群体感应抑制剂与磺胺甲恶唑、盐酸强力霉素对大肠杆菌的联合毒性及其机制初探

群体感应抑制剂(QSIs)具有不产生抗药性的特点,从而被作为抗生素的可能替代品,具有广阔的应用前景,因此其存在着与传统抗生素环境联合暴露的可能,但是目前尚缺乏相关联合效应的研究。本文以大肠杆菌(Escherichia coli)为受试生物,测定了7种QSIs(DL-焦谷氨酸、N-乙烯基吡咯烷酮、呋喃酮乙酸酯、2-甲基四氢呋喃-3-酮、3,4-二溴-2(5H)-呋喃酮、(R)-3-吡咯烷醇、D-脯氨醇)分别与磺胺甲恶唑(SMX)和盐酸强力霉素(DH)的二元联合毒性,并初步探讨了它们的联合作用机制。结果表明,前5种QSIs作用于AI-2类信号分子介导的群体感应系统,与AI-2类信号分子竞争结合LsrB蛋白,此通路与SMX、DH的作用通路互不影响,因此联合效应为相加;后2种QSIs作用于AI-1类信号分子介导的群体感应系统,与AI-1类信号分子竞争结合SdiA蛋白,而SMX、DH的作用可能刺激SdiA蛋白的表达,从而需要消耗更多的QSIs与SdiA结合,因而联合效应为拮抗。本实验研究可为传统抗生素与QSIs联合暴露的生态风险评价提供一定理论基础。     

群体感应抑制剂与磺胺甲恶唑、盐酸强力霉素对大肠杆菌的联合毒性及其机制初探

群体感应抑制剂(QSIs)具有不会产生抗药性的特点,从而被作为抗生素的可能替代品,具有广阔的应用前景,因此其存在着与传统抗生素环境联合暴露的可能,但是目前尚缺乏相关联合效应的研究。本文以大肠杆菌(Escherichia coli)为受试生物,测定了7种QSIs(DL-焦谷氨酸、N-乙烯基吡咯烷酮、呋喃酮乙酸酯、2-甲基四氢呋喃-3-酮、3,4-二溴-2(5H)-呋喃酮、(R)-3-吡咯烷醇、D-脯氨醇)分别与磺胺甲恶唑(SMX)和盐酸强力霉素(DH)的二元联合毒性,并初步探讨了它们的联合作用机制。根据结果分析,前5种QSIs作用于AI-2类信号分子介导的群体感应系统,与AI-2类信号分子竞争结合Lsr B蛋白,此通路与SMX、DH的作用通路互不影响,因此联合效应为相加;后2种QSIs作用于AI-1类信号分子介导的群体感应系统,与AI-1类信号分子竞争结合Sdi A蛋白,而SMX、DH的作用可能刺激Sdi A蛋白的表达,从而需要消耗更多的QSIs与Sdi A结合,因而联合效应为拮抗。本实验研究可为传统抗生素与QSIs联合暴露的生态风险评价提供一定理论基础。     

6种苯系物对球等鞭金藻和新月菱形藻的生长抑制

海洋环境中苯系物污染主要来源于海洋溢油事故以及沿海石油化工企业的废水排放。为探究苯系物对海洋微藻的毒性作用,选择球等鞭金藻和新月菱形藻作为受试生物,分别考察了苯、甲苯、乙基苯、邻-二甲苯、间-二甲苯和对-二甲苯6种苯系物对2种海洋微藻生长的影响。结果表明,在0.25~64.0 mg·L-1暴露浓度下,6种苯系物对2种微藻生长具有显著的抑制作用,随着暴露浓度的升高,抑制作用明显增强。苯、甲苯、乙基苯、邻-二甲苯、间-二甲苯、对-二甲苯对球等鞭金藻的24 h的半数效应浓度(24 h-EC50)分别为:17.07、12.88、7.58、0.55、0.36、0.27 mg·L-1;对新月菱形藻的24 h-EC50值分别为:1.03、0.68、0.46、0.40、0.42、0.38 mg·L-1。上述研究结果为确定苯系物海洋环境质量标准、保护海洋生态环境提供了基础数据。     

Sugar compound products of the periphytic diatom <Emphasis Type="Italic">Navicula ramosissima</Emphasis> induce larval settlement in the barnacle, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Amphibalanus amphitrite</Emphasis>

This study investigated the response of cyprids of the barnacle Amphibalanus amphitrite to 23 strains of laboratory cultured periphytic diatoms isolated from microbial biofilms that formed on glass slides immersed in Tachibana bay, Nagasaki, and those from mass-production tanks in the Fisheries Center of Nagasaki City, Japan. In addition, periphytic diatoms were subjected to various treatments, in order to investigate the nature of the chemical cue in periphytic diatoms. Cyprids of A. amphitrite responded differently to the 23 different periphytic diatom strains and settled in high percentages on Cocconeis sp. and Navicula ramosissima strain A. On the other hand, nine strains of diatoms significantly inhibited settlement. The settlement inducing activity of N. ramosissima strain A increased linearly with diatom density, and its activity was enhanced by culturing the diatom under a bacteria-free condition, suggesting that specific diatom species, i.e., N. ramosissima strain A, may play an important role on larval settlement of the barnacle. Subjecting N. ramosissima strain A biofilm to hydrochloric acid (HCl) and ethanol (EtOH) treatments or heating it at 100°C did not inactivate the film, indicating that the settlement cue was a stable surface bound compound that did not decompose from the above treatments. Moreover, of the various lectins, enzymes, and drugs [H₅IO₆ and sodium dodecyl sulfate or (SDS)] used, only Lentil Agglutinin (LCA) treatment of N. ramosissima strain A biofilm resulted in the reduction its settlement inducing activity. A positive correlation was observed between the settlement inducing activity and the amount of LCA conjugated fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC-LCA) of N. ramosissima strain A. On the other hand, subjecting biofilms of N. ramosissima strain B, an inactive strain, to various types of treatments resulted in the induction of A. amphitrite larval settlement but LCA treatment also reduced the activity of these treated N. ramosissima strain B biofilms. These findings suggest that a cue containing an LCA-binding sugar chain is present in both A and B strains of N. ramosissima but the large amount of mucous substance covering N. ramosissima strain B biofilm probably makes the sugar chain containing active subunit in strain B unavailable to A. amphitrite cyprids. In conclusion, periphytic diatoms such as N. ramosissima play an important role in larval settlement of the barnacle A. amphitrite. The cue in the diatom was an LCA-binding sugar chain(s) compound that may have similarities to the settlement inducing protein complex (SIPC) from adult shell of the barnacle.     

四溴双酚A(TBBPA)对中肋骨条藻的毒性效应研究

为研究四溴双酚A(tetrabromobisphenol A,TBBPA)对海洋微藻的毒性效应,本文设置五个不同浓度组(0、1.0、5.0、10.0、20.0 mg·L-1)进行中肋骨条藻(Skeletonema costatum)培养实验,在96 h内取样分析其光合色素含量、可溶性蛋白含量、丙二醛(MDA)含量和超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)活性的变化。结果表明,较低浓度组(1.0和5.0 mg·L-1)叶绿素a、叶绿素c和类胡萝卜素含量48 h之前被显著诱导,最大值出现在24 h;较高浓度组(10.0和20.0 mg·L-1)三种色素含量在48 h之前被显著抑制,24 h达最低值;72 h之后各浓度组均恢复到对照组水平。不同浓度TBBPA胁迫下,中肋骨条藻的可溶性蛋白含量、SOD活性和MDA含量一般被显著诱导,SOD活性和MDA含量在72 h和96 h时随TBBPA浓度升高而增加。虽然1.0 mg·L-1TBBPA对中肋骨条藻生长不具有可观测效应,但已影响到其生理生化指标。目前海水中TBBPA浓度较低,尚不会对中肋骨条藻产生毒性影响。     

Effects of 9–10 dihydroanthracene and its biodegradation products on the marine diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum

Growth, photosynthetic capacity and chlorophyll a content of the marine diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum Bohlin were observed after exposure to the aromatic hydrocarbon 9–10 dihydroanthracene and its biodegradation products. Growth was inhibited after exposure to the aromatic hydrocarbon, whereas no inhibition occurred in the presence of the biodegradation products alone. The degradation products were found to enhance the chlorophyll a cellular content. Synergistic effects between dihydroanthracene and its biodegradation products increased the toxicity of this aromatic hydrocarbon.     

Change in the concentrations of iron in different size fractions during growth of the oceanic diatom Chaetoceros sp.: importance of small colloidal iron

 Laboratory culture experiments were performed to study the changes in size-fractionated Fe concentrations during the growth of the oceanic diatom Chaetoceros sp. Fe concentration was estimated for three size fractions: large labile particles (>0.2 μm), small colloidal particles (0.2 μm to 200 kDa) and soluble species (<200 kDa). The size-fractionated Fe concentration in the nutrient-enriched filtered seawater medium without diatom cells became stable within 4 d after the spike of FeCl₃ solution. Light irradiation by white fluorescent tubes with a 14 h light:10 h dark cycle did not significantly alter concentrations of the size-fractionated Fe. For the phytoplankton culture experiment, Fe-starved diatom cells were inoculated into the nutrient-enriched media aged for 19 d after the addition of FeCl₃. With the growth of diatom cells, total acid-labile Fe concentrations decreased from 0.60 to 0.46 nM during 7 d of incubation. However, only the concentration of the small colloidal particles showed a significant decrease; the concentration of the other size fractions remained relatively constant. Although the media still contained sufficient amounts Fe as large labile particles and soluble species, diatom cells appeared to be Fe-limited once Fe as small colloidal particles had been used up. These results suggest that Fe in the small colloidal particle fraction was the most dynamic size fraction during the growth of the diatom Chaetoceros sp. In addition, to better understand Fe dynamics in the ocean, we must consider the influence of phytoplankton growth on small colloidal Fe [which is typically included in the dissolved Fe fraction (<0.2 μm)]. Received: 9 December 1999 / Accepted: 5 May 2000     

Inhibition of diatom photosynthesis by germanic acid: Separation of diatom productivity from total marine primary productivity

Germanic acid was shown to inhibit photosynthetic ¹⁴CO₂ uptake in marine diatoms. Inhibition was not complete even at concentrations of 20 mg Ge/1 nor in cultures incubated for extended periods of time (up to 24 h). The decrease in photosynthesis due to Ge(OH)₄ was independent of the stage of growth of the diatom culture. At 0.5 and 1.0 mg Ge/1, the degree of inhibition was dependent on the concentration of Si(OH)₄ in the medium. At 5 and 10 mg Ge/1, inhibition was not affected by Si(OH)₄ concentrations as high as those found in the sea-120 g-at Si/1. The effect of Ge(OH)₄ on photosynthesis is specific for diatoms; other marine phytoplankton were not inhibited. In mixed cultures of diatoms and marine flagellates, the reduction in ¹⁴CO₂ fixation upon addition of Ge(OH)₄ was used to calculated the proportion of diatom photosynthesis to total photosynthesis, and calculated proportions agreed well with actual proportions. Inhibition by Ge(OH)₄ was also used to estimate the percent of diatom photosynthesis in a natural marine community, and this was compared with the diatom portion of the crop. Diatom photosynthesis was higher than one might expect from crop figures, although both diatom photosynthesis and diatom numbers in the crop were low.     

Growth and development of Calanus spp. (Copepoda) during spring phytoplankton succession in the North Sea

Experiments were carried out to determine growth and development rates of the herbivorous copepod Calanus finmarchicus (Gunnerus) under natural conditions during the phytoplankton spring bloom in the northern North Sea. From 28 April to 25 May 1983 copepodite stages I, IV and V were incubated for a 3-d period on board a ship in vessels with naturally occurring phytoplankton or cultured algae as food. Highest rates of growth and development were achieved while the diatom Chaetoceros sp. was the dominant phytoplankton organism. These rates decreased considerably when this chain-forming diatom was succeeded after one week by the small-celled diatom Thalassiosira conferta. Again one week later, during the bloom of the succeeding colonial microflagellate Corymbellus aureus, copepodite stage IV still managed to maintain moderate rates of growth and development, but these rates dropped to almost zero in CV, suggesting the start of a resting stage. Nevertheless, brood collected from this generation and from Calanus helgolandicus (Claus) was raised in the laboratory to the adult stage at high speed. Since temperature and the total phytoplankton concentration in the sea remained almost constant it seems that the retardation and arrestment of growth and development were an immediate response to a qualitative change of the food composition related to the successive blooms of different algal species.     

Nutrient kinetics modeled from time series of substrate depletion and growth: dissolved silicate uptake of Baltic Sea spring diatoms

We estimated silicate uptake kinetics for 8 spring diatom species using a model based on time series measurements of the depletion of dissolved silicate (DSi) and increases in biomass. Furthermore, the carbon: nitrogen: silicate stoichiometric relationships and maximum growth rates were determined. Differences in DSi uptake kinetics and maximum growth rate were distinct among the species. All the most common diatom species (Chaetoceros wighamii, Pauliella taeniata, Skeletonema costatum and Thalassiosira baltica) were relatively lightly silicified and had variable but relatively low half-saturation constants (K _s ), indicating that they are well adapted to low DSi concentrations. The less common Diatoma tenuis and Nitzschia frigida had higher K _s values, suggesting that they are more vulnerable to DSi limitation. The much used nitrogen:silicate ratio of 1 for marine diatom biomass was too low for most of the examined species, while a ratio of 2–3 seems to be more appropriate for these Baltic Sea species.     

Change in the uptake and cellular Si:N ratio in diatoms responding to the ambient Si:N ratio and growth phase

A change in the Si:N ratio of diatom cells during growth was examined for Chaetoceros socialis and Thalassiosira sp., with different initial silicate to nitrate (Si:N) ratios in the media. During exponential growth, C. socialis assimilated silicate and nitrate with a molar ratio of 0.5, independent of the ratio in the media, but after the depletion of nitrate, silicate continued to be taken up, and the Si:N ratio in the stationary phase increased to 2 as a function of the Si:N ratios in the media. In contrast, the ratio of silicate to nitrate taken up by Thalassiosira sp. increased with an increase in the Si:N ratio in the media. The Si:N ratio in the cells during the stationary phase increased in response to an increase in this ratio in the media. The Si:chl  a ratio also increased with the increase in the initial Si:N ratio in the media, while the N:chl  a ratio did not change to a great extent, indicating the changes in the cellular Si:N ratio was derived from changes in the Si content of the cells. These results indicated that the cellular Si:N ratio changed with the Si:N ratio in the medium, and the Si:N uptake ratio during the growth phase was different depending on diatom species. Thus, the dominance of different diatom species may affect nutrient composition and dynamics in the ocean.     

磺胺与群体感应抑制剂对费氏弧菌发光和生长联合毒性效应对比研究

抗生素类药物在广泛应用的同时,也带来了细菌耐药性问题。因此,越来越多的抗生素替代品如群体感应抑制剂(QSIs)被研究和应用,在未来二者可能共存于环境之中。为了对它们混合物联合毒性评价进行系统的研究,本文选择费氏弧菌(Vibrio fischeri,V.fischeri)为受试生物,测定了5种磺胺类抗生素(SAs)与6种QSIs对V.fischeri的发光强度(HV)和生长量(OD600)的联合毒性作用,初步探讨了SAs与QSIs对V.fischeri发光联合毒性和生长联合毒性差异的原因。结果表明:SAs与QSIs联合作用于V.fischeri时,对发光的联合毒性表现为拮抗,对生长的联合毒性表现为拮抗或加和,且TUHVTUOD。这可能是由于QSIs对V.fischeri的发光的抑制作用可以削弱SAs对发光的促进作用,而SAs与QSIs对V.fischeri的生长都表现出抑制作用,两者没有互相削弱作用。同时,基于分子对接和回归分析法的研究表明了靶蛋白上结合的化合物有效浓度不同也可能是造成SAs与QSIs联合作用于V.fischeri时TUHVTUOD的主要原因。该研究可以为抗生素与QSIs联合暴露的生态风险评价提供借鉴。     

Comparative effects of indole derivatives as antifouling agents on the growth of two marine diatom species

Antifouling agents, used to prevent biofouling, need to be assessed for their impacts on marine organisms and environment before the application. Diatoms are one of the main components of fouling biofilms, which play important roles in the formation of biofouling. Particularly, diatoms are also the important ingredients of primary production and present interest as ecotoxicological models in marine environment. In this study, two benthic diatoms Nitzschia closterium f. minutissima and Navicula climacospheniae, widely distributed in fouling biofilm, were used as models for screening the activities of potential antifoulants. Nine indole derivatives were tested and CuSO₄ was used as a reference. Indole derivatives showed significant anti-algal activities and the EC₅₀ values of most indole derivatives were lower than that of CuSO₄. Halogen substituent enhanced the anti-algal activities of compounds, and the most efficient compounds for N. closterium f. minutissima were gramine and 7-chloroindole with the EC₅₀ values of 1.94 and 2.1?mg/L, while for N. climacospheniae, 7-chloroindole and 6-bromoindole were the most efficient and the EC₅₀ values were 3.91 and 4.25?mg/L, respectively. In conclusion, indole derivatives would be one of the promising candidates as antifoulants and our results strengthened the need to perform antifouling activity assays and environment-friendly evaluations.     

Increased production of faecal pellets by the benthic harpacticoid Paramphiascella fulvofasciata: importance of the food source

The re-use of faecal pellets in the water column before sinking to the seafloor is known as an important pathway in marine food webs. Especially planktonic copepods seems to be actively use their faecal pellets. Since benthic copepods (order Harpacticoida) live in the vicinity of their pellets, it remains unclear how important these pellets are for their feeding ecology. In the present study a laboratory experiment was conducted to analyse the importance of faecal pellets for the feeding ecology of the harpacticoid Paramphiascella fulvofasciata and its grazing pressure on two diatom species (Seminavis robusta, Navicula phyllepta). By quantifying the amount and volume of the produced faecel pellets in different treatments, it was tested to what extent the food source and the lack of faecal pellets would influence the production of faecal pellets. We found that the grazing pressure of P. fulvofasciata depended on the diatom density since only a top-down effect could be found on the smaller Navicula cells during its initial exponential growth phase. The grazer had a negative effect on the diatom growth and controlled the cell density to about 4,000 cells/cm². In spite of the fact that the addition of faecal pellets did not show a significant positive effect on the assimilation of diatoms, the removal of faecal pellets strongly promoted the pellet production. Especially when grazing on Navicula the harpacticoid P. fulvofasciata produced significantly more and smaller faecal pellets when the pellets were removed. This outcome illustrates the need for faecal pellets of this harpacticoid copepod when grazing on the diatom Navicula. Apart from its selection for smaller diatom cells, it was suggested that the colonisation of heterotrophic bacteria enriched these pellets. This study is the first to indicate that trophic upgrading occurs on faecal pellets and not only on the initial autotrophic food sources per se.     

Detoxification of pyrrolizidine alkaloids by the harvestman <Emphasis Type="Italic">Mitopus morio</Emphasis> (Phalangidae) a predator of alkaloid defended leaf beetles

Summary. The harvestman Mitopus morio (Phalangidae) is a generalist predator. It is known to prey on larvae of the chrysomelid leaf beetle Oreina cacaliae defended by plant acquired pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs). Tracer feeding experiments were performed to determine how harvestmen tolerate protoxic PAs. Minced meat containing either [¹⁴C]senecionine or [¹⁴C]senecionine N-oxide was fed to M. morio and subsequently feces and bodies were analyzed. Labeled alkaloid N-oxide remained stable and was eliminated almost unaltered with the feces; only 10% was recovered as tertiary PA. In contrast, approximately 80% of labeled tertiary alkaloid (senecionine) ingested with the diet was N-oxidized and eliminated; the remaining 20% consisted of unchanged senecionine and a polar metabolite of unknown structure. Harvestmen process their diet by excreting digestive juice, indicated by bleaching of the meat color. Analysis of the processed diet revealed some N-oxidation of [¹⁴C]senecionine, suggesting the gut as the site of Noxidation. Analysis of the bodies of harvestmen 80 hours after the tracer feeding pulse revealed only trace amounts of the polar metabolite. Neither senecionine nor its N-oxide could be detected in the body extracts. The results are discussed in relation to the strategies of PA adapted insects to avoid accumulation of tertiary PAs in living tissues.     

Mass occurrence of Salpa fusiformis in the spring of 1984 off Ireland: implications for sedimentation processes

Zooplankton species composition and biomass were investigated during the spring of 1984 in three areas west of Ireland. In general, biomass of the gelatinous zooplankters [Salpa fusiformis (Cuvier) forma gregata and solitaria, Cymbulia sp., Euclio sp.; max. 360 mg Cm^-3] exceeded that of other zooplankton namely copepods (max. 70 mg C m^-3). Feeding by salps in the upper layers of all areas during the observed diatom spring bloom resulted in sedimentation of diatom-rich salp fecal pellets. This process ended the diatom spring bloom prior to nutrient depletion in surface waters and, thus, prior to mass sedimentation of algal cells.Publication No. 17 of the SFB 313 at Kiel University     

Effects of ethyl 2-methyl acetoacetate (EMA) on the growth of Phaeodactylum tricornutum and Skeletonema costatum

We investigated the effects of ethyl 2-methyl acetoacetate (EMA) on growth of the marine diatom algae Phaeodactylum tricornutum (P. tricornutum) and Skeletonema costatum (S. costatum). Growth of P. tricornutum was significantly inhibited by the minimum concentration (3.5 mmol·L ^?1) of EMA at lower initial algal densities (IADs) (3.6×10⁴ and 3.3×10⁵ cells·mL ^?1). However, at the highest IAD, significant growth inhibition was found at above 7 mmol·L ^?1 of EMA exposure. In S. costatum, EMA concentrations of 10.5 mmol·L ^?1 or more significantly inhibited growth at lower IAD (3×10⁴ and 1.8×10⁵ cells·mL ^?1); at the highest IAD, only EMA concentrations above 14 mmol·L ^?1 obviously inhibited the growth of S. costatum. Changes in specific growth rates and pigment were consistent with algal growth, but only at higher EMA concentrations or lower IAD values was the ratio of chlorophyll a (Chla) to carotenoid significantly lower than the control. Medium effective concentration (EC ₅₀) values were in the order 4.07, 8.03 and 12.27 mmol·L ^?1 for P. tricornutum and 7.48, 11.92 and 17.22 mmol·L ^?1 for S. costatum. All these results show that the effect of EMA on the growth of algae was species specific and mainly depended on IAD, which might be an important factor to influence algal growth.     

Resting spore formation of the marine planktonic diatom Chaetoceros anastomosans induced by high salinity and nitrogen depletion

The marine planktonic diatom Chaetoceros anastomosans, which was isolated from Sagami Bay, was used for a study of resting spore formation mechanisms in batch culture experiments. Vegetative cells could grow at salinities ranging from 20.7 to 45.5‰, and resting spore formation was enhanced significantly in nitrate-depleted, high salinity media (40.0 to 45.5‰). The rate of resting spore formation (1.9 d⁻¹) was comparable to the specific growth rate (1.8 d⁻¹) of vegetative cells in the exponential growth phase in normal salinity medium. The size of resting spores formed under high salinity conditions was smaller than that of spores formed in normal salinity media. Unlike vegetative cells, resting spores seemed to possess some mechanisms to survive over a wider range of salinities by resisting bacterial attacks on their cell walls. Received: 4 August 1996 / Accepted: 27 August 1996     

Carbohydrate metabolism in the marine diatom Skeletonema costatum

This is a study on the metabolism of the algal biochemical constituents of a marine diatom, Skeletonema costatum. The carbohydrates, protein, and lipid, of the diatom grown under light and dark conditions were analyzed. The composition of the organic compounds did not vary in the alga grown under continuous light conditions throughout the experiment, although a little accumulation of carbohydrate and lipid was observed in the stationary phase of the algal growth. When the diatom, at maximum growth stage, was transferred to darkness, 44.4% of the carbohydrate, 57.8% of the protein, and 27.0% of the lipid were used by respiration within a few days. Detailed analysis of the algal carbohydrate demonstrated that low molecular weight carbohydrates, consisting of glucose, and -1,3-glucan, were readily metabolized by algal respiration, leaving cell-wall carbohydrates consisting of mannan and pentosan which are immune to algal respiration. The respiratory utilization of carbohydrates is discussed in relation to the rapid decay of glucan from marine particulate matter during the course of its sinking to further depths in the ocean, as observed previously by the present author.     

Effects of various diets on the nutritional value of Artemia sp. as food for the prawn Penaeus monodon

The nutritional value of Artemia sp. as food for marine fish and crustacean larvae has been linked to the level of its polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) content. Experiments in August 1984 were conducted to determine the effects of various artificial diets and algae on fatty acid composition of PUFA-deficient Artemia sp. (Utah GSL strain) and their resulting value as food for postlarvae of the prawn Penaeus monodon (Fabricius). Nauplii of the brine shrimp were grown on extracts of corn, copra, soybean and rice bran containing precursors (C18) to long-chain PUFA and also on algal species containing different levels of long-chain PUFA (C20). The nauplii were then used as food for P. monodon postlarvae. The results revealed that absence of C20 polyunsaturates from the feeds and their presence in the algae were reflected in the polyunsaturated fatty acid content of the tissues of Artemia sp. When fed with brine shrimp fed on algae, P. monodon displayed better postlarval survival and significantly higher growth; related to the content of polyunsaturated fatty acids in Artemia sp. A practical feeding approach in prawn hatcheries would be to grow Artemia sp. on a cheap diet such as rice bran, and then to enhance its nutritional value with a diet high in PUFA prior to harvesting, in order to improve hatchery production.