Effects of nitrate and phosphate on growth and C2 toxin productivity of Alexandrium tamarense CI01 in culture

Growth and C2 toxin productivity of a marine dinoflagellate, Alexandrium tamarense C101 (ATC101) which predominantly produces C2 toxin, were studied in unialgal batch cultures to optimize the concentrations of nitrate and phosphate for a maximal toxin yield. A range of start concentrations of the two major nutrients was determined in which algal growth was proportional to the nutrient concentrations used. The highest concentrations of nitrate and phosphate in this growth-enhancing range were 264 and 20 muM, respectively. In this concentration range, the C2 toxin yield (mug/l) and cellular toxin content (Qt, fmole per cell) reached a maximum at the lowest end of phosphate (5 muM) and the highest end of nitrate (264 muM). Further increase in the supply of nitrate continued to enhance the toxin yield. Our results indicated that the growth and toxin productivity of this algal strain in batch cultures had distinctly different optimal ranges of nitrate and phosphate concentrations. For a maximum toxin yield, a judicious use of phosphate under a nitrate-replete condition is called for. (C) 2002 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd