Distribution of natural ingredients suggests a complex network of metabolic transport between source and sink tissues in the brown alga Fucus vesiculosus.

Tight regulation of intra-thallus metabolite distribution in Fucus vesiculosus in late summer reveals the complex biochemical processes complying with reproduction and the preparation to the dark season. We used inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy to study the tissue-specific elemental composition, and gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry to study the distribution of small-molecular weight primary and secondary metabolites of the brown alga Fucus vesiculosus thalli in the reproductive phase. Beyond general physiological requirements, the observed distribution of the analysed nutrients was also found to depend on characteristics related to the season of harvesting, i.

Organic acids induce tolerance to zinc- and copper-exposed fungi under various growth conditions.

Heavy metals, Zn and Cu, in high concentration (2 mM for Zn and 0.5 mM for Cu) have some inhibiting effect on the growth of Aspergillus niger and Penicillium citrinum. Toxic effects of these metals considerably depend on cultivation conditions including nitrogen sources, pH of nutrient media, and its consistency (presence or absence of agar).