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The limit of the genetic adaptation to copper in freshwater phytoplankton

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Abstract

Copper is one of the most frequently used algaecides to control blooms of toxic cyanobacteria in water supply reservoirs. Among the negative impacts derived from the use of this substance is the increasing resistance of cyanobacteria to copper toxicity, as well as changes in the community structure of native phytoplankton. Here, we used the ratchet protocol to investigate the differential evolution and maximum adaptation capacity of selected freshwater phytoplankton species to the exposure of increasing doses of copper. Initially, a dose of 2.5 μM CuSO4·5H2O was able to completely inhibit growth in three strains of the toxic cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa, whereas growth of the chlorophyceans Dictyosphaerium chlorelloides and Desmodesmus intermedius (represented by two different strains) was completely abolished at 12 μM. A significant increase in resistance was achieved in all derived populations during the ratchet experiment. All the chlorophyceans were able to adapt to up to 270 μM of copper sulfate, but 10 μM was the highest concentration that M. aeruginosa strains were able to cope with, although one of the replicates adapted to 30 μM. The recurrent use and increasing doses of copper in water reservoirs could lead to the selection of copper-resistant mutants of both chlorophyceans and cyanobacteria. However, under high concentrations of copper, the composition of phytoplankton community could undergo a drastic change with cyanobacteria being replaced by copper-resistant chlorophyceans. This result stems from a distinct evolutionary potential of these species to adapt to this substance.

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Acknowledgments

This work has been financially supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation through the Grants CTM2008-05680 C02-01/MAR, CGL2008-00652/BOS and by Junta de Andalucía Research Group RNM-115. Special thanks are given to Lara de Miguel Fernández for technical support. Dr. Eric C. Henry kindly revised the English style and usage. The suggestions and criticisms of two anonymous reviewers are deeply acknowledged.

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  1. Mónica Rouco

    Present address: Biology Department, Woods Hole Ocenographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Producción Animal (Genética), Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Complutense, Avda. Puerta de Hierro s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain

    Mónica Rouco, Victoria López-Rodas, Raquel González & Eduardo Costas

  2. Instituto de Ciencias Marinas de Andalucía (CSIC), Campus Universitario Río San Pedro s/n, 11519, Puerto Real, Cádiz, Spain

    I. Emma Huertas

  3. Departamento de Biología Vegetal (Botánica), Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Málaga, Campus de Teatinos s/n, 29071, Málaga, Spain

    María J. García-Sánchez & Antonio Flores-Moya

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  1. Mónica Rouco
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Correspondence to Antonio Flores-Moya.

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Communicated by Elena Litchman.

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Rouco, M., López-Rodas, V., González, R. et al. The limit of the genetic adaptation to copper in freshwater phytoplankton. Oecologia 175, 1179–1188 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-014-2963-1

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