Toxic Effects of Copper on Selenastrum capricornutum Measured by a Plow Cytometry-Based Method

Adaptation of algae Selenastrum capricornutum to different copper concentrations (50,150,300 and 450 ppb) was investigated. A flow cytometry technique was used to evaluate esterase activity (staining probe: CFDA). Algal physiological stress was estimated by comparing the esterase activity profile of intoxicated samples to that of a control sample. Our results show that at high concentration (450 ppb), copper strongly reduces esterase activity, whereas it increases that activity at lower concentrations (<300 ppb). After 27 hours of incubation, the esterase activity level resumed to the normal profile for each copper concentrations. The esterase activity profile thus shows adaption processes of algae Selenastrum capricornutum to copper intoxication.