Exudates of different marine algae promote growth and mediate trace metal binding in Phaeodactylum tricornutum

Phaeodactylum tricornutum was grown in filtered natural seawater enriched with nitrate, phosphate, and silicate only (control) or with exudates from itself, from Emiliania huxleyi (a coccolithophore micro-alga), Porphyra spp. (a red macro-alga) or Enteromorpha spp. (a green macro-alga). Cathodic (and anodic) stripping voltammetry (C(A)SV) were used to determine the concentrations of trace metals, both in the medium and in the algae, as well as total Cu-complexing organic ligands in the medium and, among these, some thiols (compounds identified as cysteine- or as glutathione by CSV). Exudates of different marine micro- and macro-algae could cause allelopathic effects in P. tricornutum cultures. Cell yield of P. tricornutum was increasingly promoted by exudates of E. huxleyi > Porphyra > Enteromorpha. Although exudates strongly complex Cu (and probably other metals), their presence promoted Cu uptake. Significant changes of Ni, Cd, Fe, Zn and Mn uptake by P. tricornutum were also observed in the presence of exudates of different algal species. In addition, both intensity of production and nature of exudates released by P. tricornutum were markedly influenced by the presence of exudates of other algae, the allelopathic effects being very specific (variable from one species to another). Allelopathy will probably also occur in the aquatic environment, although to a lesser extent than in cultures, particularly during bloom events and may have effects on both chemical speciation and bioavailability of chemicals to phytoplanktonic species. Such changes might cause the predominance of some species over other species. Therefore, in future in vitro culture studies with the purpose of using them as models of the real environment, more attention should be paid to the role of algal exudates, in order to improve the environmental relevance and significance of the results.