Induction time of Fe-SOD synthesis and activity determine different tolerance of two Desmodesmus (green algae) strains to chloridazon: a study with synchronized cultures.

Cells of two Desmodesmus armatus strains (276-4a and 276-4d) grown asynchronously in batch cultures after 24-h treatment revealed different tolerance to chloridazon (photosynthetic herbicide) applied at a concentration of 3.45 mg L(-1). To find time- and cell cycle-dependent biochemical reasons leading to such a difference, a population of young autospores of both strains synchronized by a light/dark (14/10) regime were exposed to chloridazon at the initiation of the light period. Chloridazon reduced the growth and number of divisions of cell strain 276-4d. In consequence, at the end of the dark phase the number of released autospores was reduced by 50% compared with the control. In contrast, the growth and reproductive processes of cell strains 276-4a was unaffected. Moreover, chloridazon treatment speeded up cell development, as a result of which the release of autospores took this process observed in the control cells over. There is a relationship between photosynthetic activity response to chloridazon and time-dependent changes in Fe-SOD content and activity. The energy trapped in the reaction centre (RC) was similar in both strains, but the amount of energy absorbed by RCs was twice as high in strain 276-4d as in 276-4a. In consequence, non-photochemical energy dissipation occurring in the cells of 276-4d strain far exceed the value obtained for 276-4a strain. The control cells of both strains differed significantly in the content of FSD 1 and FSD 2 proteins, whereas the differences in Fe-SOD isoforms activities were slight. The 8-fold increase in SOD content in CHD treated cells of strain 276-4a was associated with the transience of photosynthetic efficiency impairment. In CHD treated cells of strain 276-4d, neither activity of Fe-SOD nor FSDs protein content was instantly affected. Different response of developing cells of two Desmodesmus strains to CHD is influenced by the inherent features of cells; the short time required to induce stress adaptive mechanism involving chloroplastic Fe-SOD activity and biosynthesis in the cells of CHD tolerant strain 276-4a seems to play the key role, being an overriding on the high, but not induced in response to stress, FSD protein level and activity in cells of strain 276-4d.