title: Light-dependency of growth and secondary metabolite production in the captive zooxanthellate soft coral Sinularia flexibilis.
abstract: The branching zooxanthellate soft coral Sinularia flexibillis releases antimicrobial and toxic compounds with potential pharmaceutical importance. As photosynthesis by the symbiotic algae is vital to the host, the light-dependency of the coral, including its specific growth rate (micro day(-1)) and the physiological response to a range of light intensities (10-1,000 micromol quanta m(-2) s(-1)) was studied for 12 weeks. Although a range of irradiances from 100 to 400 micromol quanta m(-2) s(-1) was favorable for S. flexibilis, based on chlorophyll content, a light intensity around 100 micromol quanta m(-2) s(-1) was found to be optimal. The contents of both zooxanthellae and chlorophyll a were highest at 100 micromol quanta m(-2) s(-1). The specific budding rate showed almost the same pattern as the specific growth rate. The concentration of the terpene flexibilide, produced by this species, increased at high light intensities (200-600 micromol quanta m(-2) s(-1)).
authors.affiliation: Department of Agrotechnology and Food Sciences, Food and Bioprocess Engineering Group, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands, mk_khalesi@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Mohammad K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Khalesi
authors.forename: H H
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Beeftink
authors.forename: R H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Wijffels
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D037421:Anthozoa / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism*; D002734:Chlorophyll / Q000378:metabolism; D000077194:Chlorophyll A; D004141:Dinoflagellida / Q000378:metabolism*; D007783:Lactones / Q000378:metabolism*; D052817:Phototrophic Processes; D013559:Symbiosis
chemical_list: D007783:Lactones; D002734:Chlorophyll; C027469:flexibilide; D000077194:Chlorophyll A