Effects of iron availability on pigment signature and biogenic silica production in the coastal diatom Chaetoceros gracilis

The effects of iron availability on pigment signature and biogenic silica production were investigated for the first time in the coastal diatom Chaetoceros gracilis (isolated from the SW coast of the Bay of Bengal, India). Results revealed that increase in iron supply considerably increases chlorophyll a based specific growth rates, whereas, it decreases the values of diatoxanthin index and photoprotective to light harvesting pigment ratios. It is likely that, under iron stress C. gracilis activated a strong photoprotection mechanism by maximising the conversion of diadinoxanthin to diatoxanthin and by increasing overall amount of photoprotective pigments relative to light harvesting pigments. The xanthophyll cycle comprising of diadinoxanthin and diatoxanthin seems to be the principal photoprotective mechanism in C. gracilis and is consistent with some earlier studies. It is suggested that under iron limited conditions the diatoxanthin index and the ratio of photoprotective to light harvesting pigments can be used as physiological markers for iron stress in C. gracilis. The ratios of biogenic silica to chlorophyll a were considerably decreased with increasing iron supply indicating the possibility of reduced cellular silica content under iron enriched conditions; however, supplementary information is required to confirm this observation.