title: Streptomycin affects the growth and photochemical activity of the alga Chlorella vulgaris.
abstract: Antibiotics are increasingly being used in human and veterinary medicine, as well as pest control in agriculture. Recently, their emergence in the aquatic environment has become a global concern. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of streptomycin on growth and photosynthetic activity of Chlorella vulgaris after 72h exposure. We found that growth, photosynthetic activity and the content of the D1 protein of photosystem II decreased. Analysis of chlorophyll a fluorescence emission shows a reduction in the energy transfer between the antenna complex and reaction center. Also the activity of the oxygen evolution complex and electron flow between QA and QB were significantly reduced; in contrast, we found an increase in the reduction rate of the acceptor side of photosystem I. The foregoing can be attributed to the inhibition of the synthesis of the D1 protein and perhaps other coded chloroplast proteins that are part of the electron transport chain which are essential for the transformation of solar energy in the photosystems. We conclude that micromolar concentrations of streptomycin can affect growth and photosynthetic activity of Chlorella vulgaris. The accumulation of antibiotics in the environment can become an ecological problem for primary producers in the aquatic environment.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Bioquímica, Unidad de Morfología y Función, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Los Reyes Iztacala, Ave. de los Barrios #1, Estado de México C.P. 54090, Mexico. Electronic address: hperales@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Hugo Virgilio
authors.initials: HV
authors.lastname: Perales-Vela
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Osmorregulación, Unidad de Morfología y Función, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Los Reyes Iztacala, Ave. de los Barrios #1, Estado de México C.P. 54090, Mexico.
authors.forename: Roberto Velasco
authors.initials: RV
authors.lastname: García
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Bioquímica, Unidad de Morfología y Función, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Los Reyes Iztacala, Ave. de los Barrios #1, Estado de México C.P. 54090, Mexico.
authors.forename: Evelyn Alicia
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Gómez-Juárez
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Bioquímica, Unidad de Morfología y Función, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Los Reyes Iztacala, Ave. de los Barrios #1, Estado de México C.P. 54090, Mexico.
authors.forename: Martha Ofelia
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Salcedo-Álvarez
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Biotecnología de Microalgas, Departamento de Biotecnología y Bioingeniería, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Ave. IPN 2508, San Pedro Zacatenco, C.P. 07360 México D.F, Mexico.
authors.forename: Rosa Olivia
authors.initials: RO
authors.lastname: Cañizares-Villanueva
mesh_terms: D048408:Chlorella vulgaris / Q000187:drug effects*; D002734:Chlorophyll / Q000378:metabolism; D000077194:Chlorophyll A; D004579:Electron Transport / Q000187:drug effects; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D005453:Fluorescence; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D010788:Photosynthesis / Q000187:drug effects*; D045331:Photosystem I Protein Complex / Q000378:metabolism; D045332:Photosystem II Protein Complex / Q000378:metabolism; D013307:Streptomycin / Q000633:toxicity*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D045331:Photosystem I Protein Complex; D045332:Photosystem II Protein Complex; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D002734:Chlorophyll; D013307:Streptomycin; D000077194:Chlorophyll A
keywords: Chlorophyll a fluorescence; Microalgae growth; Photosynthesis; Streptomycin