Cyanobacteria as source of marine bioactive compounds: Molecular specific detection based on Δ9 desaturase gene

Faten Ben Amor (1, 2) , Mohamed Barkallah (2) , Fatma Elleuch (1, 2) , Nesrine Karkouch (1, 2) , Mouna Dammak (2) , Bruno Barea (3) , Pierre Villeneuve (3) , Slim Abdelkafi (2) , Imen Fendri (1)

1 Laboratoire de Biotechnologie Végétale Appliquée à l'Amélioration des Cultures, Faculty of Sciences of Sfax
2 Unité de Biotechnologie des Algues, Biological Engineering Department, National School of Engineers of Sfax
3 UMR IATE - Ingénierie des Agro-polymères et Technologies Émergentes

The blue-green microalga, Arthrospira sp., isolated from the sea of Kssour Essef in Mahdia (Tunisia), was purified and then identified both morphologically and genetically based on 16S rRNA gene sequence. Following physicochemical analysis, the prokaryotic microalga tested represented a competitive source of pigments and showed a considerable rate in protein (64%) which was confirmed by FTIR measurement. The lipid content (4%) was quantified by the gravimetric method and the intracellular lipid bodies were detected with the Nile red staining. Using gas chromatography coupled with flame ionization detector, the fatty acid profile revealed the presence of 27.4% and 32.88% of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), respectively. Given the richness of the isolated microalga in unsaturated fatty acids, we have developed a SYBR Green real time PCR method for the specific identification of Arthrospira sp. Delta 9 desaturase gene. This current method will be of great value for carrying out high-throughput studies like cloning, heterologous expression and structure-function relationship analysis.

Mots clés: Arthrospira sp.; 16S rDNA sequencing; Lipids; RT-PCR; Delta 9 desaturase gene; bioactive substance; protein content; reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction

Mots clés: micro-algue; spectrométrie ftir; substance bioactive; teneur en protéines; rt pcr; expression hétérologue

Domaines: Ingénierie des aliments

Faten Ben Amor, Mohamed Barkallah, Fatma Elleuch, Nesrine Karkouch, Mouna Dammak, et al.. Cyanobacteria as source of marine bioactive compounds: Molecular specific detection based on Δ9 desaturase gene. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 2017, 105, pp.1440-1445. ⟨10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2017.07.139⟩. ⟨hal-01918015⟩