@article{SpijkermanStojkovicHollandetal.2016,
  author    = {Spijkerman, Elly and Stojkovic, Slobodanka and Holland, Daryl and Lachmann, Sabrina C. and Beardall, John},
  title     = {Nutrient induced fluorescence transients (NIFTs) provide a rapid measure of P and C (co-)limitation in a green alga},
  series = {European journal of phycology},
  volume    = {51},
  journal   = {European journal of phycology},
  publisher = {Hindawi},
  address   = {Abingdon},
  issn      = {0967-0262},
  doi       = {10.1080/09670262.2015.1095355},
  pages     = {47 -- 58},
  year      = {2016},
  abstract  = {Nutrient Induced Fluorescence Transients (NIFTs) have been shown to be a possible way of testing for the limiting nutrient in algal populations. In this study we tested the hypothesis that NIFTs can be used to detect a (co-)limitation for inorganic phosphorus (Pi) and CO2 in the green alga Chlamydomonas acidophila and that the magnitude of the NIFTs can be related to cellular P:C ratios. We show a co-limitation response for Pi and CO2 via traditional nutrient enrichment experiments in natural phytoplankton populations dominated by C. acidophila. We measured NIFT responses after a Pi- or a CO2-spike in C. acidophila batch cultures at various stages of Pi and inorganic C limitation. Significant NIFTs were observed in response to spikes in both nutrients. The NIFT response to a Pi-spike showed a strong negative correlation with cellular P:C ratio that was pronounced below 3 mmol P: mol C (equivalent to 0.2 pg P cell(-1)). Both cellular P and C content influenced the extent of the Pi-NIFT response. The NIFT response to a CO2-spike correlated to low CO2 culturing conditions and also had a negative correlation with cellular P content. A secondary response within the Pi-NIFT response was related to the CO2 concentration and potentially reflected co-limitation. In conclusion, NIFTs provided a quick and reliable method to detect the growth-limiting nutrient in an extremophile green alga, under Pi-, CO2- and Pi/CO2 (co-)limited growth conditions.},
  language  = {en}
}