Research Article: Isolation, cultivation and biochemical characterization of the symbiotic dinoflagellate, Symbiodinium sp., from the sea anemone, Stichodactyla haddoni (Saville-Kent, ۱۸۹۳), from the Strait of Hormuz

In the present work, extraction of an endosymbiont from a host of Stichodactyla haddoni collected from the coast of Hormuz Island (the Strait of Hormuz) and afterwards identification, determination of the optimal cultivation conditions and then finding out the parameters and how they affect its bioactive compounds were conducted. The sequence of ITS۲ region from the endosymbiont of S. haddoni clustered with ۱۷ sequences representing clade C. The sequence was deposited to the GenBank under accession number MT۴۴۸۸۵۵. The study results showed that ASP۱۲ medium and a temperature of ۲۳°C were optimal to cultivate Symbiodinium sp. outside its host. Under these conditions, the highest cell density was ۱۲×۱۰۵ cell ml-۱ and the maximal amount of chlorophyll-a and peridinin were ۲۲.۸۱ and ۴۷.۸۶ mgL-۱, respectively. Further cultivation of the obtained strain in a Twin-Layer photobioreactor at light intensities of ۵۰, ۱۰۰ and ۲۵۰ μmol photons m-۲ s-۱ for ۱۶ days demonstrated that the biomass content was observed to be ۳۵.۷۲, ۵۴.۷۷ and ۵۷.۱۲ g m-۲ at ۵۰, ۱۰۰ and ۲۵۰ µmol photons m-۲ s-۱; the peridinin content was ۰.۲۶, ۰.۶۳ and ۰.۷۹ g m-۲, respectively; total lipid content was ۱۹.۵ and ۲۷.۷۷% of dry weight at ۵۰ and ۲۵۰ µmol photons m-۲ s-۱.

Keywords:

Endosymbiont , Peridinin , Protein , Chlorophyll-a , Total lipid , Growth condition