Journal Article

Yeast Cell as a Bio-Model for Measuring the Toxicity of Fish-Killing Flagellates

Allaf, Malihe Mehdizadeh, Trick, Charles G.

2021

Overview

Harmful algal blooms are a significant environmental problem. Cells that bloom are often associated with intercellular or dissolved toxins that are a grave concern to humans. However, cells may also excrete compounds that are beneficial to their competition, allowing the cells to establish or maintain cells in bloom conditions. Here, we develop a yeast cell assay to assess whether the bloom-forming species can change the toxicity of the water environment. The current methods of assessing toxicity involve whole organisms. Here, yeast cells are used as a bioassay model to evaluate eukaryotic cell toxicity. Yeast is a commonly used, easy to maintain bioassay species that is free from ethical concerns, yet is sensitive to a wide array of metabolic and membrane-modulating agents. Compared to methods in which the whole organism is used, this method offers rapid and convenient cytotoxicity measurements using a lower volume of samples. The flow cytometer was employed in this toxicology assessment to measure the number of dead cells using alive/dead stain analysis. The results show that yeast cells were metabolically damaged after 1 h of exposure to our model toxin-producing euryhaline flagellates (Heterosigma akashiwo and Prymnesium parvum) cells or extracts. This amount was increased by extending the incubation time.

• Publisher: MDPI AG,MDPI
• Subject: Algae / Algal blooms / Animals / bioassay / Bioassays / Cytotoxicity / Eutrophication / Fish / Fishes / Flagellates / Haptophyta - metabolism / Harmful Algal Bloom / harmful algal blooms / Heterosigma akashiwo / Invertebrates / Marine Toxins - toxicity / Models, Biological / Mortality / Poisoning / Prymnesium parvum / Saccharomyces cerevisiae - cytology / Shellfish / Stramenopiles - metabolism / Time Factors / Toxicity / Toxicology / Toxins / Water pollution / Water quality / Yeast