Effects of different abiotic stresses on carotenoid and fatty acid metabolism in the green microalga Dunaliella salina Y6

• Published in: Annals of microbiology 2020-07, Vol.70 (1), p.1-9, Article 48
• Main Authors: Wu, Mingcan, Zhu, Rongfang, Lu, Jiayang, Lei, Anping, Zhu, Hui, Hu, Zhangli, Wang, Jiangxin
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Abiotic stress; Algae; Analysis; Applied Microbiology; Aquatic microorganisms; Beta carotene; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Carotenoids; Cell growth; Dunaliella salina; Fatty acids; Growth curves; Life Sciences; Lipids; Medical Microbiology; Metabolism; Microbial Ecology; Microbial Genetics and Genomics; Microbiology; Mycology; Nitrogen; Original Article; Physiological aspects; Salinity; Salinity effects; β-Carotene
• ISSN: 1590-4261; 1869-2044
• DOI: 10.1186/s13213-020-01588-3

Purpose Under different abiotic-stress conditions, the unicellular green microalga Dunaliella salina accumulates large amounts of carotenoids which are accompanied by fatty acid biosynthesis. Carotenoids and fatty acids both possess long carbon backbones; however, the relationship between carotenoid and fatty acid metabolism is controversial and remains poorly understood in microalgae. Methods In this study, we investigated the growth curves and the β-carotene, lutein, lipid, and fatty acid contents of D. salina Y6 grown under different abiotic-stress conditions, including high light, nitrogen depletion, and high salinity. Results Both high-salinity and nitrogen-depleted conditions significantly inhibited cell growth. Nitrogen depletion significantly induced β-carotene accumulation, whereas lutein production was promoted by high light. The accumulation of lipids did not directly positive correlate with β-carotene and lutein accumulation under the three tested abiotic-stress conditions, and levels of only a few fatty acids were increased under specific conditions. Conclusion Our data indicate that cellular β-carotene accumulation in D. salina Y6 positive correlates with accumulation of specific fatty acids (C16:0, C18:3n3, C14:0, and C15:0) rather than with total fatty acid content under different abiotic stress conditions.