title: Low light intensity and nitrogen starvation modulate the chlorophyll content of Scenedesmus dimorphus.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Chlorophyll is a photosynthetic pigment found in plants and algal organisms and is a bioproduct with human health benefits and a great potential for use in the food industry. The chlorophyll content in microalgae strains varies in response to environmental factors. In this work, we assessed the effect of nitrogen depletion and low light intensity on the chlorophyll content of the Scenedesmus dimorphus microalga.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The growth of S. dimorphus under low light intensity led to a reduction in cell growth and volume as well as increased cellular chlorophyll content. Nitrogen starvation led to a reduction in cell growth and the chlorophyll content, changes in the yield and productivity of chlorophylls a and b. Transmission electron microscopy was used to investigate the ultrastructural changes in the S. dimorphus exposed to nitrogen and light deficiency.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In contrast to nitrogen depletion, low light availability was an effective mean for increasing the total chlorophyll content of green microalga S. dimorphus.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings acquired in this work are of great biotechnological importance to extend knowledge of choosing the right culture condition to stimulate the effectiveness of microalgae strains for chlorophyll production purposes.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Biotecnologia - Labio, Diretoria de Metrologia Aplicada às Ciências da Vida - Dimav, Instituto Nacional de Metrologia, Qualidade e Tecnologia - Inmetro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.|Universidade Unigrario, Programa de Pós-graduação em Biomedicina Translacional, Duque de Caxias, Brazil.
authors.forename: V S
authors.initials: VS
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Biotecnologia - Labio, Diretoria de Metrologia Aplicada às Ciências da Vida - Dimav, Instituto Nacional de Metrologia, Qualidade e Tecnologia - Inmetro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.|Laboratório de Ultraestrutura Celular Hertha Meyer, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, UFRJ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.|Laboratório de Ecofisiologia e Toxicologia de Cianobactérias, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, UFRJ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: R F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Pinto
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Biotecnologia - Labio, Diretoria de Metrologia Aplicada às Ciências da Vida - Dimav, Instituto Nacional de Metrologia, Qualidade e Tecnologia - Inmetro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.|Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Biologia Estrutural e Bioimagens, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, UFRJ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.|Universidade Unigrario, Programa de Pós-graduação em Biomedicina Translacional, Duque de Caxias, Brazil.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sant'Anna
mesh_terms: D002734:Chlorophyll / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008027:Light; D058086:Microalgae / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000528:radiation effects*; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000378:metabolism*; D010788:Photosynthesis / Q000528:radiation effects; D044444:Scenedesmus / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000528:radiation effects*
chemical_list: D002734:Chlorophyll; D009584:Nitrogen
keywords: Scenedesmus dimorphus; cell volume; chlorophyll; light intensity; nitrogen