2-4-heptadienal and 2-4-octadienal

Although it is well known suitability of early developmental stages of sea urchin as recommended model for pollutant toxicity testing, little is known about the sensitivity of Indo-Pacific species Echinometra mathaei to polyunsaturated aldehydes. In this study, the effect of three short chain aldehydes, 2,4-decadienal (DD), 2,4-octadienal (OD) and 2,4-heptadienal (HD), normally found in many diatoms, such as Skeletonema costatum, Skeletonema marinoi and Thalassiosira rotula, was evaluated on larval development of E. mathaei embryos. Aldehydes affected larval development in a dose-dependent manner, in particular HD>OD>DD; the results of this study highlighted the higher sensitivity of this species toward aldehydes compared with data registered for other sea urchin species. In comparison with studies reported in the literature, contrasting results were observed during our tests; therefore, an increasing toxic effect was registered with decreasing the chain length of aldehydes. This work could provide new insights in the development of new toxicological assays toward most sensitive species.

Topics: Aldehydes; Alkadienes; Animals; Diatoms; Embryo, Nonmammalian; Embryonic Development; Environmental Monitoring; Larva; Sea Urchins

A survey of the production of polyunsaturated aldehydes (PUA) of manipulated plankton communities is presented here. PUA are phytoplankton-derived metabolites that are proposed to play an important role in chemically mediated plankton interactions. Blooms of different intensities of the diatom Skeletonema marinoi were generated in eight mesocosms filled with water from the surrounding fjord by adding different amounts of a starting culture and nutrients. This set-up allowed us to follow PUA production of the plankton community over the entire induced bloom development, and to compare it with the natural levels of PUA. We found that S. marinoi is a major source for the particulate PUA 2,4-heptadienal and 2,4-octadienal (defined as PUA released upon wounding of the diatom cells) during the entire bloom development. Just before, and during, the decline of the induced diatom blooms, these PUA were also detected in up to 1 nM concentrations dissolved in the water. In addition, we detected high levels of the PUA 2,4-decadienal that was not produced by the diatom S. marinoi. Particulate decadienal correlated well with the cell counts of the prymnesiophyte Phaeocystis sp. that also developed in the fertilized mesocosms. Particulate decadienal levels were often even higher than those of diatom-derived PUA, indicating that PUA sources other than diatoms should be considered when it comes to the evaluation of the impact of these metabolites.

Topics: Aldehydes; Alkadienes; Diatoms; Marine Biology; Phytoplankton

Bioactive polyunsaturated aldehydes (PUAs) are produced by several marine phytoplankton (mainly diatoms) and have been shown to have a detrimental effect on a wide variety of organisms, including phytoplankton and invertebrates. However, their potential impact on marine bacteria has been largely neglected. We assess here the effect of three PUAs produced by marine diatoms: 2E,4E-decadienal, 2E,4E-octadienal and 2E,4E-heptadienal, on the growth of 33 marine bacterial strains, including 16 strains isolated during a bloom of the PUA-producing diatom Skeletonema marinoi in the Northern Adriatic Sea. A concentration-dependent growth reduction was observed for 19 bacterial strains at concentrations ranging from 3 to 145 micromolL(-1). Surprisingly, Eudora adriatica strain MOLA358 (Flavobacteriaceae) and Alteromonas hispanica strain MOLA151 (Alteromonadaceae) showed growth stimulation upon exposure to PUAs at concentrations between 13 and 18 micromolL(-1). The remaining 12 strains were unaffected by even very high PUA concentrations. Strains isolated during the diatom bloom showed remarkable resistance to PUA exposures, with only two out of 16 strains showing growth inhibition at PUA concentrations below 106, 130, and 145 micromolL(-1) for 2E,4E-decadienal, 2E,4E-octadienal and 2E,4E-heptadienal, respectively. No correlation between taxonomical position and sensitivity to PUA was observed. Considering that many bacteria thrive in close vicinity of diatom cells, it is likely that these compounds may shape the structure of associated bacterial communities by representing a selection force. This is even more relevant during the final stages of blooms, when senescence and nutrient limitation increase the potential production and release of aldehydes.

Topics: Aldehydes; Alkadienes; Bacteria; Diatoms; Marine Toxins; Time Factors; Water Microbiology