Profiles and variations of mycosporine-like amino acids in phytoplankton communities of Tar Lake

Document Type : Research Paper

Author

Department of marine and fisheries sciences, Faculty of Natural Resources and Environment, Tehran North Branch, Islamic Azad University Tehran, Iran.

10.22059/jfisheries.2025.390353.1449

Abstract

In mountain lakes during the warm months of the year, phytoplankton communities are exposed to high levels of solar ultraviolet radiation (UVR). These organisms employ various strategies to prevent damage caused by ultraviolet radiation, and one of the strategy is production or accumulation of mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs). To record this strategy, phytoplankton sampling was conducted monthly during the ice-free period from late April to late September 2021. A 25% aqueous methanol solution (volume/volume) was used as the solvent to extract mycosporine-like amino acids. The analysis of the collected extracts was performed by injecting them into a HPLC device, and the amount of chlorophyll a was measured using ethanol solvent and spectrophotometry. In this study, seven mycosporine-like amino acids were identified in the phytoplankton communities of Tar Lake. Shinorine was dominant in all months, while the concentration of mycosporine-glycine only increased in July, reaching levels equal to that of shinorine. Conversely, in August, Porphyra 334 became dominant alongside shinorine. Throughout the phytoplankton community succession, the dominance of diatoms in spring and green algae during summer was observed. Additionally, the relative abundance of Dictyosphaerium pulchellum in the water column during July and August exceeded 85%, indicating that D. pulchellum has a high sensitivity to natural ultraviolet radiation and is capable of producing a diverse range of mycosporine-like amino acids. Therefore, the dominance of this phytoplankton in Tar Lake can clearly be attributed to high concentrations and diversity of mycosporine-like amino acids. Furthermore, the monthly patterns of variations in mycosporine-like amino acids during periods of higher radiation and environmental stress align with the idea that these compounds play a significant roles in protecting phytoplankton organisms from damages caused by ultraviolet radiation.

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References

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Journal of Fisheries
Volume 78, Issue 2
July 2025
Pages 107-121

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