Impact of UV radiation on chemical composition of Sargassum sp.: chlorophyll, carotenoids and fatty acids profiles

• Grant number: 18/17758-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate
• Start date: November 15, 2018
• End date: February 11, 2019
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Botany - Pant Physiology
• Principal Investigator: Fanly Fungyi Chow Ho
• Grantee: Luz Karime Polo Osorio
• Supervisor: Felix Lopez Figueroa
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Universidad de Málaga (UMA), Spain
• Associated to the scholarship: 16/03095-0 - Physiological responses, bioactivity and analysis of protein differential expression of the brown alga Sargassum sp. C. Agardh (Phaeophyceae, Fucales) submitted to UV radiation, BP.DR

Abstract

The effect of ultraviolet radiation (UVR) is a major factor affecting distribution and physiology of photosynthetic organisms on aquatic ecosystem. Studies with macroalgae indicate diverse biological disturbances in response to UVR, including growth rate alterations, photoinhibition of photosynthesis, pigment degradation, protein and DNA damages, among others. The main research Doctorate project intends to contribute to the knowledge of the effect of UVR on macroalgae by using Sargassum filipendula as biological model by integrating diverse physiological, cellular defenses, biological activities and proteomic approaches for understanding the impact and sensitivity of UVR under laboratory conditions. Under this general objective, the present internship project aims to complement some additional physio-chemical approaches taking advantage of the expertise of the Dr. Félix Lopez Figueroa and the available infrastructure of his lab, through the study of variation in photosynthetic performance and composition and abundance of chlorophylls, carotenoids and fatty acids of Sargassum sp. after exposure to UVR. Photosynthetic performance will be performed by measuring the in vivo chlorophyll a fluorescence, chlorophylls and carotenoids quantification will be evaluated by HPLC (High Performance Liquid Chromatography) and fatty acid profile by gas chromatography (GC) technics. The internship project will be advised by Dr. Félix Lopez Figueroa from the University of Málaga and the results will be extremely profitable in complement our approaches in the integrated understanding of the UVR effect in Sargassum sp., an important species for community engineering. (AU)