Multi-Omics Analysis Reveals Potential Mechanisms of Diarrhetic Shellfish Toxin and Fatty Acid Synthesis in Marine Harmful Prorocentrum

Abstract

This study integrates transcriptomic and proteomic approaches to investigate the synthesis pathways of diarrhetic shellfish toxins (DSTs) in Prorocentrum lima and Prorocentrum arenarium, three strains exhibiting distinct toxin profiles. By combining multi-omics data, we identified 45 type I polyketide synthases (PKSs) and 45 type II fatty acid synthases (FASs) as potential candidates involved in DST production. Sequence analysis of the selected PKS and FAS genes revealed a high level of consistency across different omics datasets. Our results highlight the differential expression of proteins associated with fatty acid biosynthesis, with P. arenarium (HN231) exhibiting a significantly higher proportion of saturated fatty acids (SFAs) compared to P. lima (3XS36 and XS336), consistent with the upregulation of proteins involved in fatty acid synthesis pathways. These findings offer new insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying DST production and fatty acid metabolism in dinoflagellates, providing a foundation for future research on environmental contamination by DSTs. This study underscores the importance of multi-omics approaches for understanding hazardous marine toxins and their environmental implications.