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.