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Organic and Inorganic Nitrogen Impact Chlorella variabilis Productivity and Host Quality for Viral Production and Cell Lysis

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Abstract

Microalgae have been proposed as a potential feedstock for biofuel production; however, cell disruption is usually required for collection and utilization of cytoplasmic polysaccharides and lipids. Virus infection might be one approach to disrupt the cell wall. The concentration of yeast extract and presence of KNO3 in algae cultivation media were investigated to observe their effects on Chlorella variabilis NC64A physiology and composition and the subsequent effect on production of Chlorella virus and disruption of infected cells. Cytoplasmic starch accumulation increased from 5 % to approximately 35 % of the total dry weight when yeast extract decreased from 1 to 0.25 g L−1. When cells were cultured with the lowest nitrogen levels, the total polysaccharide accounted for more than 50 % of the cell wall, which was 1.7 times higher than the content in cells cultured with the highest nitrogen levels. The C/N ratio of the algal biomass decreased by a factor of approximately 2 when yeast extract increased from 0.25 to 1 g L−1. After virus infection, cells with a low C/N ratio produced a 7.6 times higher burst size than cells with a high C/N ratio, suggesting that the nitrogen content in C. variabilis has a large influence on viral production and cell lysis. The results have implications on management of nitrogen for both the synthesis of products from algae and product recovery via viral lysis.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the Chevron Technology Ventures. They had no involvement in the design of the study; in the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data; or in the writing of the article. They were involved in the decision to submit the article for publication.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, University of California, Davis, CA, 95616, USA

    Yu-Shen Cheng & Jean S. VanderGheynst

  2. Department of Plant Science, University of California, Davis, CA, 95616, USA

    John Labavitch

  3. Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, National Yunlin University of Science and Technology, Yunlin, 64002, Taiwan

    Yu-Shen Cheng

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Correspondence to Jean S. VanderGheynst.

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Cheng, YS., Labavitch, J. & VanderGheynst, J.S. Organic and Inorganic Nitrogen Impact Chlorella variabilis Productivity and Host Quality for Viral Production and Cell Lysis. Appl Biochem Biotechnol 176, 467–479 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12010-015-1588-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12010-015-1588-0

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