Zihao Cao , Ruihao Zhang , Xiaotong Shen , Guanpin Yang , Baohua Zhu , Kehou Pan , Tengfei Xiao , Yun Li
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Global aquatic acidification significantly threatens alkaline lake ecosystems. The mechanisms by which alkaliphilic microalgae, the key producers in these ecosystems, respond to reduced environmental alkalinity remain poorly understood. Here, we investigated the responses of alkalophilic Nitzschia sp. NW129 to low alkalinity (pH 9.2) through integrated physiological-biochemical and transcriptomic analyses. Relative to the control (pH 11.5), we observed a 60.1 % decrease in polysaccharide content, while total lipids and proteins increased by 1.74-fold and 2-fold, respectively. Transcriptome analysis revealed up-regulation of genes encoding carbonic anhydrase (CA) and malic enzyme (ME), along with those involved in glycolysis and fatty acid (FA) synthesis, compensating for carbon supply and shifting carbon flux from carbohydrate synthesis to lipid accumulation. Enhanced expression of TCA cycle genes and those encoding F-ATP synthase and inorganic pyrophosphatase (PPase) provided sufficient energy for cellular homeostasis, further facilitated by the up-regulated expression of ATP-dependent V-ATPase and ABC transporter genes. Temporal analysis revealed that the expression of genes involved in protein synthesis pathways was up-regulated on days 1 and 4 but notably down-regulated on day 2, suggesting protein degradation at this time to balance energy supply for adaptation. Despite these coping shifts, impairments in photosynthetic energy dissipation and electron transport, along with transcriptional changes including down-regulating cell cycle and inducing apoptotic pathways, ultimately caused a substantial reduction in biomass. These findings provide a basic understanding of the response mechanisms of alkalophilic microalgae to low alkalinity stress, which should aid to develop strategies to improve microalgal tolerance against acidification.
期刊介绍:
Algal Research is an international phycology journal covering all areas of emerging technologies in algae biology, biomass production, cultivation, harvesting, extraction, bioproducts, biorefinery, engineering, and econometrics. Algae is defined to include cyanobacteria, microalgae, and protists and symbionts of interest in biotechnology. The journal publishes original research and reviews for the following scope: algal biology, including but not exclusive to: phylogeny, biodiversity, molecular traits, metabolic regulation, and genetic engineering, algal cultivation, e.g. phototrophic systems, heterotrophic systems, and mixotrophic systems, algal harvesting and extraction systems, biotechnology to convert algal biomass and components into biofuels and bioproducts, e.g., nutraceuticals, pharmaceuticals, animal feed, plastics, etc. algal products and their economic assessment