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A mesocosm experiment was conducted in Wuyuan Bay (Xiamen), China to investigate the effects of elevated pCO2 on phytoplankton species and production of dimethylsulfide (DMS) and dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) as well as four halocarbon compounds (CHBrCl2, CH3Br, CH2Br2, and CH3I). Over a period of 5 weeks, P. tricornutum outcompeted T. weissflogii and E. huxleyi, comprising more than 99 % of the final biomass. During the logarithmic growth phase (phase I), DMS concentrations in high pCO2 mesocosms (1000 µatm) were 28.2 % lower than those in low pCO2 mesocosms (400 µatm). Elevated pCO2 led to a delay in DMSP-consuming bacteria attached to T. weissflogii and P. tricornutum and finally resulted in the delay of DMS concentration in the HC treatment. Unlike DMS, the elevated pCO2 did not affect DMSP production ability of T. weissflogii or P. tricornutum throughout the 5 week culture. A positive relationship was detected between CH3I and T. weissflogii and P. tricornutum during the experiment, and there was a 40.2 % reduction in mean CH3I concentrations in the HC mesocosms. CHBrCl2, CH3Br, and CH2Br2 concentrations did not increase with elevated chlorophyll a (Chl a) concentrations compared with DMS(P) and CH3I, and there were no major peak in the HC or LC mesocosms. In addition, no effect of elevated pCO2 was identified for any of the three bromocarbons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultraviolet (UV) A radiation (315–400 nm) is the predominant component of solar UV radiation that reaches the Earth’s surface. However, the underlying mechanisms of the positive effects of UV-A on photosynthetic organisms have not yet been elucidated. In this study, we investigated the effects of UV-A radiation on the growth, photosynthetic ability, and metabolome of the edible cyanobacterium Nostoc sphaeroides. Exposures to 5–15 W m−2 (15–46 µmol photons m−2 s−1) UV-A and 4.35 W m−2 (20 μmol photons m−2 s−1) visible light for 16 days significantly increased the growth rate and biomass production of N. sphaeroides cells by 18%–30% and 15%–56%, respectively, compared to the non-UV-A-acclimated cells. Additionally, the UV-A-acclimated cells exhibited a 1.8-fold increase in the cellular nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADP) pool with an increase in photosynthetic capacity (58%), photosynthetic efficiency (24%), QA re-oxidation, photosystem I abundance, and cyclic electron flow (87%), which further led to an increase in light-induced NADPH generation (31%) and ATP content (83%). Moreover, the UV-A-acclimated cells showed a 2.3-fold increase in ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase activity, indicating an increase in their carbon-fixing capacity. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry-based metabolomics further revealed that UV-A radiation upregulated the energy-storing carbon metabolism, as evidenced by the enhanced accumulation of sugars, fatty acids, and citrate in the UV-A-acclimated cells. Therefore, our results demonstrate that UV-A radiation enhances energy flow and carbon assimilation in the cyanobacterium N. sphaeroides. IMPORTANCE Ultraviolet (UV) radiation exerts harmful effects on photo-autotrophs; however, several studies demonstrated the positive effects of UV radiation, especially UV-A radiation (315–400 nm), on primary productivity. Therefore, understanding the underlying mechanisms associated with the promotive effects of UV-A radiation on primary productivity can facilitate the application of UV-A for CO2 sequestration and lead to the advancement of photobiological sciences. In this study, we used the cyanobacterium Nostoc sphaeroides, which has an over 1,700-year history of human use as food and medicine, to explore its photosynthetic acclimation response to UV-A radiation. As per our knowledge, this is the first study to demonstrate that UV-A radiation increases the biomass yield of N. sphaeroides by enhancing energy flow and carbon assimilation. Our findings provide novel insights into UV-A-mediated photosynthetic acclimation and provide a scientific basis for the application of UV-A radiation for optimizing light absorption capacity and enhancing CO2 sequestration in the frame of a future CO2 neutral, circular, and sustainable bioeconomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]