period had resulted in the death of the diatoms and exposure of their aggregated siliceous frustules as a vitreous white coating. All diatom species identified are considered tolerant of eutrophic and mildly saline conditions. Chemical analyses of water from the Cotswold Weir, compared to long-term records, revealed higher salinity, with changes from March when the river was flowing to September when the white coating was noted, in electrical conductivity (299 to 461 µS/cm), and in sodium (26 to 43 mg/L) and chloride (26 to 75 mg/L) concentrations, respectively. Total nitrogen (0.82 to 1.6 mg/L) and total phosphorus (0.24 to 0.094 mg/L) were at mesotrophic and eutrophic concentrations, respectively, together with substantial dissolved silica concentrations (18 to 11 mg/L). Atomic ratios for total nitrogen/total phosphorus (7.6 to 37.6), nitrate-nitrogen/orthophosphate-phosphorus (2.3 to 274), and dissolved silica–silicon:orthophosphate-phosphorus (81.7 to 749) probably favoured diatoms over other photoautotrophs. While the diatomaceous encrustation indicated no health risks from the weir water, continued watch is required to avoid eutrophication and salinization of the river. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mechanisms of Algae Adapting to Environmental Changes)
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12 pages, 1023 KiB  
Brief Report
What Is the Potential of Daphnia (Water Flea) Predation as a Means of Biological Suppression of Prymnesium parvum (Golden Algae) Blooms in Ecologically Relevant Conditions?
by Marta Galas, Marta Grabska, Maksymilian Zienkiewicz and Tomasz Krupnik
Plants 2025, 14(12), 1796; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14121796 - 11 Jun 2025
Viewed by 648
Abstract
This study explores the interaction between Prymnesium parvum and Daphnia magna under low-salinity conditions. P. parvum showed reduced growth below 0.4 PSU and peaked at 1.0 PSU within the tested 0.2–1.0 PSU range. D. magna, exposed to P. parvum across 0.0–6.0 PSU, [...] Read more.
This study explores the interaction between Prymnesium parvum and Daphnia magna under low-salinity conditions. P. parvum showed reduced growth below 0.4 PSU and peaked at 1.0 PSU within the tested 0.2–1.0 PSU range. D. magna, exposed to P. parvum across 0.0–6.0 PSU, experienced increased mortality at 4.0 and 6.0 PSU, but tolerated 0.0–1.0 PSU well and grazed actively on P. parvum without significant vitality loss. This range reflects conditions observed in the Oder River during the 2022 fish die-off. The count of P. parvum cells did not vary significantly across the 0.2 to 1.0 PSU range of salinities in D. magna presence, except at 0.6 PSU. All daphnids survived even at P. parvum densities of 1 × 105 cells/mL, though increasing algal concentrations reduced juvenile growth rates. Direct observation under a microscope confirmed algal ingestion. Toxin accumulation in cells and medium likely reduced grazing efficiency via allelopathic effects. The study assessed whether D. magna can tolerate prymnesins while maintaining feeding under varying salinities. Results suggest that Daphnia magna could act as a biological suppressor of golden algae under certain environmental conditions, though further work is needed to quantify grazing efficiency and prymnesins concentrations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mechanisms of Algae Adapting to Environmental Changes)
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