Cellular capacities for high-light acclimation and changing lipid profiles across life cycle stages of the green alga Haematococcus pluvialis

The unicellular microalga Haematococcus pluvialis has emerged as a promising biomass feedstock for the ketocarotenoid astaxanthin and neutral lipid triacylglycerol. Motile flagellates, resting palmella cells, and cysts are the major life cycle stages of H. pluvialis. Fast-growing motile cells are us...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:PloS one 2014-09, Vol.9 (9), p.e106679-e106679
Main Authors: Wang, Baobei, Zhang, Zhen, Hu, Qiang, Sommerfeld, Milton, Lu, Yinghua, Han, Danxiang
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acclimation
Acclimatization
Algae
Algal Proteins - metabolism
Algal Proteins - physiology
Apoptosis
Aquatic microorganisms
Arabidopsis thaliana
Astaxanthin
Biochemistry
Biodiesel fuels
Biology and Life Sciences
Biomass
Biosynthesis
Carotenoids
Cell culture
Cell Movement
Chlorophyta - cytology
Chlorophyta - metabolism
Chlorophyta - radiation effects
Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid
Cysts
D1 protein
Electron Transport
Flagellates
Growth conditions
Haematococcus
Haematococcus pluvialis
Life cycle engineering
Life cycles
Light
Lipid Metabolism
Lipids
Manganese
Mass spectrometry
Phosphatidylglycerol
Photosynthesis
Photosynthesis - physiology
Photosystem
Photosystem II
Photosystem II Protein Complex - metabolism
Photosystem II Protein Complex - physiology
Physiology
Pigments, Biological - chemistry
Proteins
Quenching
Scientific imaging
Starvation
Stresses
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Summary:The unicellular microalga Haematococcus pluvialis has emerged as a promising biomass feedstock for the ketocarotenoid astaxanthin and neutral lipid triacylglycerol. Motile flagellates, resting palmella cells, and cysts are the major life cycle stages of H. pluvialis. Fast-growing motile cells are usually used to induce astaxanthin and triacylglycerol biosynthesis under stress conditions (high light or nutrient starvation); however, productivity of biomass and bioproducts are compromised due to the susceptibility of motile cells to stress. This study revealed that the Photosystem II (PSII) reaction center D1 protein, the manganese-stabilizing protein PsbO, and several major membrane glycerolipids (particularly for chloroplast membrane lipids monogalactosyldiacylglycerol and phosphatidylglycerol), decreased dramatically in motile cells under high light (HL). In contrast, palmella cells, which are transformed from motile cells after an extended period of time under favorable growth conditions, have developed multiple protective mechanisms--including reduction in chloroplast membrane lipids content, downplay of linear photosynthetic electron transport, and activating nonphotochemical quenching mechanisms--while accumulating triacylglycerol. Consequently, the membrane lipids and PSII proteins (D1 and PsbO) remained relatively stable in palmella cells subjected to HL. Introducing palmella instead of motile cells to stress conditions may greatly increase astaxanthin and lipid production in H. pluvialis culture.
ISSN:1932-6203
1932-6203
DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0106679