Effects of selenium on growth and ultrastructure of the marine unicellular alga Dunaliella salina (Chlorophyta)

Abstract

This study examines the effects of selenium in concentrations of 0.01, 0.5, 1, 5, and 10 mg/liter on the growth and ultrastructure of the microalga Dunaliella salina. Selenium in concentrations of 0.01 and 0.5 mg/liter stimulated cell population growth, while the number of ultrastructural alterations was the same as in the control cells. At a selenium concentrations of 1 mg/liter, cell population growth slightly decreased by the end of the experiment, and there was some increase in the number of cells with damaged organoids and in the number of completely destroyed cells. As well, the excretory function of cell vacuoles was suppressed, and the autophagic activity of these vacuoles was activated to destroy the cytoplasm and nucleus. Concentrations of 5 and 10 mg/liter were toxic to D. salina, suppressing cell population growth and promoting extensive destructive changes. The threshold concentration of selenium for D. salina was 1 mg/liter, which is 1000 times greater than the maximum permissible concentration (MPC). The fact that the microalga was able to survive for several days in this concentration is indicative of its high resistance to selenium.