Comparative biotransformation and detoxification potential of arsenic by three macroalgae species in seawater: Evidence from laboratory culture studies

Abstract

Algae accumulate and metabolize arsenic (As) and facilitate cycling and speciation of As in seawater. The laboratory-controlled macroalgal cultures were exposed to different molar ratios of As(V) and phosphate (P) in seawater for evaluating the uptake and metabolism of As, as a function of As(V) detoxification through biotransformation. Chlorophyll fluorescence of algal species was not significantly affected by the culture conditions (p > 0.05). Addition of 10 μM P positively reduce As stress, but different As(V)/P ratios significantly affect the growth rate (p < 0.05). Algae readily accumulated As(V) after the inoculation, transformed intracellularly, and released gradually into the medium along the incubation period, depending on As(V)/P molar ratios. Reduction and methylation were the leading processes of As(V) metabolism by Pyropia yezoensis, whereas Sargassum patens showed only the reduction. Sargassum horneri reduced As(V) under low level (0.1 μM), but both reduction and methylation were observed under a high level (1 μM). At the end of incubation, 0.17, 0.15, 0.1 μM of reduced metabolite (As[III]) were recorded from 1 μM of As(V)/P containing cultures of Sargassum horneri, Sargassum patens, and Pyropia yezoensis, respectively. On the other hand, 0.024 and 0.28 μM of methylated metabolite (DMAA[V]) were detected under the same culture conditions from Sargassum horneri and Pyropia yezoensis, respectively. The results also indicated that P in medium inhibits the intracellular uptake of As(V) and subsequent extrusion of biotransformed metabolites into the medium. These findings can help to understand the metabolic diversity of macroalgae species on As biogeochemistry in the marine environment.

Keywords: Arsenate; Chlorophyll fluorescence; Macroalgae; Metabolism; Methylation; Reduction.