Temperature-control-induced masculinization in tiger puffer Takifugu rubripes

This study used tiger puffer Takifugu rubripes to explore new,simple methods for lowtemperature-induced masculinization in a cultured fish without the use of ultraviolet irradiation or sex hormones.An orthogonal test L9(3^4)design was used to consider three factors at three levels:treatment starting times(days post-hatch,dph:factor A)of 20,50 and 80 dph;treatment temperatures(factor B)of 13℃,15℃and 17℃;and treatment durations(factor C)of 30,45 and 60 days.A control group was reared at 21±1℃.The experiments were repeated twice.At 230 dph,the gonads were removed from thirty randomly sampled fish in each group.Histological observations and analysis of single nucleotide polymorphisms(SNP)were used to identified pseudo males,which biological sex was male and genetic sex were female(XX).Treatment group 4(A2B1C2)resulted in the highest proportion of males(75%).According to the intuitive analysis of the orthogonal-array experiments,the optimal combination of lowtemperature-induced masculinization of T.rubripes was A2B1C2.The population sex ratio depended on the three factors in the sequence B→A→C.A comparison of the daily increases in length and weight during and after the low-temperature conditions showed that the absolute daily increases in weight and length were significantly less during treatment than after treatment.Daily increases in weight and length did not significantly differ between the treatment groups and the controls(P>0.05),demonstrating that the growth rate could return to normal after the low-temperature conditions.This study establishes a low-temperatureinduced masculinization technology for T.rubripes and demonstrates that although the growth rate(length and weight)decreased in an array of nine treatment groups during the processing time,it returned to a normal level after processing.The results should serve as a guide for achieving the masculinization of T.rubripes in production.     

Effects of UV-B radiation and different light repair conditions on the early development of the tetraspores of Chondrus ocellatus Holm

The effects of exposure to UV-B radiation,280-315 nm,and dark or dark repair conditions on the early development of Chondrus ocellatus Holm collected from Qingdao coast were studied under the laboratory condition.After being exposed to different doses [0,36,72,108,144 and 180 J/(m 2 · d)] of UV-B radiation,one treatment of tetraspores were put back to normal culture condition (PAR),the other treatment were put into dark condition to repair for 2 h.During the cultivation,the diameter of the tetraspores were recorded every 4 d till the 50th day when vertical branches formed in all treatments.Then at the 50th day,CPDs,phycoerythrin,chlorophyll a and MAAs (Palythine and asterina-330) were measured.The results showed that low doses UV-B radiation could significantly accelerate the growth rate of the tetraspores of C.ocellatus and the growth rate reduced gradually with UV-B radiation keep on increasing.The variation trend of both the phycoerythrin and chlorophyll a concentration reduced significantly ( P < 0.05) once given the UV-B radiation. Under UV-B stress,the CPDs were induced,and the concentrations of CPDs were significant low in dark repair groups.The data of MAAs analyzed by LC/MS in the tetraspores of C. ocellatus suggested that there were two MAAs formed (palythine and asterina-330) after UV-B radiation induced, and low dose of UV-B irradiation could significantly induced the concentration of MAAs.From the growth and development state of the tetraspores,negative effects of UV-B radiation on the dark repair groups were more serious than PAR.     

Effects of UVB on the expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) in dinoflagellate Prorocentrum donghaiense Lu

PCNA has been considered as a useful marker for the estimation of growth rates of marine phytoplankton at the species level. Since dinoflagellates are noted for having many prokaryotic features in that they are the only eukaryotes to have permanently condensed chromosomes as well as lacking histones and a nucleosome, the sensitivity to UVB radiation and the validity of PCNA as a maker of growth rate in dinoflagellate need to be evaluated.Prorocentrum donghaiense Lu was investigated to valuate the UVB sensitivity in relation to cellular and molecular aspects of PCNA as a growth indicator.The effects of UVB radiation on PCNA were studied using the methods of western blots technology and whole-cell immunoflurescence with one mono-antibody. UVB changed the cell morphology, halted the growth and increased the cell size, even caused cell death to a certain extent after treatment with UVB radiation in P. donghaiense. Compared with the control, treating the algal cultures in exponential phases with UVB radiation for 24 h caused chromatin release and increases in protein levels of PCNA.     

Preliminary study of gonadotropin-releasing analogue (GnRH-A) initiated gonadal development of amphioxus

Amphioxus in the seasonally regressed phase of gonadat development were used in this study. Each sample animal was injected with 40 nanogram of synthetic gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogue (GnRH-A) in distilled water every other day for up to 16 days; control animals received similar volumes of distilled wnter only. Both hormone-treated samples and control animals were examined under microscope every eight days and every twelve days. Then all the animals were killed on the 16th day. Gonads earlier development and a more advanced degree of gametogenesis are in the hormone-treated group than in the control group. Thus, GnRH-A can initiate and accelerate the gonadal development in gonadally regressed am-phioxus. GnRH-A in some form may be important in regulating the gonadal development in amphioxus as well as in vertebrates.     

Extraction of agar from Eucheuma cottonii and Gelidium amansii seaweeds with sonication pretreatment using autoclaving method

The effect of sonication pretreatment condition on Eucheuma cottonii and Gelidium amansii seaweed towards agar extraction wae studied.Four parameters were changed during sonication to investigate the effects on agar yield and quality.These parameters include the time interval,concentration ratio,frequency,and intensity.The highest amount of agar extracted from Eucheuma cottonii species could be obtained from the time interval of 30min,seaweed weight to solvent volume ratio of 1:20,the frequency of 35Hz,and the sonication power intensity of 30%.For Gelidium amansii species,the best agar yield also could be obtained from the time interval of 30 min,1:20 of seaweed weight to water volume ratio,the frequency of 35Hz,and power intensity of 30%.From the experiment,sonication pretreatment signifi cantly influenced the yield and properties of extracted agar.The sonication with autoclaved seaweed produced agar containing less sulfate content,which is an excellent chemical property for gel electrophoresis applications.The gelstrength of sonication with autoclaving for both seaweeds,Eucheuma and Gelidium species was the highest among those by sonication with direct heating,which proved that sonication pretreatment with autoclaving could enhance the physical properties of the agar.     

Spatiotemporal distribution of fish eggs and larvae in the Huanghe(Yellow) River estuary,China in 2005–2016

Decreasing fish resources in estuaries is a subject of anthropogenic activities. Studies of the spatiotemporal distribution of fish eggs and larvae can help identify the status and processes underlying recruitment in a fishery. As the fifth largest river estuary in the world, the Huanghe (Yellow) River estuary (HRE) is a typical estuary that has been seriously aff ected by human activities. Annual surveys on ichthyoplankton and environmental factors were conducted in the months of May of 2005 and 2009-2016 in the HRE to investigate the spatiotemporal distribution of fish eggs and larvae and the associated infl uencing factors. A total of 23 and 20 species of eggs and larvae, respectively, were collected. The dominant orders were Perciformes (51.2%) and Clupeiformes (25.6%). The average number of fish species eggs and larvae were 6.0 and 4.1 in average abundance of 0.91 and 0.13 ind./m^3 , respectively. The dominant species were mainly low-commercial-value small-sized fishes, such as Clupanodon punctatus , Harengula zunasi, and Acanthogobius, whereas certain traditional commercial fishes, such as Trichiurus lepturus , and Clupea pallasii, were not seen. Analysis of the fish egg and larval community revealed four temporal assemblages and two spatial assemblages. Salinity was the main factor on the spatial distribution of ichthyoplankton communities, the species number and Shannon-Weiner diversity index (H′) of the fish egg and larval community near the river mouth with lower salinity were signifi cantly lower than the community far away from the river mouth with higher salinity. In addition, increases of water temperature promoted the number and abundance of fish species eggs, and the areas of abundant prey tended to have a more diversified and abundant of ichthyoplankton species. In overall, overfishing, dam construction, and other human activities were the main drivers that led to the substantial decline in fishery resources in the HRE.     

The effects of enriched CO2 and enhanced UV-B radiation on ultra-structure of Dunaliella salina, singly and in combination

The effects of ambient CO2/ambient UV-B, enriched CO2/ambient UV-B, ambient CO2/enhanced UV-B, and enriched CO2/enhanced UV-B on the ultrastructure of Dunaliella salina were investigated. （1） The ultrastructure of D..salina cell in the control experiment showed that the arrangement of thylakoid lamellae was regular, and there were many large starch grains among the thylakoid lamellae. A prominent well-developed pyrenoid was found in the middle of the chloroplast. Nucleus envelope and nucleolus were clearly observed. The Golgi apparatus accompanied by numerous vesicles with a compact arrangement of cisternae and the peripheral tips of the cisternae were swollen to a size comparable to that of some of the associated vesicles. （2） The ultrastructure of D. salina cell in enriched CO2 showed that the arrangement of thylakoid was regular and the lamellae were vivid. Developed pyrenoids were found in the low-CO2-grown cells, but not in the high-CO2-grown cells. The mitochondria cristae were vivid. The arrangement of Golgi apparatus was compact. （3） The ultrastructure of D. salina cell in enhanced UV-B showed that the thylakoid was dissolved and the cells had a less developed pyrenoid or no detectable pyrenoid. Part of the nucleus envelope was dissolved. The number ofmitochondria was increased and some mitochondria cristae were disintegrated. The starch grains were broken apart into many small starch grains. The Golgi apparatus with a loose arrangement ofcistemae and the peripheral tips of the Golgi cistemae were not especially swollen, with several large associated vesicles. （4） The ultrastructure of D. salina cell in the enriched CO2/enhanced UV-B showed that part of the thylakoid and nucleus envelopes of some cells were dissolved. The pyrenoid was larger than that of the enhanced UV-B. There were many mitochondria between stroma and chloroplast membrane, but mitochondria cristae were partly dissolved. Many small starch grains were accumulated in cells. The starch sheath was broken into several discontinuous starch grains with different sizes. The arrangement of Golgi apparatus was loose. Above all, although the enriched CO2 can alleviate the damage induced by the UV-B radiation, the effects of experimental UV-B radiation were larger than the effects of actual UV-B radiation, the damage induced by the UV-B radiation was so severe, therefore, CO2 enrichment could not restore the ultrastructure to the control level.     

High-throughput sequencing of 16S r RNA amplicons characterizes gut microbiota shift of juvenile sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus feeding with three antibiotics

Sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus is an important marine economic species in Asian countries due to its profound nutritional and medicinal value. So far, with the rapid development of intensifi ed artifi cial aquaculture of sea cucumbers, the use of antibiotics is still an inexpensive and dispensable way to treat pathogenic infections, especially during the nursery phase. However, there is little information on the eff ects of antibiotics on the intestinal microbiota of sea cucumber. Therefore an Illumina based sequencing method was used to examine the intestinal bacterial composition of juvenile A . japonicas following diets with three typical antibiotics (tetracycline, erythromycin, and norfl oxacin) under 15, 30, and 45 d. The fi ndings reveal that diff erent antibiotics have distinct eff ects on the growth performance of juvenile sea cucumbers. However, the richness and diversity of microbiota were barely aff ected by antibiotics but the community composition alterations indicated that the three antibiotics exhibited their respective patterns of reshaping the intestinal bacteria of juvenile sea cucumbers. In common, the abundance of some sensitive genera with helpful functions, such as Thalassotalea , Shewanella , Sulfi tobacter , and Halomonas decreased signifi cantly with exposure to antibiotics and the abundance of multiple potential pathogenic- and suspected antibiotic-resistant microorganisms like Arcobacter , Leucothrix , and Clostridium_sensu_stricto_1 was found increased signifi cantly in the antibiotic groups. These results suggest that low doses of antibiotics could aff ect the composition of the intestinal microbiota of sea cucumbers and might increase the risk of infection of the hosts. This study could help us to explore how antibacterial compounds modify the gut microbiota of sea cucumbers and provide theoretical guidance in hatchery management by scientifi c antibiotic use in sea cucumber mariculture.     

Expression profiles of sex-related genes in gonads of genetic male Takifugu rubripes after 17β-estradiol immersion

Estradiol treatment during early life stages of tiger puffer Takifugu rubripes induces feminization in genetic males.However,the ovaries in genetic males may revert to testes once estradiol treatment is halted.Therefore studies should investigate molecular mechanisms underlying ovary-to-testis recovery in genetic males after treatment.In the present study,tiger puffer were exposed to 10,and 100μg/L 17β-estradiol(E 2)from 15 to 100 days post-hatching(dph),then gonad phenotypes and expression profi les of six sex-related genes(cyp19a,foxl2,dmrt1,amh,sox9a,and sox9b)were characterized after the exposure.Results showed that both 10 and 100μg/L E2 induced ovarian development in genetic males at 100 dph.However,all ovaries induced by 10μg/L E2 first developed into intersexual gonads and subsequently reverted to testes after the exposure.As for treatment of 100μg/L E2,while the rest of the ovaries maintained morphological stability,percentages of intersexual gonads reached 38%-57%,and none were reverted to testes.Increased mRNA levels of cyp19a,foxl2 and sox9b and decreased mRNA levels of dmrt1,amh,and sox9a were observed during the ovarian development in genetic males.While contrary gene expression profiles were detected during ovary-to-testis transformation.The mRNA levels of all the six genes were increased during the development of intersexual gonads.These results indicated that up-regulation of dmrt1,amh and sox9a is associated with initial ovary-to-intersexual transformation,and suppression of foxl2,cyp19a and sox9b is essential for complete ovary-to-testis recovery in genetic males.This research will help to trace the molecular processes underlying gonadal transformation in teleosts.     

Distribution pattern and geochemical analysis of rare earth elements in deep-ocean sediments

The content and distribution pattern of rare earth elements(REEs)in surface sediments from the Eastern and Western Pacifi c Ocean,the Northern and Southern Atlantic Ocean,and the Southwestern Indian Ocean were explored and the resources and geochemical characteristics of REEs in deep-ocean sediments from diff erent oceans were studied.The total REE abundances(ΣREE)in the diff erent oceans ranged as follows:Eastern Pacifi c,56.88–500.02μg/g;Western Pacifi c,290.68–439.94μg/g;Northern Atlantic,55.33–154.90μg/g;Southern Atlantic,40.83–69.30μg/g;and Southwestern Indian Ocean,20.24–64.76μg/g.Their corresponding LREE(La-Eu)/HREE(Gd-Lu)average values were 5.18,5.86,9.01,5.21,and 4.59,which indicated that the light REEs were all evidently enriched.δEu andδCe showed slight Eu-negative anomalies and signifi cant Ce-positive anomalies in all sediments.Although the contents of REEs in the sediments varied among the diff erent oceans,the distribution patterns of REEs were similar,and the correlation coeffi cient was greater than 0.9290.In the Eastern Pacifi c sediments,ΣREE showed a signifi cantly positive correlation with Co,Cu,Zn,Mn,Mo and a weak correlation with Fe.In the Western Pacifi c and Southern Atlantic sediments,ΣREE presented no obvious correlation and a weakly negative correlation with Co,Cu,Zn,Mn,Mo and Fe,respectively.ΣREE in the Southwestern Indian Ocean sediments positively correlated with Cu,Zn,Mn,Mo,Fe,and had a weakly negative correlation with Co.     

Offspring of aged mothers of rotifer Brachionus calyciflorus shows lower sexual propensity than their elder siblings under crowded conditions

Maternal eff ects are one of the most interesting topics in evolutionary ecology as they can aff ect the rate of evolution and population dynamics by phenotypic manipulation of off spring related to fi tness. At present, studies examining the interaction between maternal environment eff ects and maternal age (birth order) eff ects are scarce. We designed an experiment to reveal whether environmentally induced maternal manipulation works equally on off spring across birth orders in rotifer Brachionus calycifl orus. In the experiment, newborn amictic mothers (F0) were cultured parallelly in low (LD) and high (HD) population density. Off spring (F1) of young (YF0) and old (OF0) mothers in both LD and HD groups were cultured under a crowded condition and the mixis ratios of both F1 and F2 were examined. Results show that F1 from HD-YF0 had a signifi cantly higher mixis ratio and those amictic ones produced daughters (F2 ) with higher mixis ratio in response to crowding than those from HD-OF0. In contrast, no such diff erences among F1 siblings were found in the LD-F0 group. Therefore, the eff ect of maternal age on the sexual propensity of the off spring can be aff ected independently by the maternal population density.     

Analysis and comparison of heat flux of landfast ice during 2016 in the Prydz Bay,Antarctica

Long term in situ atmospheric observation of the landfast ice nearby Zhongshan Station in the Prydz Bay was performed from April to November 2016. The in situ observation, including the conventional meteorological elements and turbulent flux, enabled this study to evaluate the sea ice surface energy budget process. Using in situ observations, three different reanalysis datasets from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts Interim Re-analysis(ERA-Interim), National Centers for Environmental Prediction Reanalysis2(NCEP R2), and Japanese 55-year Reanalysis(JRA55), and the Los Alamos sea ice model, CICE, output for surface fluxes were evaluated. The observed sensible heat flux(SH) and net longwave radiation showed seasonal variation with increasing temperature. Air temperature rose from the middle of October as the solar elevation angle increased.The ice surface lost more energy by outgoing longwave radiation as temperature increased, while the shortwave radiation showed obvious increases from the middle of October. The oceanic heat flux demonstrated seasonal variation and decreased with time, where the average values were 21 W/m~2 and 11 W/m~2, before and after August,respectively. The comparisons with in situ observations show that, SH and LE(latent heat flux) of JRA55 dataset had the smallest bias and mean absolute error(MAE), and those of NCEP R2 data show the largest differences.The ERA-Interim dataset had the highest spatial resolution, but performance was modest with bias and MAE between JRA55 and NCEP R2 compare with in situ observation. The CICE results(SH and LE) were consistent with the observed data but did not demonstrate the amplitude of inner seasonal variation. The comparison revealed better shortwave and longwave radiation stimulation based on the ERA-Interim forcing in CICE than the radiation of ERA-Interim. The average sea ice temperature decreased in June and July and increased after September,which was similar to the temperature measured by buoys, with a bias and MAE of 0.9°C and 1.0°C, respectively.     

Polyculture of the lined seahorse, Hippocampus erectus Perry, 1810 with two species of macroalgae in aquaria

A two-month study was conducted to test the e?ects of macroalgae on the growth and survivorship of juvenile lined seahorse (Hippocampus erectus) in aquaria. Twenty-day old seahorses were cultured in the tanks with green alga Chaetomorpha linum, red alga Gracilaria tikvahiae, green plastic artiˉcial plant (stargrass), and black plastic net, respectively. Increases in wet mass and standard length for the seahorses were signiˉcantly higher in the tanks with macroalgae than those without macroalgae. The seahorse survivorships in the two macroalgal treatments were also signiˉcantly higher than those of the two treatments without macroalgae. In the treatments with macroalgae, the DO and pH were higher than those without marcoalgae. During the experiment, the color of seahorses was changed to certain extent. In the green background (the treatments with C. linum and stargrass), 24.1%{28.4% of black seahorses decreased over time; whereas in the black (plastic net) or brown (G. tikvahiae) background treatments, 14.1%{16.3% of yellow seahorses decreased over time, for matching that of the background. Furthermore, the survival rate of seahorse was correlation with DO and pH, and strong correlation with standard length, wet mass and CF. Polyculture with macroalgae, survival rates of seahorse were higher than without macroaglae.     

Spatial-temporal variation of phytoplankton community structure in Jiaozhou Bay,China

To better understand the spatial-temporal variation in phytoplankton community structure and its controlling factors in Jiaozhou Bay, Qingdao, North China, four seasonal sampling were carried out in 2017. The phytoplankton community structure and various environmental parameters were examined. The phytoplankton community in the bay was composed of mainly diatoms and dinofl agellates, and several other species of Chrysophyta were also observed. Diatoms were the most dominant phytoplankton group throughout the year, except in spring and winter, when Noctiluca scintillans was co-dominant. High Si/N ratios in summer and fall refl ect the high dominance of diatoms in the two seasons. Temporally, the phytoplankton cell abundance peaked in summer, due mainly to the high temperatures and nutrient concentrations in summer. Spatially, the phytoplankton cell abundance was higher in the northern part of the bay than in the other parts of the bay in four seasons. The diatom cell abundances show signifi cant positive correlations with the nutrient concentrations, while the dinofl agellate cell abundances show no correlation or a negative correlation with the nutrient concentrations but a signifi cant positive correlation with the stratifi cation index. This discrepancy was mainly due to the diff erent survival strategies between diatoms and dinofl agellates. The Shannon-Wiener diversity index ( H′) values in the bay ranged from 0.08 to 4.18, which fell in the range reported in historical studies. The distribution pattern of H′ values was quite diff erent from that of chlorophyll a , indicating that the phytoplankton community structure might have high biomass with a low diversity index. Compared with historical studies, we believe that the dominant phytoplankton species have been changed in recent years due mainly to the changing environment in the Jiaozhou Bay in recent 30 years.     

Anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of ultrasonicassistant extracted polyphenol-rich compounds from Sargassum muticum

Polypehnol is an important,potentially bioactive component of Sargassum muticum.In this study,ultrasonic assisted extraction of polyphenol-rich substances was performed using a 38%ethanol solution at a solid:liquid ratio of 1:30 at 68℃ for 32min,determined by single-factor and response surface methodology(RSM)optimization.The content of polyphenol was 5.66mg/g in the crude extract.Further extraction showed that the polyphenol mainly distributed in ethyl acetate(SKEE)and water phases(SKEW).The anti-oxidation test by electron spin resonance(ESR)spectrum showed that the SKEE had the strongest scavenging activity on DPPH(1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl)and alkyl radicals.SKEE was shown noncytotoxic but could inhibit the generation of cellular ROS,showing protective effects in H2O2 and AAPHinduced Vero cells and UV-B irradiated HaCaT cells.SKEE also signifi cantly inhibited the release of NO of LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cells.Therefore,the polyphenol-rich extracts in ethanol and ethyl acetate showed excellent anti-oxidant and anti-infl ammatory activities,which is beneficial to the development of high-value bio-substances.     

Effects of stocking density on the growth and immunity of Atlantic salmon salmo salar reared in recirculating aquaculture system(RAS)

Atlantic salmon reared in recirculating aquaculture system(RAS) may lead to inappropriately high stocking density, because ?sh live in a limited space. Finding the suitable stocking density of Atlantic salmon reared in RAS is very important for RAS industry. In this paper, the in?uence of stocking density on growth and some stress related physiological factors were investigated to evaluate the ef fects of stocking density. The ?sh were reared for 220 days at ?ve densities(A: 24 kg/m^3; B: 21 kg/m^3; C: 15 kg/m^3; D: 9 kg/m^3 and E: 6 kg/m^3). The results show that 30 kg/m^3 might be the maximum density which RAS can af ford in China. The stocking densities under 30 kg/m^3 have no ef fect on mortality of Atlantic salmon reared in RAS. However, the speci?c growth rate(SGR), ?nal weight and weight gain in the high density group were signi?cantly lower than the lower density groups and middle density groups. Moreover, feed conversion rate(FCR) had a negative correlation with density. Plasma hormone T_3 and GH showed signi?cant decrease with the increase of the stocking density of the experiment. Furthermore, thyroid hormone(T 3), GH(growth hormone) activities were decreased with stocking density increase. However, plasma cortisol, GOT(glutamic oxalacetic transaminase) and GPT(glutamic pyruvic transaminase) activities were increase with stocking density increase. And the stocking density has no ef fects on plasma lysozyme of Atlantic salmon reared in RAS. These investigations would also help devise effcient ways to rear adult Atlantic salmon in China and may, in a way, help spread salmon mariculture in China.     

Long-term monitoring of the individual self-feeding behavior of rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss

Self-feeding device is extensively used in aquaculture farms, but for salmonids the individual feeding behavior has seldom been continuously observed. In this article, the individual self-feeding behavior of 10 rainbow trout was continuously monitored with a PIT tag record for 50 days with three replicates. The?sh fell into three categories according to their feeding behavior, i.e. high triggering ?sh(trigger behavior more than 25% of the group, HT), low triggering ?sh(1%–25%, LT) and zero triggering ?sh(less than1%). The results showed that in a group of 10 individual 1–2 HT ?sh accounted for most of the self-feeding behavior(78.19%–89.14%), which was far more than they could consume. The trigger frequency of the?sh was signi?cantly correlated with the initial body weight( P <0.01), however, no signi?cant dif ference in growth rate among the HT, LT, and ZT ?sh was observed( P >0.05). Cosinor analysis showed that the two HT ?sh in the same group had similar acrophase. Though some of the HT ?sh could be active for 50 d, there were also HT ?sh decreased triggering behavior around 40 d and the high trigger status was then replaced by other ?sh, which was ?rst discovered in salimonds. Interestingly, the growth of the group was not af fected by the alternation triggering ?sh. These results provide evidence that in the self-feeding system the HT ?sh didn't gain much advantage by their frequent self-feeding behavior, and high trigger status of the HT ?sh is not only an individual character but also driven by the demand of the group. In the self-feeding system, the critical individual should be closely monitored.     

Metabolic and physiological regulation of Chlorella sp.(Trebouxiophyceae,Chlorophyta) under nitrogen deprivation

A freshwater green microalgae Chlorella sp., UMACC344 was shown to produce high lipid content and has the potential to be used as feedstock for biofuel production. In this study, photosynthetic effciency, biochemical pro?les and non-targeted metabolic pro?ling were studied to compare between the nitrogen-replete and deplete conditions. Slowed growth, change in photosynthetic pigments and lowered photosynthetic effciency were observed in response to nitrogen deprivation. Biochemical pro?les of the cultures showed an increased level of carbohydrate, lipids and total fatty acids, while the total soluble protein content was lowered. A trend of fatty acid saturation was observed in the nitrogen-deplete culture with an increase in the level of saturated fatty acids especially C16:0 and C18:0, accompanied by a decrease in proportions of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Fifty-nine metabolites, including amino acids, lipids, phytochemical compounds, vitamins and cofactors were signi?cantly dysregulated and annotated in this study. Pathway mapping analysis revealed a rewiring of metabolic pathways in the cells, particularly purine, carotenoid, nicotinate and nicotinamide, and amino acid metabolisms. Within the treatment period of nitrogen deprivation, the key processes involved were reshu ? ing of nitrogen from proteins and photosynthetic machinery, together with carbon repartitioning in carbohydrates and lipids.