Examining hydrogen peroxide-containing organelles in seaweeds

MicroPubl Biol. 2024 Nov 7:2024:10.17912/micropub.biology.001217. doi: 10.17912/micropub.biology.001217. eCollection 2024.

Abstract

Seaweeds, particularly the red seaweed Asparagopsis taxiformis , produce and sequester bromomethanes, which are known for mitigating methane emissions in ruminants when used as a feed supplement. Bromomethane synthesis requires hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ). We developed a staining assay utilizing 3,3'-diaminobenzidine (DAB) for identifying H 2 O 2 in three groups of seaweeds (red, brown, and green), including intensely pigmented species. Our findings indicate the previously identified "gland cell" in Asparagopsis taxiformis , responsible for bromoform synthesis and retention, is a specialized large organelle rich in H 2 O 2 . Our study introduces an effective survey tool to identify promising seaweed species abundant in bromoform from diverse marine habitats.

Grants and funding

This work was sponsored by the Center for Cellular Construction, National Science Foundation DBI-1548297. Funding for the Smith laboratory focusing on Asparagopsis cultivation was provided by a grant from the Builder’s Initiative.