Nickel-induced multimetal uptake in two microalgal species (Chlorella sorokiniana and Chlamydomonas reinhardtii) and its effect on growth and lipid unsaturation.

Abstract

As the concern for Ni contamination in the aquatic environment escalates, efforts for microalgal use in environmental monitoring and bioremediation are increasing. This study aims to evaluate the potential of Chlorella sorokiniana and Chlamydomonas reinhardtii for Ni bioremediation by investigating their physiological stress responses in Ni-contaminated environments. The analysis focuses on how Ni(II) uptake affects cell growth, nutrient metal homeostasis, and lipid unsaturation levels, as these parameters are critical indicators of metabolic stability and resilience essential for effective bioremediation. The microalgae were grown under mixotrophic conditions in a tris-acetate-phosphate (TAP) medium enriched with Ni(II), at concentrations (1–6 mg∙L⁻¹) exceeding those typically found in wastewater, providing insights into metal stress under severe contamination conditions. Even though increased uptake of Ni(II) was observed for both algal species, accompanied by growth suppression at high Ni(II) concentrations, multi-elemental trace analysis revealed a significant, Ni concentration-dependent, uptake of growth media essential metals as well. Specifically, for both algal species, Zn uptake concentrations increased by approximately 20 times when going from control cultures, with no Ni(II) added, to cultures incubated with increasing Ni(II) concentrations. Overall, Zn uptake was determined to be approximately 3 orders of magnitude higher than Ni(II) uptake when high concentrations of Ni(II) were present, making Zn the metal with the most significant uptake. Similar uptake trends were observed for Cu and Co for both algal species, with Cu uptake being approximately 2 orders of magnitude higher, while Co remained below the Ni(II) concentrations at high added Ni(II) concentrations. For Chlorella sorokiniana, increased Fe uptake relative to Ni(II) uptake was observed (2 orders of magnitude higher), as was the case for Mn (1 order of magnitude higher). This induced increase in uptake of some of the growth media metals was attributed to their liberation from ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) in tris-acetate-phosphate (TAP) medium, following the addition of Ni(II), which has a higher stability constant (K_f) with EDTA and was added at concentrations comparable or higher than those of the other metals. Calculated levels of free Ni(II) and free metals in the medium matched the observed metal uptake trends as determined using multielemental inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Negative ion electrospray mass spectrometry also revealed that EDTA-metal complexes in the TAP media decreased as Ni(II) concentrations increased. The lipid unsaturation level and relative ω-3 fatty acids concentration of both microalgal species, based on ¹H Nuclear Magnetic Resonance analysis, decreased with increasing Ni(II) concentration, with the decrease being more pronounced at Ni(II) incubation concentrations of 4 and 6 ppm. Unsaturation levels for individual lipid classes [monogalactosyldiacylglycerol (MGDG), digalactosyldiacylglycerol (DGDG), and sulfoquinovosyldiacylglycerol (SQDG)] in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii cells were also studied using positive ion mode electrospray mass spectrometry. At the highest Ni(II) concentrations, an overall reduction in unsaturation levels was observed for all 3 lipid classes, indicating a significant impact of elevated metal ion concentrations on membrane fluidity and therefore on cellular physiology and metabolism. Comparison of the two microalgal species under Ni-enriched conditions shows that Chlorella sorokiniana exhibits greater tolerance to the metal-induced stress under study than Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, suggesting its higher efficiency for the bioremediation in Ni-contaminated environments.