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. 2024 Aug 23;14(9):1053.
doi: 10.3390/life14091053.

Growth Characteristics of a Desmodesmus Species from the San Antonio Springs and Its Short-Term Impact on Soil Microbial Dynamics

Lauren K Bomer  1 , Betsy D Leverett  2
Affiliations

Growth Characteristics of a Desmodesmus Species from the San Antonio Springs and Its Short-Term Impact on Soil Microbial Dynamics

Lauren K Bomer et al. Life (Basel). .

Abstract

A new Desmodesmus species was isolated from the largest of the San Antonio Springs, the Blue Hole, in San Antonio, Texas, and characterized for its potential applications in sustainable agriculture. The xenic isolate (XB) was established by enrichment and subcultured to produce the axenic isolate (AxB), which was identified based on morphological features and DNA profiling, confirming its close phylogenetic relationship with Desmodesmus spp. Growth characteristics, biomass composition, and pigment profiles were assessed for both the xenic and axenic isolates along with their growth in saline conditions and a range of seasonal Texas temperatures. Both Desmodesmus XB and Desmodesmus AxB exhibited optimal growth at 25 °C as well as robust growth at 37 °C and in weakly saline media (5 g/kg NaCl). Biomass analysis revealed levels of carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, chlorophylls, and carotenoids comparable to other desmids and pigment profiles supported the Desmodesmus classification. Soil studies demonstrated the persistence of Desmodesmus XB and influence on microbial activity, indicating the potential of this isolate for agricultural applications such as soil remediation.

Keywords: agriculture; microalgae; soil ecological health.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
(left) Map of the Edwards Aquifer region showing the GPS coordinates for the Desmodesmus sp. isolation and the three zones of the aquifer: the Contributing Zone, the Recharge Zone, and the Artesian Zone [26]. (right) The largest of the San Antonio Springs, the Blue Hole, with its octagonal stone well structure.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Summarized procedures for the combined compositional analysis of algal biomass [32].
Figure 3
Figure 3
Morphology of axenic Desmodesmus sp. from the Blue Hole. Differential interference contrast micrographs of AxB cells from (A) agar culture and (B) liquid culture.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Neighbor joining tree (10,000 bootstrap trials) showing the placement of strain AxB in the Desmodesmus clade. The Genbank accession numbers and taxa designations are included for completeness, and bootstrap percentages are shown at the branch nodes.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Initial growth curves for Desmodesmus XB and Desmodesmus AxB observed using both a cell counter (auto) and a Neubauer chamber (manual).
Figure 6
Figure 6
Absorbance spectra of extracts of Desmodesmus XB and Desmodesmus AxB. (A) The aqueous phase extracts described in Figure 2 showing chlorophyll absorbance maxima; (B) the organic phase extracts described in Figure 2 showing carotenoid absorbance maxima.
Figure 7
Figure 7
TLC comparison of extracts from Desmodesmus AxB with that of the haptophyte, T. lutea, which has chlorophylls a and c, and the more closely related chlorophyte, S. dimorphus. TLC, lanes: (1) S. dimorphus, (2) S. dimorphus/AxB co-spot, (3) AxB, (4) T. lutea/AxB co-spot, (5) T. lutea.
Figure 8
Figure 8
Saline growth responses in Desmodesmus XB and Desmodesmus AxB at a range of seasonal Texas temperatures.
Figure 8
Figure 8
Saline growth responses in Desmodesmus XB and Desmodesmus AxB at a range of seasonal Texas temperatures.
Figure 9
Figure 9
The short-term persistence of Desmodesmus XB in soil. The numbers on the plate represent pot numbers. The top row of wells contained soil dilution from pots amended with XB cells. The bottom row of wells contained soil dilution from pots amended with sterile filtered media from XB culture. The green color indicates regrowth of algae from the soil sample.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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