The CO₂ concentration mechanisms (CCMs) are important in maintaining the high efficiency of photosynthesis of marine algae. Aquatic photoautotrophs have two types of CCMs: biophysical CCMs, based on the conversion of inorganic carbon, and biochemical CCMs, based on the formation of C₄ acid intermediates. However, the contribution of biophysical and biochemical CCMs to algal carbon fixation remains unclear. Here, we used the inhibitors of ethoxyzolamide (EZ) for carbonic anhydrase and 3-mercaptopicolinic acid (MPA) for phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase respectively to examine the importance of biophysical and biochemical CCMs in photosynthesis of the green macroalga Ulva prolifera. The culture experiments showed that the carbon fixation of the species distinctly declined when EZ inhibited the biophysical CCM, and meanwhile, the increase in cyclic electron flow around the photosystem I indicated a more active biochemical CCM, contributing to ~50% of total carbon fixation. The biophysical CCM was also reinforced when MPA inhibited the biochemical CCM. In a comparison, the biophysical CCM can compensate for almost 100% of total carbon fixation. The results indicate that biophysical CCM dominates the process of carbon fixation of U. prolifera while biochemical CCM plays a supporting role. Our results provide an evidence of a complementary coordination mechanism between the biophysical and biochemical CCMs that promotes the efficiency of photosynthesis of U. prolifera, an efficient mechanism to boost the alga’s bloom.
 

CO2 concentration mechanism, photosynthesis, carbon fixation, carbonic anhydrase, C4 metabolism