Effect of fuel oil and dispersant on cell cycle and macromolecular synthesis in the chlorococcal alga Scenedesmus armatus

Growth and reproductive processes in synchronous cultures of the alga Scenedesmus armatus (isolated from Baltic phytoplankton) were followed in the presence of various concentrations of dispersant DP-105, oil, and mixtures of oil and dispersant. The inhibition of protoplast fission was the most prominent effect of oil. Nuclear division was inhibited to a lesser extent. With an increasing concentration of oil, dispersant, or a mixture of both, the inhibitory effects were expressed earlier. The presence of oil compounds did not effect the timing of DNA replication, but it did reduce the number of replication rounds in a concentration dependent manner. The inhibition of DNA synthesis was accompanied by slightly delayed cessation of RNA and protein synthesis. Starch synthesis was always inhibited to a lesser extent, and at a later time, than other macromolecular syntheses. Pigment synthesis continued almost to the end of the cell cycle. Thereafter, a rapid degradation of all pigments began and the cells became bleached. No inhibitory effect on reproductive processes was found if oil or dispersant were added to cultures transferred into darkness. Furthermore, recovery from inhibition of reproductive processes caused by oil in continuously illuminated cultures was observed in darkened cells. Chemically dispersed fuel oil was only slightly more toxic than mechanically dispersed fuel oil; an additive, rather than synergistic, effect of oil/dispersant mixture was found.