Abstract
The growth of Scenedesmus quadricauda (Trup.) Breb. is enhanced by methylyoxal (MG), a general inhibitor of cell division, at threshold concentration in conjunction with reatment timing relative to growth stage. The stimulatory effect of MG on algal cell growth was most significant with 2.27-fold of untreated algal culture in cell number when 0.5 mM of MG was added to the algal culture at the beginning of logarithmic phase with an initial MG concentration of 0.535 mg $MG/10^6cell$. A Specific growth rates (SGRs) of MG-treated cultures were rapidly increased at the beginning of logarithmic phase with 1.89-fold of untreated algal culture. Cultures inoculated with high cell numbers of 2.4 to 4.8 X $10^4$ cells/ml were less sensitive to 0.5 mM of MG treatment. The algal cell division was ranged from 0.392 to 0.924 mg MG/106 cell. If the cell number of an algal culture at the time of inoculation was low (0.6 X $10^4$ cells/ml) and MG was added before logarithmic phase, the cell number of 0.5 mM of MG-treated cultures were lower than those of controls. In algal cultures treated with high concentrations of MG (1.0 mM and 2.0 mM), the algal growth was inhibited. Photosynthetic rate of growth-enhanced algal by 0.5 mM of MG was significantly higher than that of untreated or 1.0 mM of MG-treated algal cell, while there was no significant difference among those groups in respiratory rate. Pyruvate concentration in 0.5 mM of MG-treated culture was incrcased agter methylglyoxal trcatment.