Characterization of the decline and recovery of heat-treated Scenedesmus vacuolatus

BACKGROUND: To find out how algal cells cope with and recover from heat stress, the small vegetative cells of the synchronous Scenedesmus vacuolatus culture were subjected to a heat pretreatment (46.5°C for 1 h) followed by dark recultivation. The changes in physiological activities and morphology of Scenedesmus cells were continuously monitored throughout the course of decline and recovery. RESULTS: It was found that the heat treatment, though completely inhibited photosynthesis, did not kill Scenedesmus cells. These cells, during dark recultivation, could make a fast repair and regained the ability of proliferation. We suggest that they entered a ‘stand-by’ state, which was characterized by condensed chromatin, partially functional but morphologically altered chloroplasts, disappeared vacuoles, slightly shrunk protoplast and intact plasma membranes. These stressed cells, on the surface, seemingly were undergoing some kind of disintegration, could readily and quickly return to normal cells upon illumination. Cell death occurred only after a long period of darkness (>48 h). CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that the recovery of algal cells from stress damage may actually proceed in two steps. The middle “stand-by’ stage normally is gone through too rapidly to be detected unless cells are kept in the dark. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/1999-3110-54-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.