BIOLOGIYA MORYA, 2015, Vol. 41, No. 6, pp. 437-446

Effect of brown alga proteins and polysaccharides on egg fertilization and development of embryos of the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus intermedius A. Agassiz, 1863

© 2015 M. I. Kiseleva, S. P. Ermakova, T. N. Zvyagintseva

G.B. Elyakov Pacific Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Far Eastern Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Vladivostok 690022

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Toxic effects of water-ethanol extract of the brown alga Saccharina (= Laminaria) cichorioides and isolated proteins I1 and I2 on egg fertilization and development of embryos of the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus intermedius were revealed and studied. The protective effect of fucoidan and 1,3; 1,6-β-D-glucans (laminarans, translam, glucan II), extracted from the brown algae S. cichorioides and Fucus evanescens against the toxic impact of the I₁ and I₂ proteins was examined. .It was found that the lifespan of sea urchin embryos increased from 1.5 to 3 times in the presence of 1,3; 1,6-β-D-glucans and fucoidans, whereas proteins I₁ and I₂ 2 times decreased embryo viability. Preadministration of polysaccharides completely neutralized the inhibitory effect of proteins on developing embryos. It is also shown that the water-ethanol extract of S. cichorioides, derived I₁ and I₂ proteins and fucoidans have contraceptive effect.

Key words: sea urchin embryos, sea urchin eggs, sea urchin sperm, fertilization, brown algae, polysaccharides, glucans, fucoidans, proteins, inhibitors, protective effect.