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The use of microalgal biomass as feedstock for biofuels has been discussed for decades as it provides a sustainable approach to producing fuels for the future. Nonetheless, its feasibility has not been established yet and various aspects of biomass applications such as CO 2 biofixation should also be explored. Therefore, in this study, the CO 2 biofixation and lipid/carbohydrate production potential of Chlorella sp. ABC-001 were examined under various nitrogen concentrations. The highest biomass productivity and CO 2 biofixation rate of 0.422 g/l/d and 0.683 g/l/d, respectively, were achieved under a nitrogen-rich condition (15 mM nitrate). Carbohydrate content was generally proportional to initial nitrate concentration and showed the highest value of 41.5% with 15 mM. However, lipid content showed an inverse relationship with nitrogen supplementation and showed the highest value of 47.4% with 2.5 mM. In consideration as feedstock for biofuels (bioethanol, biodiesel, and biogas), the sum of carbohydrate and lipid contents were examined and the highest value of 79.6% was achieved under low nitrogen condition (2.5 mM). For lipid-based biofuel production, low nitrogen supplementation should be pursued. However, considering the lower feasibility of biodiesel, pursuing CO 2 biofixation and the production of carbohydrate-based fuels under nitrogenrich condition might be more rational. Thus, nitrogen status as a cultivation strategy must be optimized according to the objective, and this was confirmed with the promising alga Chlorella sp. ABC-001.

In response to ambient hypertonicity, TonEBP (tonicity-responsive enhancer binding protein) stimulates certain genes including those encoding cytokines, transporters for organic solutes, and a molecular chaperone. TonEBP is regulated in a bidirectional manner, upregulated by an increase in ambient tonicity while downregulated by a decrease. To investigate the role of intracellular ionic strength in the activity of TonEBP, we subjected Madin-Darby canine kidney cells to a variety of conditions. Electron microprobe analysis was performed to measure intracellular electrolytes. Under conditions in which changes in cell volume were similar, TonEBP activity correlated with the intracellular ionic strength regardless of the external tonicity. On the other hand, inhibition of the Na+/K+-ATPase and high external K+ concentration led to a decreased activity of TonEBP despite a marked increase in the intracellular ionic strength. Because isotonic swelling is known to occur under these conditions, these data suggest that dilution of the cytoplasmic constituents inhibits the activity of TonEBP. We conclude that intracellular ionic strength and water content are major factors that determine the activity of TonEBP.