Influence of elevated CO2 and nitrogen supply on the carbon assimilation performance and cell composition of the unicellular alga Dunaliella viridis

The carbon assimilation efficiency and the internal composition of the chlorophyte Dunaliella viridis have been studied under conditions of current (0.035%) and enriched (1%) levels of CO2, with and without N limitation (supplied as nitrate). Results show that both photosynthesis and growth rates are enhanced by high CO2, but the strategy of acclimation also involves the light harvesting machinery and the nutritional metabolism in an N supply dependent manner. D. viridis carried out a qualitative rather than a quantitative acclimation of the light harvesting system leading to increased PSII quantum yields. Total internal C decreased as a consequence of either active growth or organic carbon release to the external medium. The latter process allowed photosynthetic electron transport to proceed at higher rates than under normal CO2 conditions, and maintained the internal C:N balance in a narrow range (under N sufficiency). N limitation generally prevented the effects of high CO2, with some exceptions such as the photosynthetic O-2 evolution rate.